The Fear of Christmas

Luke 2:1-20

Most of the time we think of Christmas like a tableaux or a manger scene??Silent night, holy night, all is calm, all is bright???Away in a manger to crib for a bed, the little Lord Jesus, no crying He makes???O little town of Bethlehem how still we see thee lie? and that sort of thing.

We wish each other ?Happy Christmas!? or ?Merry Christmas!? and we are expected to have joyful smiles on our faces and joy in our hearts. And there?s nothing wrong with that. The beginning of what is known as the ?Christ Event? is surely to be celebrated.

But for those who experienced, witnessed or heard of the birth of Jesus?they may have encountered another emotion: fear.

Think about it. When the shepherds out in the fields saw the angels announcing the birth of the Messiah, they reacted with terror. The angels in Luke 2 had to explicitly tell them it was okay not to be afraid.

For others we have to infer their emotions. Luke tells us that Mary was ?deeply troubled? after talking to the angel who told her she would become pregnant. And as the pains of childbirth came on her, was she perhaps feeling some fear of the process to come? I?m sure most mothers-to-be do.

And what about Joseph? Was fear part of the mix as he contemplated the reactions of those around him to the news that his betrothed was with child? In all three interactions the word ?afraid?, or the Greek word where we get our word ?phobia? is used. And what about the dream that warned Joseph to flee to Egypt to escape Herod?s plot to kill his baby? Was there fear there for little Jesus?

And speaking of Herod?what emotion drove him to inquire so diligently of the Maggi about the time and place of Jesus? birth and to order the slaughter of a village of toddlers? It was fear. Fear that a new king would replace him.

In fact, if you think about, fear dominated the reactions to this baby when he grew up to be a man. The religious leaders feared he would take over. The Roman governor feared the people and his overseers who might remove him from his place of power. And the demons feared him because He had power over them.

So how was this fear addressed?

• Mary was told not to be afraid because God was doing something good in her and through her?the son wouldn?t be illegitimate but a King. (Luke 1:30).
• Joseph was told not to be afraid of taking Mary as his wife for four reasons: 1. God is in it, 2. The birth will happen (Mary won?t die), 3. He has a name (?God Saves?), and 4. He has a mission (to save you from sin).
• The angels told the shepherds to take note ? to pay attention - that the news was good because Messiah was coming and would bring the same good news to all people (Luke 2:10)

So what does this mean to us in 2013? Christmas is supposed to be such a time of joy and happiness, but for many it is tinged with fear?fear of loneliness, fear of rejection or abandonment, fear of failure, and fear of the future.

How can we take what Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds heard and apply it to our lives today?

Mary feared what was happening inside her. If you are a disciple of Jesus you may fear what God will find in your heart of hearts and might fear what He will change in you, perhaps not even accept you if He knew who you really were, not just the person you project on Sunday morning.

John would tell us that we have yet then to understand just how much God loves us:

1John 4:17 ?In this, love is perfected with us so that we may have confidence in the Day of Judgment, for we are as He is in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; instead, perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment. So the one who fears has not reached perfection in love.?

The angel told Mary that she was ?highly favored.? The word in the Greek is ?charis? where we get the word ?grace.?

Eph. 2:8 ?For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God?s gift.?

Joseph feared to move forward with his relationship with Mary, worried about what other people would think about him or do to him. Maybe God is calling you on to a deeper relationship. Perhaps He wants more of you, and you are concerned. Know this, that God is in it, that God will do it, that what He is doing is good, and that it has a purpose?that is to bring God glory and further His kingdom?and that?s what you want in the end, is to stand before God knowing that your difficulty resulted in Him getting glory. You might not feel up to the task, but God is.

Phil. 1:6 ?I am sure of this, that He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.?

The Shepherds feared what was happening around them. But the angel told them that though what God was doing was great and a bit mysterious, that it was actually good news because the rescuer had finally come. Maybe you?ve felt abandoned and alone, with no real hope. But though you can?t see the angels, they are all around you, sent to help you in your walk with Christ. You also have a permanent resident, the Holy Spirit, who guides, encourages, prays, and speaks.

Fear is your body and mind telling you something, urging you to do something. Normally we think of that in terms of flight, fight, of freeze. But how about fourth option?faith. Don?t fear fear?embrace it, but take it in the context of God?s power to do amazing things in and through you. Through the fear is great joy which shall be to all people for unto you this