CHRISTMAS 2024: FEAR NOT
LUKE 2:8-11, 1 JOHN 4:7-19
# fearnot”
INTRODUCTION… Distractions of Christmas (p)
Christmas songs are favorites for a lot of people when it comes to holiday-type music. “Christmas music” is so important it is its own genre. Christmas songs get us in the mood for Christmas which is why it is so important. Christmas is that time of year where we focus on the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. In my opinion, the best Christmas songs focus us on Jesus and keep our attention on Jesus. It is easy to get distracted away from Jesus at Christmas and lose focus.
There are several reasons why someone might struggle to get into the Christmas spirit and lose focus on Christ:
#1 Personal loss: The holidays can be especially difficult for those who have lost loved ones. The absence of a family member or friend can make it hard to feel the usual joy or excitement associated with Christmas.
#2 Stress: The holiday season can come with a lot of pressures—financial strain from buying gifts, the stress of hosting events, and the general busyness of the season. This can lead to burnout, making it harder to enjoy the festivities.
#3 Mental Health Issues: Conditions such as depression, anxiety, or seasonal affective disorder (SAD) can affect someone's mood, making it difficult for them to feel the holiday cheer. The holidays might even worsen symptoms due to social pressure or the contrast between personal feelings and societal expectations of happiness.
#4 Financial difficulties: The pressure to buy gifts, decorate, and host holiday events can add financial strain, which may make people feel anxious or resentful, rather than joyful, about the holiday season.
#5 Expectations vs. Reality: Sometimes, the idealized version of Christmas portrayed in media or in our minds doesn't match the reality of someone's situation and this creates feelings of disappointment rather than joy.
#6 Over-commercialization: Some people feel disconnected from the true spirit of Christmas because of the commercial aspect of the holiday. The focus on buying and gifts can overshadow the true meaning of Christmas which is the focus on Christ.
#7 Health issues: Physical health problems, fatigue, or illness can make it difficult to enjoy the holiday season, especially if someone is feeling unwell or dealing with chronic conditions.
For all these reasons and probably for some I haven’t even thought of, Christmas can be a difficult time to focus on what matters the most: Jesus. Christmas music is one of the ways that a lot of people refocus and tune their heart into the birth of Jesus Christ.
ILLUSTRATION… Christmas Hymns (p) openthebible.org/article/25-christmas-hymns-and-worship-songs & hipchristmas.com/lists/songs/index.php [adapted]
There are good Christmas songs out there. For example:
“Angels We Have Heard On High” (1862) is a song all about angels announcing the birth of Jesus.
“Come Thou Long Expected Jesus” (1745) literally has His Name in the title.
“For Unto Us A Child is Born” (1741) keeps our attention on the Christ-Child.
“Go Tell It On the Mountain” (1907) is all about telling “that Jesus Christ is born.”
“Good Christian Men Rejoice” (1853) is about praising that “Jesus is Born today.”
“Joy to the World” (1719) is about “the Lord is come.”
Again, the best Christmas songs focus us on Jesus and keep our attention on Him:
“You’re A Mean One, Mr Grinch” (1965) is all about King Herod’s attempts to kill the Baby Jesus.
“Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” (1965) is about how the Wise Men were led to the Baby Jesus.
“Baby Its Cold Outside” (1948) is a sweet song of the new mother Mary whispering to Baby Jesus.
“Merry Christmas Baby” (1964) is the Beach Boys hit song about Jesus’ birthday.
“Marshmallow World” (1996) is all about the need the icky sticky world has for the Baby Jesus.
Songs can help us focus in the Christmas season because sometimes it is difficult to get into the mood for gift giving, singing, parties, wrapping presents, extra church services, and all the other trimmings of this time of year. Music can help us focus on the birth of Jesus.
Oddly enough, our focus for the last few weeks has been “fear” as it relates to the birth of Jesus. Last week, we talked about the fear that may result because of the knowledge of the identity of the Baby born: Savior, Christ, and Lord. Deciding what we believe about Jesus and accepting Him is a heavy-duty decision that may have some fear with it. Two weeks ago, we talked about the fear that the shepherds experienced on the night of Jesus’ birth because the angel and the heavenly host broke into the night sky with the glory of God shining around them. That fear is understandable as angels are spiritual beings that produce shock and awe in physical beings and trip the fight or flight response in us when we see one. Fear. Fear. And this week “fear” again.
TRANSITION
We continue today, in our third and final sermon before Christmas, to focus on fear as it relates to the birth of Jesus. Let’s remind ourselves of a part of the passage we have been focusing on:
READ LUKE 2:8-11 (ESV)
“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.”
It was initially Luke 2, specifically verses 9-11, that grabbed my attention about fear and the birth of Jesus. Fear and Christmas don’t usually go together. Fear and babies do not usually go together either. As I studied and prayed, in addition to Luke 2, I noticed another passage that directly speaks to fear as it relates to the birth of Jesus. We find that passage in 1 John 4. We will focus our time in 1 John 4:7-19, but we will split it up so it is easier to talk about.
PART 1: 1 JOHN 4:7-12
READ 1 JOHN 4:7-12 (ESV)
“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent His only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and His love is perfected in us.”
The Apostle John makes a bold statement in this passage among all the other bold statements he makes. The bold statement is the last three words of verse 8: “God is love.” When we say God is love, we are not saying that is the only thing God is, but it is an essential aspect of His character. God is all of His characteristics all of the time. He is the Only One like Him. That means love colors every aspect of His nature. God is holy, righteous, just, wrath, gracious and eternal all at the same time without any of those characteristics becoming lessened. God is always love even when He is wrathful or jealous or angry or exacting judgment. This is confusing for us is because most of the time we are one or the other! We are not always loving while we are feeling or acting in other ways. God, however, is love. Always. Perfectly. Wholly.
I would like you to notice as well the order of the words at the end of verse 8 because the order is important. Verse 8: “God is love.” The verse does not say “Love is God.” The verse does not say “God is love and love is God.” Verse 8: “God is love.” Why is this important? This is important because God defines love. Love does not define God. We get into problems when we try to say love is God. There are problems because we assign what love means and sometimes our definitions of love are incorrect, incomplete, or wrong. God defines love. God is love. Love permeates all that God is all the time.
It is important to know this because verse 9 echoes what the Apostle John writes in John 3 where he explains that God’s motivation for sending Jesus is love. Jesus Christ is the perfect manifestation of love of God in the flesh. God’s plan was to send Jesus before we ever sinned which shows His perfect love. God is perfect complete love therefore the motivation, the reason, and the result of Jesus becoming “God with us” is love.
Verse 10 focuses us on the fact that Jesus is the “propitiation for our sins.” The word “propitiation” is not a word you will probably encounter outside of the Church. It is a Church word that means Jesus is the “payment for the debt of our sins.” Jesus is the human being without sin Who provided for humanity an avenue for us to have communion with God. Because of Jesus, humanity who accept Him is cleansed of sin and freed of the threat of death. Jesus Christ takes our punishment due to sin through His death. In addition, He Himself being sinless, is able to take on all about us that is polluted and dying. This is what the Apostle John is pointing out.
Jesus did all of this because of love. Not because of judgment or condemnation or any other reason other than love. Jesus is the propitiation for our sins because He loves us. We can’t escape it… God loves us. Even when we do not love Him, even when we turn away from Him, even when we sin… God loves us. God is love.
TRANSITION
That is the first part of the passage we are focusing on today. The Apostle John establishes in verses 7-12 that God is love which is made real for us in the sending of Jesus Christ. Jesus makes a relationship between us and God possible by paying for our sin. Without God, it is impossible to please God or have a relationship with Him even though He still loves us. You can see, as we are focusing on the birth of Jesus, how this section of 1 John 4 applies. John talks about how God “sent His only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him” which is a huge arrow to the birth of Jesus. The part about fear is next.
PART 2: 1 JOHN 4:13-19
READ 1 JOHN 4:13-19 (ESV)
“By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent His Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17 By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as He is so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. 19 We love because He first loved us.”
We can see in verses 13-16 the way that the Apostle John talks about the relationship a redeemed person can have with God. People who do not accept Jesus as the Savior, do not abide in Christ, and do not have the Holy Spirit cannot have a relationship with God. Only Jesus makes that possible. A relationship with God involves accepting Jesus as Savior and an abiding connection with the Holy Spirit. God loves us so much that He sent His Son Jesus to make a relationship with us possible.
It is in verse 17 that we begin to get an inkling about the connection of love and fear, faith and fear, or Jesus and fear. The words “confidence” and “judgment” prime us for verse 18 which talks about “fear.” It is in verse 18 where John declares that those who abide in Christ have absolutely nothing to fear. Fear has to do with condemnation, punishment, and the unknown. Jesus squashes all of that.
The Apostle John’s statement reflects the deep connection between love and fear, especially in the context of faith and our relationship with God. How does love cast out fear?
#1 Love brings security: When someone loves you deeply, it provides a sense of acceptance. This security reduces feelings of anxiety or fear about being judged, abandoned, or harmed. In a relationship where love is present, you feel supported, and this diminishes fear. This is true in human relationships, but all the more in our relationship with God Who loves us perfectly.
#2 Love provides courage: When we feel loved, we are empowered to face challenges that otherwise might seem intimidating. Love helps us step out of our comfort zones, knowing that there is someone who believes in us and stands by us. This is true in human relationships, but all the more in our relationship with God Who loves us perfectly.
#3 Love is transformational: When we experience love, it transforms how we view the world. We become less fearful because we see others through a lens of compassion rather than anything else. This shift promotes peace. This is true in human relationships, but all the more in our relationship with God Who loves us perfectly.
CONTENT… preceptaustin.org/1_john_418_commentary [Wiersbe] [adapted]
Fear is the result of sin.
Fear is the result of breaking God’s heart.
Fear is the result of the unknown.
Fear is the beginning of torment.
We fear inside ourselves when we contemplate what lies ahead and we understand that we don’t have what it takes. The Apostle John immediately connects fear with judgment. One day our lives on earth wilt end and John invites us to think about judgment.
* A believer does not worry about yesterday because God has taken care of all our yesterdays.
* A believer does not fear today because God loves us here and now in all ways.
* A believer faces tomorrow boldly because we are loved by God Who is already in the future.
The perfecting of God’s love in our lives is usually a matter of several stages, ups and downs, as well as wrong turns. This is called sanctification. After we trusted Christ, we all have a perplexing mix of fear and love in our hearts, but as we grow in fellowship with God the Father, gradually the fear vanished and our hearts were controlled by His love. This is the Good News the angels proclaimed in Luke 2.
CONNECTION OF LUKE 2 ADND 1 JOHN 4
There is a connection between Luke 2 and 1 John 4.
In Luke 2, the angels burst into the night sky and proclaim that Jesus was born in Bethlehem. The angels tell the shepherds not to be afraid because this is all Good News.
In 1 John 4, the reason and result of the birth of Jesus is discussed. The Apostle John tells us in that the reason God sent Jesus to be born of the virgin Mary, which we celebrate at Christmas time, is because He completely loves us. That is simply Who God is… God is love. The plan to send Jesus was and is all about love. The Good News about Jesus is all about love. The birth of Jesus is all about how our life gets turned upside down by the love of God.
That love casts out all fear that we aren’t good enough, that we don’t measure up, or that we have to earn salvation. God’s love proved effective by Jesus Christ and confirmed by the presence of the Holy Spirit casts out all fear that on Judgment Day we will face the consequences of our sins all by ourselves. Perfect love casts out all fear.
TRANSITION
This is why focusing on the birth of Jesus is important. As I mentioned earlier, Christmas music helps us focus on the Good News about the Baby Jesus and the perfect love that casts out fear.
ILLUSTRATION… Christmas Hymns (p) openthebible.org/article/25-christmas-hymns-and-worship-songs & hipchristmas.com/lists/songs/index.php [adapted]
There are good Christmas songs out there. For example:
“Father Christmas” (1977) is all about God our Father Who sent Jesus for us.
“Santa’s Rap” (1984) focuses on the Christ-Child Who was wrapped in swaddling clothes.
“Nothing for Christmas” (1988) is a theological song about how the wise men showed up later.
“Christmas Boogie” (1953) is about how Mary wiped Jesus’ nose after He was born.
“Santa Claus Go Straight to the Ghetto” (1968) is about Jesus being born in a manger.
Again, the best Christmas songs focus us on Jesus and keep our attention on Him:
“Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” (1739) is all about Jesus the newborn King.
“It Came Upon a Midnight Clear” (1849) is all about the “It” being the Christ-Child Jesus.
“O Come All Ye Faithful” (1843) is all about “Christ the Lord” Who is the “King of Angels.”
“O Holy Night” (1847) is a classic song about the “night when Christ was born.”
“O Little Town of Bethlehem” (1867) is about the place Jesus was born.
SUMMARY & CHALLENGE
What will really focus us at Christmas is remembering the love of God which is the motivation for Christ to come at all.
God leans in to us to share the good news with the shepherds. This is Grace.
God leans in to us so that Jesus would exist as a human being. This is Grace.
Focus on the Christ-Child Who is Savior.
Focus on the Christ-Child Who is Christ.
Focus on the Christ-Child Who is Lord.
Fear not. Jesus always changes us for our good.
Fear not. There is no condemnation in Jesus Christ because He saves us.
Fear not. The life that Jesus wants for us is way better than the path we forge for ourselves.
Fear not. Jesus does not leave us alone as we grow in faith, but gives His Spirit.
Fear not. God is worthy of our trust.
May you praise God for His love.
May you praise God for His love that caused Him to send His Son.
May you praise God for His love that caused Him to send His Son Who saves us.
PRAYER
INVITATION
