Luke 3:8ff

Fear Not! I Bring You Good News of Great Joy...!

by James Lincoln on December 24, 2005

 

Fears & Phobias

Over the years psychologists have identified a number of fears or phobias that afflict people. Claustrophobia is the fear of enclosed places. Acrophobia is the fear of heights. Arachnophobia is the fear of spiders. Here are some that may be new to you: Rushaphobia: fear of Rush Limbaugh; Panaphobia: fear of everything; Adolesceaphobia fear of your teenager; and my all time favorite is Phobaphobia: fear of fear.

Fear is not something that we normally associate with Christmas. There's nothing about fear in, "I'm dreaming of a white Christmas with Chestnuts roasting over an open fire and Jack Frost nipping at your nose." By the way, roasted chestnuts and my grandmother's fruitcake were two of my earliest disappointments in life. Roasted chestnuts are really bitter and my grandmother was way too generous with the brandy. When, people think of Christmas they don't usually think of fear. The shepherds abiding in their fields keeping watch over their flocks by night stirs up images of small children in their bathrobes performing their Christmas pageants or maybe Linus in Charlie Brown's Christmas.

And yet, the first Christmas began with a terrifying and fearful experience. At the beginning, the shepherds were perfectly calm and at peace. But as soon as God's light comes upon them they're traumatized. When they're in the dark they're just fine. But the moment they get into God's light out of heaven...they're terrified. The same thing happened to the disciples just after Jesus calmed the storm at sea saving their lives. You would think that after He calmed the storm the disciples would feel safe and secure and calm. But they didn't. In the presence of the Light of the world- they were terrified.

In the original language Luke uses the same phrase when he describes the shepherds as, "sore afraid."- KJV- This was an ancient way of describing profound fear. Luke writes the word phobia twice and then he adds the word mega to reveal just how terrified they were. Transliterated, it reads a little like phobia-phobia-mega. When the glory of the Lord shown upon the shepherds here's what happened: they were absolutely traumatized. This repeats one of the main themes of the Bible. We're far more comfortable with the darkness than we are with the Light of the glory of God.

The glory Light of that first Christmas wasn't soothing at all. That's why the angels were always saying. "Fear not!" Fear is the natural reaction to their light. Yet, have you noticed how angels are represented today? Today angels look like overweight, dimpled, curly haired infants who couldn't hurt a flea. Today's angels couldn't evoke fear in anyone if they tried. The Biblical idea of angels is much different. In the Scriptures angels are heavenly warriors who are awesome and terrifying. In their presence entire armies shook in their boots and ran for their lives.

The shepherds' fear illustrates the way all of us are before God as He is. They echo an ancient incident that is deeply imbedded in every person's heart. At first Adam and Eve walked with God. The light of God's glory was beautiful and wondrous to them. It was life itself to them. And then one day they decided to be their own masters and rulers and call their own shots. And on that day everything changed. And on that day the light of God's glory came upon them and instead of enjoying it, embracing it and resting in God they were sorely afraid. And they ran away from God, hid behind the trees and jumped into a pile of leaves (Ge.3). God said, "Adam where are you? Why are you hiding" and Adam said, "I was afraid." And it's been so ever since... hiding and wrapping ourselves up attempting to make ourselves safe apart from God who is the only reasonable source of everlasting safety.¹

That's why there's a lot of anxiety even though we have an abundance of things designed to keep us safe. Outside of His saving grace in Christ we mistrust God and avoid God Himself. God is light and when we get near Him he shatters our self image. He starts talking about things like His holiness and our sin.

When Isaiah saw the light of the glory of God he fell down as though dead. When Job saw God he said, "I despise myself; I see myself and I repent in dust and ashes." When Peter saw Jesus for who He is he said, "Depart from me for I am a sinful man." Everyone who gets near the Light of God gets traumatized and begins to feel weak. If you don't like to hear or avoid what the Bible says about sin and the need for repentance that's the very evidence you need of this natural fear and aversion to the light of God's glory. The message of Christmas is that when we come into the presence of God's light as He really is, we are afraid. It's only when you get near to God and the light of His truth that your fear is revealed.

Last week I repaired a picture frame that fell off the wall in our living room. So, I used some gorilla glue to repair it. I did a decent job. It looks good as long as it stays on the dark side of the room. However, if you shine a light on it, it will reveal the cracks. The message of Christmas is if you behold what the angels say the fears of your cracks can be dispelled. The angel doesn't say, "Don't worry be happy." Or simply, "Fear not!" He says, "Fear not; because there is something to behold that can dispel your fear.

Like the shepherds we all need to hear God's solution. The angel knows this about us. That's why the first thing he says to the shepherds is, "Fear Not". For behold.. Don't be afraid because there are good tidings of great joy." The word translated good tidings is the world gospel. The angel says "Look, I know you're afraid. All human beings are afraid when they come into the presence of God's holy light. But it doesn't have to remain that way. The angels says, "If you'll behold what I am about to say, the gospel of God's perfect love will dispel that fear." Fear not, behold...behold what? Luke 2:11 "Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord."

There are two parts to the good news.

First, "a Savior has been born."

The first part of the good news is a savior who became a man and was born. Philippians 2 tells us that even though Jesus was equal with God He didn't consider that equality of status and honor something to be held onto and so He emptied himself and became a man - a servant - and He lived an obedient life and died upon a cross. Why did He have to become a man? He did so to live a perfect life and die a death - as a man for us so that he could stand in our place. He had to become a man so He could say to the Father, "I have lived the life they should have lived; I have died the death they should have died and I give my perfect record to them - as a gift and as a gift - I've taken their punishment in full." Hear the gospel. Hear the good news. I know that it seems too good to be true. But the good news is that all of His works are transferred to us who believe and all of ours were transferred to Him.

This is the gospel. A savior has been born -- He knows everything we have ever done and in Christ He forgives us and loves us any way. He has cast our sins as far as the east is from the west to be remembered no more. In Christ there is no condemnation. God says that, "If you receive My son as your savior I will receive you."

Second, we must receive Him as He is.

The angel said of Jesus that, "He is Christ the Lord. The great company of angels sang, 14, "Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace."

Glory & Peace

Look, these two things are bound together. If we want peace on earth we must give glory to God in the highest. What does the word glory mean? It means God's beyond-ness and His weight. If something is glorious it bursts the bounds of your capacity to take it in. Something that is glorious is something that overflows and is superior in value to everything else. God's glory is His immeasurable weight. To honor Jesus Christ as Lord is to say "I glorify You." And to say, "I glorify you." is simply to say, "Your goals are immeasurably superior and weightier to me than my own. Your plans, your honor your wishes, your business, Your kingdom weigh more in my life and count more than mine or anyone else's."

Now that is not a complex commitment that is difficult to understand. It's a commitment to say to Jesus. "You're my glory now. I will give more weight to you than to me. You're the infinite, unqualified and number one priority in my life." Beloved, anything else is idolatry and you will lack peace until you acknowledge this as true. You're a contingent being; you did not create yourself and you can't sustain yourself. You have been authored and God is your ultimate authority in life. You are a created being and your creator is the only one worth ultimate glory. This is who God is.

Fear not! for behold...God deserves to be glorified. Are you glorifying His wisdom or are you fearful of the future? Are you giving more weight to what others think or what God thinks? If the former, you are glorifying others. Are you more afraid of others than God? Then you're giving more glory to others. Are you hoping or resting in the safety and security that you're providing for yourself or that which comes from God? If the former you are glorifying yourself or whatever you are resting in. If you want peace on earth you must first give Him glory. You must behold that Jesus was born a savior a - a savior who is Christ the Lord.

Beloved, His will is not a fearful thing. It is a good thing. Because He truly loves those who glorify Him. Here's the gospel and the light of Christmas: In Jesus, God came to save sinners like us and give us His peace. Because he is holy and we aren't, by nature we will hide from God and be afraid of what He might do or expect of us. However, a Savior has been born. He is Christ the Lord. So, fear not but instead glorify Him as He really is and rest in His love, grace and peace.

A Worthy Love

While overseas during WWII lieutenant John Blanchard checked out a book from a local library. The original owner's personal notes were still in the margins. He liked the book but he liked the insight and the passion of the notes in the margin more. Inside the book cover it read, "From the library of Hollis Manel of New York City." With a little detective work he discovered her address and throughout the war these two developed a deep friendship through correspondence. His admiration for her grew and so he asked her if she would send him a photograph. He wanted to see the face behind the person writing these incredible letters. But she refused. After the war they agreed to meet on a certain date at 7 PM at Grand Central Station in Manhattan for dinner. In her last letter she wrote, "I'll be standing in the Northeast corner of the station and you'll know me because I will be wearing a large red rose on the lapel of my coat. "

When he arrived in New York he got off the train and walked over to the Northeast corner and in the crowd he sees two women. One is young and very pretty; the other is plain, a little heavier than he imagined and much older. She was wearing a large red rose on her lapel. He stopped in his tracks. As he waited the young girl walked away leaving the woman with the red rose standing there looking for someone.

He later wrote,

"I felt split and choked up by the disappointment. But so deep was my longing for the woman whose spirit had companioned me and upheld me during my time of at war, that I thought this may not be love or romance but it could be something so precious - maybe a friendship - for which I will always be grateful and richer.

So he summed up the courage and walked over to the woman with the red rose and said, "Hello, I'm Lieutenant John Blanchard, you must be Hollis. I am so glad to meet you. May I take you to dinner." She smiled and said,

"Son I have no idea who you are or what this is really about but the young lady who just walked away gave me this rose, that I should wear it in my jacket lapel and only if you were to ask me to dinner, that I should tell you that she is waiting for you in the restaurant across the street."

Hollis gave her heart to Blanchard because his love was a superior love - if you will -- a glorious love. But the glory of his love was relative. The glory of Jesus' love is absolutely glorious. His holy love is superior to everything. No one can love you like Jesus and no one is more worthy of your love and allegiance than Jesus. He is the Light of the world. And if you receive His salvation and live to glorify Him you will know His peace on earth and in heaven forever and ever. So, hear the angels...

Fear not, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord."²

Run, John, run, the law demands, but gives us neither feet nor hands. Ah better news the gospel brings, it bids us fly and gives us wings." John Bunyan.