“Fear not!” That’s the message in the Christmas story to Mary when an angel tells her she is going to have a baby by the Holy Spirit. It’s the message to Joseph when he finds out the woman that he is betrothed to is pregnant. The same message is repeated by the angels to the shepherds as they watch over their flocks in the middle of the night. “Fear not!”
The great irony, of course, is that they had every reason to be afraid. They would have all been afraid to see an angel appear and speak to them! Mary was hearing incredible, life-altering news. Joseph was asked to believe in the unbelievable. The shepherds were outcasts and generally not trusted … and they were hearing that they should go to Bethlehem and meet a king? The method of delivery was scary … the message was scary and required trust in things that they could not see or understand.
But in all three cases, the message began with this simple phrase, “Fear not.” While they would have every reason to be afraid, there was a message of hope, meaning and purpose. Their brains might have been telling them to tremble, but God was speaking to their hearts.
Isaiah 41:10 says, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” This prophecy foreshadows the time when the Holy One will come to bring help, rescue and strength … the very coming we celebrate this season! Do not fear…why? Because I, the Lord, am with you. Do not be dismayed because I will strengthen you, help you, and uphold you.
The reality is that many of us live in worlds of fear. We feel anxious, sad, helpless and shaky. We fear the unknown and the things we can’t control. We hear God say, “Fear not!” and it only makes us feel guilty for feeling all the things that seem very real to us. But understand that God both made us to feel those things and, at the same time, promises to be our help during them!
God, I am afraid…and you are with me. You are by my side. So, I will choose not to fear. I am dismayed, but you are God, who is over me and everything else. So, I will rejoice even in the midst of sadness. I am weak, but you are strong, and you live inside me. So, there is a strength that is not from me, not produced by me, yet lives in me. I am helpless, but you are my help, working all around me for your purpose. I am shaky, but you uphold me … you literally are my foundation, so that when the storms come, I stand firm on solid rock.
So do not fear … not because things aren’t scary, but because God is with you, over you, inside you, around you and underneath you. That’s the hope that comes with Jesus this holiday season.
