Luke 2:9-10
And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. 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. The Savior – yes, the Messiah, the Lord has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!”

As we stand before another Christmas and New Year I am once again reminded of the words of the angel in Luke chapter 2 verses 9 and 10. The shepherds in the field watching over their flocks saw something that night none of them ever dreamed they would see. An angel appears to them and we read that all the shepherds were filled with fear. These men were about to hear the greatest news that the world has ever heard, they were about to hear that on that very night the Savior of the world would be born, and yet before they heard this news we read that they were filled with fear. This is not the first time in the Bible where we read that fear comes before good news. I have heard it said that the command God gives most to man in the Bible is “fear not”.

When one year ends and another begins there is always a temptation to fear the unknown. Let’s face it, we live in unsure times that can cause even the bravest of people to consider. But the Christmas message is not one of fear, the Christmas message begins with the command from the angel to “fear not”. The good news is that the Messiah has come and because of this we can be sure that we have eternal life. The Christmas message is a message of joy and peace not fear.