Can you tell me who said it? ... Also, Do you know to whom it was said?
This was one of many quotes I used in sharing a message at chapel with a room full of kids today. It was also the one that no one in the room could identify.
How did you do? Did you immediately know who said it and to whom? If so, congratulations! If not take a look at the following account and you'll see that Jesus said, "Arise, and do not be afraid." to His disciples at an event that was truly amazing.
Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, brought them up on a high mountain by themselves, and was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!" And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid. But Jesus came and touched them and said, "Arise, and do not be afraid." And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only. Now as they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, "Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead." Matthew 17:1-9
Have you ever really stopped to consider how many people throughout scripture end up on their faces when God shows up? The disciples were no different. It says, that "Jesus was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His
clothes became as white as the light. And behold, Moses and Elijah
appeared to them, talking with Him." They were filled with how awesome all this was but it wasn't until ... "behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out
of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well
pleased. Hear Him!" And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their
faces and were greatly afraid.
God the Father showed up in a cloud and spoke and just that quick they fell on their faces!
Out of all the quotes I used today to show these young people that the heart of the Father, Son, and Spirit, is to bless them; this is the one that has stayed with me all day long. I'm not really sure why. 'Arise, and do not be afraid." Its a pretty simple statement, but it is the statement that Jesus made to His disciples after the Father showed up and spoke! Maybe, that is why? Maybe its because I love the fact that it is the first thing Jesus said to them after the Father had ended His statement about Jesus with, "Hear Him!" God speaks from the cloud that had overshadowed them, reaffirms and authenticates to them both the person and the word of Christ, and then, He ends His statement to them with, "Hear Him!"
Jesus immediately goes to them, touches them and says, 'Arise, and do not be afraid.'
I love that Jesus' first words and His first actions are to bless them with both a touch and with the right words to reassure them that they need not fear the Presence of God.
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