Good News At Christmas

Good News

Luke 2:10-11

Good News!!!

Walking along the beach, John tripped over a half buried kerosene lantern. He rubbed its side and sure enough, a genie materialized.

"I can’t grant your wishes, I don’t work like other genies" explained the freed spirit, "But since it is Christmastime, I’ll give you three gifts for releasing me: a potion to cure all sickness, a very large diamond and a dinner date with a famous movie star. By tomorrow afternoon, you will have received all these gifts."

When John returned home from work the next evening, he excitedly asked his wife if anything had been delivered.

"Yes," she replied. "It’s been an unusual day. At 2 pm, a 55-gallon drum of chicken soup arrived. About a half-hour later, a telegram came saying that a long-lost relative had left you a minor-league baseball diamond. Ten minutes ago, MGM called, inviting you to dinner with Lassie tonight."

How many people like to hear good news?

The world is filled with so much bad news, it is refreshing to hear some really good news.

This morning I have some Good News!

A. Good News! There has been a New Birth in Bethlehem

1. How long the world had waited – about 3,000 years since sin entered into the world, now there is joy!

2. The hour had come!!

a. The angels brought good tidings of great joy!

b. Prophesies were being fulfilled from the old testament minute by minute…

3. This would be the best news the world would ever know.

4. Folks --- Jesus has come!!

READ TEXT: Luke 2:10-11

The Good News of Jesus Christ can be found in our passage today:

I. Good News “The End of Fear” (vs 10)

The good news was first given to the Shepherds who were frightened by the angels.

1. But the angel said, “Fear Not”. Those two good words are always in the vocabulary of angels.

2. But the shepherds were afraid,

a. vs 10 “An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.”

b. I would think that terrified was probably an understatement for how these shepherds felt at the time.

c. I’ll bet that Gabriel must have been tired of saying these words by now.

d. It seems that every time he appeared to tell people who was coming, they cringed.

Luke 1:12 states, “When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was

gripped with fear.

When Gabriel appeared to Joseph in his dream, he had to tell him ‘Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife,’

And now, as Gabriel appears before the shepherds, his first words have to be ‘Do not be afraid’.

It’s a wonder that Gabriel didn’t quit appearing to people. I can hear him…… “every-time I appear they are terrified of me”

3. We have fears today…. Many times during the Christmas season

a. Local Banks – fear of robbery

b. Today, we fear the loss of our families.

c. We fear the loss of our jobs.

d. We fear the loss of our homes.

e. We fear loneliness

f. We fear the loss of our reputation and good name.

g. We are afraid of what people say about us. What they might think about us.

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University reported that 30 years ago, the greatest fears of grade school children were: 1) Animals, 2) Being in a dark room, 3) High places, 4) Strangers, 5) Loud noises. Today, kids are afraid of the following: 1) Divorce, 2) Nuclear war, 3) Cancer, 4) Pollution, 5) Being mugged.

4. Fear: What is fear? Webster says: Anxiety, caused by expectation of evil. Something we dread.

a. Fear is something that grips the heart of every man, woman, boy, or girl at some time in our lives.

5. But why are we afraid?

a. Is it because we worry about what might happen to us?

b. Are we afraid of what someone might say about us?

c. Are we fearful because of what we already know

d. Maybe we’re afraid of the unknown?

e. Maybe we are afraid of loneliness, pain, or suffering

What is it that makes a person fear something?

6. I believe we fear because we feel powerless in the face of our trials. Because we are up against a power greater than the power we perceive in our own lives.

a. But I want you to know that when we receive the good news of Jesus Christ into our hearts and place our trust in Him, we don’t have to fear any more.

But: 2 Timothy 1:7 “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of Power, Love and Self-discipline”

7. The Good News today, is that we can still give all of our fears to Jesus.