Fear Not (Sermon 2 Of 3) Series

CHRISTMAS 2024: FEAR NOT

LUKE 2:8-21

# fearnot

READ LUKE 2:8-21 (ESV) [person from the congregation reads]

“And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, Who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a Baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with Whom He is pleased!” 15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this Child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. 21 And at the end of eight days, when He was circumcised, He was called Jesus, the Name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.”

INTRODUCTION

Christmas is that time of year where we focus on the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. Knowledge about the birth of Jesus calls a human being to respond. A Baby was born to a virgin and that Child was and is the Son of God. There are two broad categories of how people might respond to the birth of Christ… positive and negative… and inside those two broad categories there are several different options. How might someone respond to the birth of Jesus?

A positive response would be worship and adoration. Someone who believes that Jesus Christ is Who He claims to be might respond with worship embracing Jesus as Lord and Savior and adoration offering praise and reverence for His divine nature. We see the shepherds doing this in Luke 2.

A positive response would be thanksgiving. The birth of Jesus is quite significant in the history of humanity and so recognizing the birth of Jesus and the resulting gift of salvation means we might respond with a heart of thankfulness for the Son of God. We see the shepherds doing this in Luke 2.

Another positive response is definitely faith. Accepting Jesus as the promised Messiah is the most important decision anyone can ever make in life. Putting trust in His miraculous birth, His sinless life, His willing death, and His victorious resurrection is a big deal for the soul.

Service and generosity are also a positive reaction to the birth of Jesus. Jesus was Someone Who served others, loved, and also turned people’s hearts to God… and so in response to Him we are motivated to do the same. We show love and we give of our time or material possessions. Lastly and certainly not least is sharing the Good News about Jesus. Spreading the Good News of Jesus’ birth and why He is important to us is a proper response. Inviting others to believe in Jesus is our mission as believers. We see the shepherds doing this in Luke 2.

There are two broad categories of how people might respond to the birth of Christ. I have just mentioned several positive responses to Christmas. What about the other side? What about the negative responses? How might someone respond negatively to the birth of Jesus?

A negative response would be rejection. Much like King Herod in other parts of the Christmas passages, some might reject Jesus, feeling threatened by His claim as King or unwilling to surrender to Him. Taking Jesus as King means He has claim to all parts of our lives and some just say “no thank you” to His Lordship.

A negative response might also be indifference. #whateva. Many might feel indifferent to Jesus’ birth seeing it as just another event without any personal significance. For some, it may be that the other messages of Christmas… namely gifts and yule tide feelings… have overwhelmed the real meaning of Christmas so the religious side is just not important.