If Jesus Is With You

The disciples were terrified and fell face down on the ground.   Matthew 17:6

I’ve heard people with grievances against God say that they will have a few things to say to God when they see him. It won’t be like that. The disciples reacted like any human beings would when confronted with the presence of God. Peter fell face down, and you would have done the same.

But as the disciples lay terrified on the ground, something wonderful happened: “Jesus came over and touched them. ‘Get up,’ he said. ‘Don’t be afraid’” (Matthew 17:7). This is the same thing that happened when John later saw the glory of the risen Christ. He fell at the Lord’s feet as if he were dead, and again Christ placed his hand on him and said, “Don’t be afraid!” (Revelation 1:17).

The disciples must have been profoundly grateful that Jesus was with them when they entered the cloud. One day you will enter the presence of God, and if Jesus is with you, you will be able to stand in his presence with nothing to fear.

This takes us to the heart of the message of the Bible. This awesome, hidden, and sometimes frightening God points you to his Son so that through him you may be able to stand in God’s presence.

The cloud then vanished. Moses and Elijah disappeared from view, and the disciples saw Jesus just as he had been before. Peter, James, and John had to return to the rest of the disciples and live by faith, not by sight.

But as they went down the mountain, they must have had a different attitude toward the difficulties that lay ahead. After seeing what they saw and hearing what they heard, being a disciple of Jesus must have seemed like the greatest privilege in the world, whatever the cost. The way ahead might be hard, but they had seen a glimpse of the glory that lay beyond the cross. And that glimpse gave them the hope and courage they needed to continue—even after Jesus ascended into heaven.

For further reading, see Matthew 17