For the next few weeks, we're gonna take another break from Ruth. We will get back to our study of the book of Ruth, but we're gonna be looking instead at the Christmas story for the next couple of weeks. Myself and Pastor John and Pastor Rob will be directing our attention to the Christmas story. This morning as we consider the Christmas story, I want us to take some Christmas courage. Christmas courage. Courage that comes to us as a result of believing the promise of the Christmas story. There's a lot of fear in the world today, isn't there? Fear of an overheating planet, that the planet will be destroyed entirely by global warming and other environmental factors. Fear of terrorism. The threat of terrorism continues to be very real. Fear of one another as the country continues to take sides and vilify one another, dehumanize one another. Fear of disease and death. Since COVID came on the scene in 2020, there's been a marked increase in anxiety and fear. Fear is alive and well in the world today. And fear can be absolutely paralyzing. Someone has said that fear is the sand in the gears of life. It can sap our joy, dominate our thinking. But for the Christian, fear does not have to rule over us. The truth of the Christmas story is that the Son of God has come to earth to save us from our sins and to deliver us from all our fears. I love that one of the recurring refrains of the Christmas story is the message Do not fear. Do not fear. In just about every instance where an angel appears to a human being, the angel's first words are, do not be afraid. And then they give a reason why the people that they are speaking to should not fear. And I think these angelic messages of do not fear have a needed and helpful application for us today. As they call us to Christmas courage. Christmas courage that is founded in Christmas peace. Courage born out of the truths of the Christmas story and peace secured by the one who was born and laid in a manger. So with that in mind, as we look at Christmas courage today and the message of the Christmas story to not be afraid, let's go to the Lord in prayer. Lord Jesus, we thank you that you have come to vanquish fear. You have come to secure our peace in this world. You have promised to give us your peace. You have promised to forgive us of all of our sins, to pay the debt that we owed, to come again, and once and for all, make all things right. Lord, we thank you that we know how the story ends. We know where all things are ultimately headed. We know that you are the victor. And that through you, we are made more than conquerors. Through you, we are victors as well. Yet not I, but through Christ in me. Thank you for these glorious promises. Help us to lean into them today, to believe them, and to rest in you. We ask it in Jesus' name, amen. So what I wanna do this morning is look at these various instances of angelic appearances and their attending command to not be afraid and learn some lessons from them. So we're gonna see together four reasons that the Christmas story can dispel our fear and give us courage. Four reasons that the Christmas story can dispel our fears and give us courage. All right, first of all, we need not fear because our prayers are being heard. We don't need to fear because God hears our prayers. This lesson comes to us from the story of Zacharias. So you can turn in your Bibles to Luke chapter one. Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist, who would be the forerunner to the Messiah preparing the way for Messiah's coming. The Christmas story, therefore, begins with the story of Zacharias and his wife, Elizabeth. Zacharias was a priest, serving in the temple. Luke chapter 1 verse 5, In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zacharias of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. They were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord. Verse 7, But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both advanced in years. And while Zacharias was ministering at the temple in Jerusalem, we're told that he was chosen by Lot to enter the temple and burn incense at the table of incense. And so Zacharias went inside the temple to fulfill his priestly assignment. Look with me at verse 11. And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense. Zacharias was troubled when he saw the angel, and fear gripped him. But the angel said to him, Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John. Here we have the breaking of heavenly silence. For 400 years, there's been no word from the Lord. Though there have been promises made in the past, it's uncertain when the fulfillment of those promises of a coming Messiah would be realized. For 400 years, there's been no word from heaven, but here, the silence is broken. And the first word from the Lord comes to Zacharias through this angel. Verse 11 states that this angel of the Lord appeared to Zacharias inside the temple to the right of the altar of incense. Zacharias knew this was not normal. This was not normally what happened. This was not standard operating procedure. And he was overcome with fear upon seeing this angelic messenger. Fear gripped him. I would think so. You know you're the Only one in this very hallowed room? You've never been inside of this room before? And then suddenly there's an angel in there with you? Sheer terror, I would think. I would be thinking, upon seeing this angel, oh man, I've messed something up. I haven't burned the incense at the right time or placed the incense in the right place. I've done something wrong. Zacharias' fear here was very understandable. But very quickly, the angel speaks to Zacharias, calming words of comfort and assurance. Do not be afraid. Do not be afraid. Everything is going to be okay. I'm not here to harm you. I'm not here to kill you. Don't be afraid. Why? Because your petition has been heard. Your prayers, rising like incense from the altar, have been heard by God. So there's no need to fear. Zacharias had no need to fear the angel because God has sent the angelic messenger to deliver the good news that Zacharias and Elizabeth's prayers had been answered, and that Elizabeth would soon bear a son whose name would be John, which means Yahweh has shown grace. Zacharias need not fear because God had heard his prayers and had responded to these prayers with grace. There's an important lesson for us in this. We too need not fear. In this world of fear. Since God hears our prayers and always answers our prayers according to his grace. He can do no other. God always hears our prayers and answers our prayers according to His grace. As Christians, we have access to God through prayer. We are encouraged, welcomed, invited, and even we're told to come boldly before the throne of grace to find help in our time of need. Boldly. We don't come cowering in fear, but in confident boldness, knowing that we are invited into God's presence to share our needs, to share our concerns, and to lay out our requests before Him. Knowing that He will answer according to His grace and wisdom. What a privilege to take our burdens before the Lord, knowing that He always welcomes us, He always hears us, and that He will always answer us according to His grace. Philippians 4, 6 says, Be anxious for nothing, for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God, and the result? The peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. One of the antidotes to fear, living in a fearful world, is knowing that God hears us and answers us according to his grace. We have the ear of God. As Christians, we have the ear of God and he always hears and he always answers according to his grace. This should give us courage. This should dispel our fears. Secondly, we need not fear for we have found favor with God. This comes to us in the same chapter of Luke's gospel from Mary, the mother of our Lord, and the interaction she had with an angel. Luke 1, verse 26. Now in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth. to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. And coming in, he said to her, Greetings, favored one. The Lord is with you." But she was very perplexed at this statement and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was. The angel said to her, Do not be afraid, Mary. Do not be afraid. For you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will have no end. Again, we see that fear is a very human response to being visited by an angelic messenger. We can understand that. Mary was perplexed. She didn't understand what kind of greeting is this? Are you here to harm me? Are you here to help me? She was confused and afraid by the appearance of this angel. But again, we see the angel respond with words of calming assurance. Do not be afraid, Mary. There's no need for fear, Mary. Why? Because Mary has found favor with God. Now what does that mean? It means that God was treating Mary with grace. God's unmerited, unearned favor. And because God was treating Mary with grace and favor, she would receive God's special blessing of carrying the Son of God in her womb. Of raising the Son of God in her own household. Mary did not need to fear because God was showing her special grace. Grace that would result in blessing and honor. What a great reminder that is for us when we are tempted to fear. As Christians, we too have been shown God's special grace. And this grace has brought with it untold blessing. As Christians, we are blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. And all of this is all of God's grace. We have found favor with God so that there is no need for fear. We don't need to fear because we've found favor. One of the great results of God's special favor and grace on our lives is that he is with us. And that's what the angel told Mary. The Lord is with you. The angel assured Mary that the Lord was with her. This too was a result of the Lord's favor and grace. What words of comfort and hope for Mary that the Lord was with her and for us. For he is with us. The Lord is with us and he is for us. If you're a Christian here this morning, the Lord is not angry with you. You believe that? The Lord is not disappointed in you. The Lord is not shunning you. He has forgiven you on the basis of His Son's righteous sacrifice as a substitute for you on the cross. You are favored in the eyes of the Lord. His grace is upon you and it covers all your sins. You have no reason to fear because the Lord is with you today and every day and he is for you. This can dispel our fears and give us courage in the midst of any situation. Are there still hard things that happen to us? Yes. Are there still heartbreaking things that occur in the life of a Christian? Yes. But in the midst of it all, the Lord is still with us. He is still for us. And nothing and no one can ever change that. So we need not fear. We have reason for courage. We are recipients of God's grace, and as a result, God's presence is with us to bless, to cheer, and to guide. And nothing can ever change that. Thirdly, we need not fear, for we have heard and believed the good news. We need not fear, for we have heard and believed the good news. This lesson comes to us by way of the shepherds. Shepherds who are watching over their flocks at night on the night of Jesus' birth. Look with me at Luke chapter two. Luke continues his history of Jesus' birth. Luke chapter 2 verse 8, in the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flocks by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them and the glory of the Lord shone around them and they were terribly frightened. But the angel said to them, do not be afraid before behold, I bring you good news of great joy, which will be for all the people. For today in the city of David, there has been born for you a savior who is Christ the Lord. Once again, we see the natural response to viewing an angelic being as fear. These shepherds were terribly frightened. You can imagine these shepherds staying out in the open air, guarding their flock at night. Shepherds were not on the lowest rung of the social ladder, but they were certainly far down there. Blue-collar workers, largely uneducated, unsophisticated, smelling like sheep. And they were counted among the common people, to be sure. So here they are, watching their sheep, minding their own business, as they had done countless nights before, And they had no reason to believe this night would be unlike any of the others, but this night would prove to be completely unlike all other nights. Verse nine tells us that an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them. Can you imagine that? Breaking the stillness and the quiet of the darkened countryside, instantly interrupted by the appearance of an angel. And with this angel of the Lord came the glory of the Lord. As if the angel weren't enough, now we've got a visible presence of the Shekinah glory of God. And it must have been spectacular, radiant. A radiant display of beauty and majesty, unparalleled by anything one could see in this world. And what was their response? Absolute terror. We're dead. Literally, the text says they feared a great fear, filled with fear. And wouldn't you be? Seeing the terror that had gripped their hearts, the angel reassures them. Again, notice God's grace. Reassuring. Comforting. Do not be afraid, verse 10. I'm not here to kill you. I'm here to proclaim the good news of great joy for all people. The word translated as good news would later become synonymous with the gospel message. The gospel, the good news. And it truly is good news. It's such good news that it brings great joy to those who hear it and believe it. The reason they were not to fear was because the angel had come bearing a message of good news, of great joy for all the people. A savior had been born who is Christ the Lord, the Messiah. The long promised deliverer and savior. What a great reminder for us. We need not fear. For we, too, have heard and believed the good news that Jesus is Christ the Lord, and is the Savior of all who believe on His name. We need not fear God's condemnation. Romans 8, 1 says, There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. No condemnation. No condemnation, now I dread. Jesus and all in Him is mine. Alive in him, my living head. This is the Christian's great banner that spans his whole life. That the Lord Jesus is his savior. That the Lord Jesus is his joy. We need not fear. The truth is that Jesus is the Christ who has come to seek and to save the lost. That there is no cause for fear today, but for joy instead. If you're a Christian, you need not fear. Jesus has come to deliver you from fear and to give you joy everlasting. Now, if you don't know the Lord Jesus Christ, if you're not a Christian today, you have every reason to fear. You are still under the condemnation of death. You are still under your sins. Your sins deserve God's holy judgment. But it doesn't have to be that way. God sent his son to deliver you from that judgment. God sent his son to take that judgment on himself, in your place, on the cross, and that's just what Jesus did. Now he offers forgiveness and eternal life and everlasting joy to all those who believe on him and trusting their souls to him. You need not fear. Jesus has come, and with him, courage, joy, of being made right with God. Fourthly and finally, we need not fear, for Jesus is our everlasting King. Now our next lesson here comes not from the birth narratives in Luke or Matthew, but rather from the book of Revelation. So you can turn to the end of the Bible, Revelation chapter one. In Revelation chapter one, the Apostle John, all right, so this is after the birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus. This is after all of that. Revelation chapter one, the Apostle John receives a vision from God, a vision, a revelation of the Lord Jesus and of things to come. And what he sees absolutely terrifies him. John sees not merely an angelic being, but he sees a vision of Jesus Christ himself in all of his glory as the Son of God and Son of Man. Look with me at Revelation 1, verse 12. John writes, Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned, I saw seven golden lampstands and in the middle of the lampstands, I saw one like a son of man. Clothed in a robe, reaching to the feet and girded across his chest with a golden sash, his head and his hair were white like wool. like snow, and his eyes were like a flame of fire. His feet were like burnished bronze when it has been made to glow in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of many waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in its strength. Verse 17, when I saw him, I fell at his feet like a dead man. And he placed his right hand on me saying, do not be afraid. I am the first and the last and the living one. And I was dead and behold, I'm alive forevermore. And I have the keys of death and Hades. In this vision of Jesus, the Son of God, the Son of Man. It's a vision of an unapproachable God. A God who is high and exalted. A God who is to be feared. A God who is great. A God who can kill. by just a glance. But what does Jesus do? Jesus comforts and assures John by putting his right hand on him, physically touching him, comforting him with his presence and with a promise. Don't be afraid. There's no need to fear. I am with you and I am for you, John. Fear not. And then Jesus assures John with the truth of who he is and of what he has accomplished. Notice what he says there. He says, do not be afraid. I am the first and the last and the living one. I was dead and behold, I'm alive forevermore. And I have the keys of death and Hades. Jesus describes himself here as the first and the last. As the Son of God, He is eternal. He is the one who has no beginning and the one who will have no end. He is before all time. He is over all time. He is the Lord of time. He is the first and the last. He is also the living one. He is the one who is the way, the truth, and the life. He is the source of all life. He is the sustainer of all life. And He alone is the giver of eternal life to those who believe on Him. He is the living one. He's the one who was dead, but behold, is alive forevermore. Jesus died as a substitute for sinners. He was buried. Three days later, He rose victoriously from the grave, never to die again. He is alive forevermore. Jesus possesses eternal life and bestows eternal life on all who believe on Him. Finally, Jesus says he has the keys of death and Hades. He's got the keys to all of it. As the one who was dead but who is now alive forevermore, he holds the keys to death and hell. He earned the right to possess those keys through his resurrection from the dead. This means He has total authority over death and over hell. Jesus rules over death and hell and He rules over all things. Jesus said at His ascension that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Him. He holds the keys. He is in charge. But how do we know we can trust Him? If He's in control of all things, He's in charge of all things, how do I know I can trust Him? How do you know you can trust Him? He died for you. He took your sin, your guilt, your shame upon Himself. He, who knew no sin, became sin for us. That we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. How do you know you can trust Him? He's proven it beyond a shadow of a doubt. I love what Martin Luther said. He said, I know not the way he leads me, but well do I know my guide. What have I to fear? I don't know what tomorrow holds. I don't know what God has in store for me, but well do I know my guide. What have I to fear? He is good and trustworthy. I know this because he died for me. As Christians, we do not need to live in fear. The Christmas story is the story of Emmanuel. God with us. God with us and God for us. I love Isaiah 41 10. Do not fear, God says, for I am with you. Do not anxiously look about you. We can turn on every side and be nervous about things, be fearful, be crippled with fear. Do not anxiously look about you for I am your God. I will strengthen you. Surely I will help you. Surely I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. God's promise to you and I is that He is with us and He is for us and He proved it by sending His own Son Jesus to die in our place. We have Jesus' promise that He will always be with us. What did he say? Even to the end of the age, it's an everlasting promise for him to always be with us and always be for us. He will not forsake us. Beloved, we have no reason for fear today. Jesus holds the keys to all things. All authority is given to him and we know we can trust him because he died for us. Do not fear. Take courage in the Christmas story. Let's pray. Lord Jesus, thank you for your promises and your presence. Thank you for the promise that you'll never leave us, you'll never forsake us, that you're with us even to the end of the age. that you are for us and that you have secured our peace, peace with God and peace in the world. Thank you, Jesus, for your peace. Forgive us for taking our eyes off of you as Peter did in the storm. And he began to sink. And yet, Lord, you graciously reached out and grabbed him when he was beginning to fear and beginning to falter. We thank you that you do the same for us. And you issue those words of assurance and comfort, do not fear. Lord, help us to trust you. We thank you for this table that you've left for us as a reminder of your promises, of your goodness, and of the salvation that is ours through faith in you, in your death, burial, and resurrection. We pray, Lord, that they would nourish us spiritually as we commune with you around your table and with our brothers and sisters in Christ. We ask it in Jesus' name, amen.