Jesus introduces himself to us as the First and the Last, the One who was at the beginning of creation, through whom all things came into being; and the One who is the culmination of all history, to whom, one day, we will all give account of our lives. "He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead" (Acts 17:31). He has gone before us through the gate of death and resurrection to bring us to God and his heaven. He is the Living One, the source of all life, the one who gives us physical life and eternal life. He is capable, by virtue of who he is, to deliver us from fear because there is nothing he has not endured for us in his humanity and his divinity.

The Risen Christ Delivers us from the Fears of Daily Life.

"There is an old acronym for fear: False Expectations Appearing Real. Fear gives weight to things that don't deserve it -- and it weighs us down." (Mark Batterson, If, p.86) Is it the fear of failure? Is it the fear of poverty? Is it the fear of illness? Is it the fear of rejection? Life is full of fears. Even the wealthiest person, who has a portfolio of stocks and bonds is fearful of them losing value. Even the fittest and healthiest person is fearful of debilitating disease. Even the most popular and most attractive person is fearful of losing their looks and their friends and being alone. Even the most successful and self-sufficient person is fearful of ending her life dependent on others and losing control over her care. Even the strongest person may be fearful of being in dangerous places where they are vulnerable to terrorists. When we realize our absolute dependence upon God, and upon others, we can be filled with fear because of our own inadequacy to grapple with life. When we face our tasks in life, the responsibilities we have to others, we often fear that we may fail. We fear losing our position, our job, our prospects, our appearance, our loved ones. We recognize our weaknesses, our shortcomings, our inadequacies, and we become fearful.

The risen Jesus, the Living One, comes to us if we can but see him, and he says to us, "Do not be afraid to live today. I am alive and I am with you -- nearer to you than hands or feet, nearer to you than breathing, nearer to you than the closest earthly friend or loved one. I am with you. I am with you always. I am with you whatever comes. I have been where you have been. I will go before you, alongside you to help you get through whatever it is that makes you afraid. Fear not to live. I am alive, and I will hear your call, and I will reinforce you for every task, for every challenge. You can utterly trust me, for I will never fail you. Fear not to live." (George W. Truett, 1967-1944, Jesus is Alive)

The Risen Christ Delivers us from the Fear of Death.

Jesus said, "Fear not what is coming after death, because I hold in my hand the keys." Keys indicate authority and control. "I have in my hands, the keys to all the invisible world." Because of his victory over death, Jesus holds the "keys of death and Hades." Hades was a mythological Greek deity who ruled over the realm of the dead, the "house of Hades." "Death and Hades" together represent death's power; as Jesus told Peter, the gates of Hades will not prevail against the church (Matt.16:18). Pagans assumed that their god of the underworld held the keys to that underworld. In reality, however, only the truly risen and Living One, "the firstborn from the dead", could release people from Hades, the realm of death. Jesus controls who lives and dies. No hair of them will fall to the ground apart from his knowledge and will (Matt.10:29-31), so those who trust his loving care do not need to fear death. Death will not come to them by accident. When it comes, it comes only in the time our loving Lord permits it. We need not fear the future because God's purposes for us will triumph.

"Neither death, nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God, that is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38,39).

A couple of years ago I preached a series of messages on the meaning of salvation. One Sunday I expounded the promise of future transformation from Isaiah 65:17-25.

We should look forward to a new heaven and new earth with all its privileges. The old body which we inhabit, with all its weaknesses, pain and suffering will be transformed into a new body. The sorrows of this life will be replaced with the joys of the life to come. The former painful things will not be remembered nor will they come to mind. Your sins are blotted out and forgiven by Christ's atonement on the Cross. They will not be remembered. Your failures and mistakes are buried in the depths of the sea. The joy of the new creation will overflow and extinguish all other painful issues in our lives.

This result of salvation, this inheritance of the hope of eternal life, should give us confidence in the future. It is a trustworthy saying, something we can count on, so that dying and death need hold no terrors for us.

The next week I received this hand-written letter from John Zimmerman:

Ted: I am not used to writing notes like this, but I wanted to write this one. Your ..... message yesterday at Chapel was very enlightening to me. I am one of those you discussed who worried about and feared death. I never dwelt on that, but when I did it was not pleasant. I loved every day of my life and was blessed. I just could not conceive that ending.

You helped me turn the corner. On-going spiritual life and salvation is good news -- another wonderful beginning. When I went to talk with Charlotte, as I do every Sunday, I said that to be with her again makes death a wonderful renewal and not just a sad end. She liked that as she did not fear death and always worried that I did. John Z.

The answer to fear is to make Jesus your First and your Last, the beginning and end of your life. He is the key to your peace. But for the key to be used you must allow him to unlock the door of your heart, mind, soul and spirit and enter in to be your Resurrection and your Life.

The Rev. Ted Schroder is pastor of Amelia Plantation Chapel on Amelia Island, Florida