Matthew 17:6

And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid. And Jesus came and touched them and said, Arise, and be not afraid.

Christ's touch was that like he used in healing and raising the dead. It imparted power and strength. It emphasizes the state of utter incapacity into which the apostles' terror had plunged them. The message "Be not afraid" was the same which came to them over the storm-tossed waters of Galilee, dispelling their apprehensions and indicating the end of the experience.