SERIOUS FEAR

[cimi]

December 8
Sunday


SERIOUS FEAR

READ:
Luke 2:8-20
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Do not be afraid, for
behold, I bring you
good tidings of great
joy. __Luke 2:10
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After weeks of preparation by the children's choir, the night had finally arrived for our annual Christmas musical in 1983. The costumed children began filing into the auditorium when suddenly we heard a ruckus at the back door. My wife and I turned to look and saw our own little Matt. Sobbing loudly and with a look of sheer terror on his face, he had a death grip on the door handle. He refused to enter the auditorium. After much negotiating, the director finally told him he didn't have to go on stage. Instead, Matt sat with us, and soon his fears began to subside.

Although we don't usually identify Christmas as a time of fear, there was plenty of it on the night of Christ's birth. Luke says, "Behold, an angel of the lord stood beofre them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid" (luke 2:9). The sight of the angelic messenger was more than the shepherds could process. But the angel reasured them: "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people" (v.10).

In a world full of fear, we need to remember that Jesus came to be the Prince of Peace (Isa. 9:6). We desperately need His peace. As we look to Him, He will ease our fears and calm our hearts. __ Bill Crowder

``````````````````Hail, the heaven-born Prince of Peace!``````````````````
``````````````````````Hail the Sun of righteousness!`````````````````````
``````````````````````Light and life to all He brings,`````````````````````
``````````````````Risen with healing in His wings. __Wesley```````````````
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God incarnate is the end of fear. F. B. Meyer

**********************Today's Bible Reading __ Luke 2:8-20*********************

8 Now there were in the
same country shepherds
living out in the fields,
keeping watch over their
flock by night. 9 And behold,
an angel of the Lord stood
before them, and the glory
of the Lord shone around
them, and they were greatly
afaid. 10 Then the angel said
to them, "Do not be afraid,
for behold, I bring you good
tidings of great joy which
will be to all people. 11 For
there is born to you this day
in the city of David a Savior,
who is Christ the Lord,

12 And this will be the sign
to you: You will find a Babe
wrapped in swaddling
clothes, 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,
goodwill toward men!"

15 ...When the angels had
gone away...the shepherds
said to one another, "Let us
now go to Bethlehem and
see this thing that has come
to pass, which the Lord has
made known to us."...

17 Now when they had seen
Him, they made widely
known the saying which was
told them concerning this
Child. 18 And all those who
heard it marveled at those
things which were told them
by the shepherds. 19 But
Mary kept all these things
and pondered them in her
heart. 20 Then the shepherds
returned, glorifying and
praising God for all the
things that they had heard
and seen as it was told them.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
In the familiar story recounted in today's passage, the shepherds
model an exemplary response to the gospel. After hearing the good
news (vv.10-12), they investigated to see if it was true (v.15). When
they saw that what the angel had said was indeed true (vv. 16-17),
they immediately went and proclaimed it to everyone (vv.18-19).