When I saw Him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not.” (Revelation 1: 17)
I did not like playing tag. I ran too slowly. When I was chased, I was usually caught. And when I was chasing, it was hard to catch someone else. That moment of TAG was a terrible moment for me. Because now I had power, authority, and responsibility. I was it.
Jesus’ touch was not a random sentimental act. Jesus was passing on to John all the things John needed to get rid of fear. That right hand was the hand of authority, and Jesus was giving to John power, position, and His presence.
John certainly had reason to fear! He saw Jesus as Jesus IS. All of His people will see Him, too… but we will see Him after we are fully sanctified. John was not, yet. And so when he saw Jesus’ glory, holiness, and power he was awestruck.
He had other reasons to be afraid, too. He was in exile. Exile was not vacation. It was permanent prison and it usually ended with some sort of execution. His physical needs were not guaranteed. He was now old, and what medical assistance was historically present would have been distant.
But the answer to John’s fear was the right hand of Jesus. Not in some vague religious emotional way. Jesus didn’t wave at John. He didn’t point. He didn’t wriggle His fingers. He didn’t keep His hand to Himself.
Jesus laid His hand on John to remove fear.
Because touching someone in like that was the symbolic way that authority was passed from person to person. Jesus was telling and showing John that John had the power of Jesus at John’s disposal.
Tag.
This is one of the reasons that Christians are urged to give each other the right hand of fellowship! We are reminding each other that King Jesus’ power is available for us!
With the power of Jesus, John had nothing to fear.
Us, too.
Fear not, because of Jesus’ hand.