And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye, for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. Matthew 28:5
If we turn to Revelation 21:8, we will find a list of those consigned for eternity to the second death in the lake of fire. That list includes the whoremongers and murderers and idolaters that we would expect to find. But even before those wicked people, actually at the very head of the list, we find the fearful. We might find this surprising, since fearful people don’t seem to us to be so terribly wicked. But that verse is not referring to people who are simply shy and timid, or even those who are nervous wrecks. No, the fearful who will merit eternal damnation are those who have failed to place their confidence in the work of Christ. They are like those who refuse to cross the river because they don’t trust the bridge. All those who have failed to trust the Lord Jesus Christ – Who is the only Bridge between God and man, are the fearful. That is why the angel could tell the faithful women there was no need to fear, because they were seeking Jesus.
Fear was the atmosphere in which the angel spoke. The previous verse tells us that fear had caused the soldiers guarding the sepulchre to shake and become as dead men. The angel had no message for them. But for the women, he spoke comfort, and dispelled their fears. He knew that these women had come to anoint the body of Jesus with spices, unaware that He had risen from the dead. He knew the women were among the most devoted of Jesus’ followers, and had braved the presence of a grumpy guard detail to make their trek to the tomb. They had overcome all other fear, and were now merely frightened at the angel’s presence. So he hastened to assure them that their fears were groundless, and that he had wonderful news for them. Today, the Word of God hastens to calm our fears, despite the terror of death and the knowledge of our own weakness and mortality in the face of a holy God. The joyful news today is that the Lord Jesus is not in any sepulchre but resides in the Glory, where He awaits our arrival. The Word assures us that we have no reason to fear, because Christ arose, and we will rise with Him.
The God Who is greatly to be feared in the Assembly of His saints would calm our fears of all else today, because of the empty tomb. -Jim MacIntosh