Jesus tells us not to fear. How does that work?

There have been a few events in life that I dreaded. Losing my hair was one of them. I used to have a fairly extensive mop, ridiculously corralled in the 1980s by a perm. My fringe stuck out so far that I could have found part-time employment as a bus shelter. Transitioning from that to a marooned peninsula (I used to have Texas, now it’s more like the Isle of Wight) has not been a joy. 

Visits to the dentist don’t fill me with ecstasy either. It’s hard not to be afraid when encountering a grinning chap who is eager to insert a pound of stainless steel (including a pneumatic drill) between one’s molars. 

But there’s one item in my future that I would definitely like to avoid – that is dying. I’d prefer Jesus returned in my lifetime, thus cancelling my appointment with our local funeral director. The human tendency to be afraid of death is very real, which is why most undertakers don’t locate themselves in high streets or shopping centres. Denial seems to be the default response.

As Woody Allen put it: “I’m not afraid of death; I just don’t want to be there when it happens.”

To state the obvious, there’s a lot of fear around at present. From nervousness about the Russian bear hungrily eyeing Europe to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, political and economic uncertainties mean it’s easy to be terrified. 

Assaulted by a daily diet of alarming headlines, those of us who follow Jesus hear him offer not just an exhortation, but a gentle command: “Don’t be afraid.” Bluntly, in times like this, his words can seem laughable, ridiculous even. 

But if Jesus tells us not to fear, it must be possible to do just that, with his Spirit and strength helping us. Our Christian ancestors have modelled this for us. They lived in a world far more chaotic and uncertain than our own, mad emperors raged, starving lions roared; many of them stared death down. Today our brothers and sisters who are persecuted because they love Jesus manage to stand firm and faithful, knowing they may well pay the ultimate price.

And so, it seems to me that the only way to avoid fear in life is to make peace with death. If we believe Christ is alive, it is only logical to refuse the terror of those who think death is the end of everything. This was the attitude of my late friend, Steve Legg, who I have previously written about in this column: “If I’m healed, Jeff, I have a powerful testimony. If I die, I’m with Jesus. Either way it’s a win-win.” This was not a flippant throwaway comment but an authentic reflection of the apostle Paul’s attitude, expressed to his pals in Philippi: “For to me, to live is Christ…to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). 

This echoes the perspective that Jesus gives us. In calling us to “not let [our] hearts be troubled” (John 14:1), he immediately talks not only about our future accommodations in the Father’s house, but about our eternity being with him, always and forever. Jesus promised to beat the sting of death once and for all. In the light of that, the only thing to fear is fear itself. 

As Easter Sunday approaches, forget the Easter bunny and the obsession with cylindrical chocolate. Rather, let’s allow this truth to galvanise our hearts: Christ has died, Christ is risen and, by grace, we too will rise with him in glory, come what may. 

Death is a Goliath slain at the hands of our Jesus, the Son of David. Thank God, and hallelujah indeed.