Through The Bible in a Year - June 30, 2026

"When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, 'Rise and have no fear.' And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only." - Matthew 17:6-8

The disciples saw Moses and Elijah. They heard the voice of God from the cloud. And they fell on their faces in terror.

And then Jesus did something breathtaking in its simplicity. He came to them. He touched them. And He said, "Rise and have no fear."

The Lord of glory—transfigured, blazing like the sun, the One Moses and Elijah came to affirm—stepped away from that display of overwhelming divine majesty and reached down to touch three terrified men lying face down in the dirt.

And then they looked up and saw "no one but Jesus only."

Not the blazing transfiguration. Not Moses. Not Elijah. Not the cloud. Just Jesus—standing with them, having touched them and comforted them in their fears.

"Do not fear" is probably the most repeated command in all of Scripture. It traces the entire story of God's relationship with humanity:

In the garden, Adam and Eve sinned and hid because they were afraid. Then God promised a Redeemer to calm their fears and ours.

From that moment forward, the command not to fear gets repeated over and over: the angels say it, the prophets say it, God says it through Moses and Joshua and David and Isaiah and Jeremiah. Every major turning point in the Bible is marked by God’s comforting assurance: "Do not fear."

The angel to Mary: "Do not fear." To Joseph: "Do not fear." To the shepherds: "Do not fear." And after the resurrection, when Jesus appears to His disciples, he says, "Do not fear."

The message from beginning to end is the same: you have a Redeemer. You have One who stood before the Father to bear the penalty of your sin, who still intercedes for you, who will always provide a way of grace for you. Therefore do not fear.

And notice: after Jesus touched the disciples, who were face down in the dust, they looked up, and they saw no one but Jesus only. This is the gospel in five words: “No one but Jesus only.” Don't look at your performance. Don't look at your competence. Don't look at your background or your failures or what others think. Your hope is in no one but Jesus only.

Respond: What fear is paralyzing you right now? What has caused you to fall face down in terror—a diagnosis, a relationship, a financial situation, an uncertain future, a persistent sin, a looming consequence?

Jesus is coming to you in that moment. He is reaching down to touch you. And He is saying: "Rise and have no fear."

This week, practice lifting your eyes to see "no one but Jesus only." When fear rises, don't look at the size of the wave, the scope of the problem, or the severity of the situation. Look at Jesus only. He is present. He has touched you by his present Holy Spirit. He says: “Rise and do not fear.”

Prayer: Father, so many things in my life tempt me to fall face down in fear. I fear the loss of what I have. I fear the uncertainties of the future. I fear the consequences of my sin. Sometimes my fears feel overwhelming, and I can’t seem to rise above them. But You sent the One who came to terrified disciples, touched them, and said, "Rise and have no fear." Give me faith to believe that Jesus will come to me in this moment by the truths of your Word and the presence of your Holy Spirit. Let Jesus touch me. Let me hear His words of comfort. Help me lift my eyes to see no one but Jesus only. Not my circumstances. Not my failures. Not my fears. Only Him. In Jesus’ name, Amen.