The Fear That Leads to Life
Luke’s record of Christ’s birth is understated. It goes like this: “The time came for Mary to give birth. Mary gave birth. Mary wrapped her son in a blanket. Mary put her son down for a nap” (See Luke 2:6-7). Frankly, it’s a bit pedestrian. The Maker of Heaven and Earth becomes human and that’s all we get? But if Luke’s record of the incarnation is understated, it’s only because the event of Christ’s birth was understated too. By God’s design, the birth of Creation’s King took place in an animal stall in an insignificant town called Bethlehem in an occupied territory called Palestine. Predictably, no one noticed.
Or should I say, almost no one noticed. There was a group of working stiffs pulling the night shift just outside of town. They noticed. And it wasn’t because they were spiritually sensitive or more astute than the rest of humanity! They noticed Christ’s birth because God made not noticing impossible.
In Luke 2:8-11we read, “And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 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. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”
While our first two Christmas angels came to Mary and Joseph to tell them what would happen, our third angel came to tell shepherds what had happened, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” That’s good news! But, as we’ll see, the coming of a Savior is only good news for those who understand that a Savior is what they need!
Consider the shepherds’ response to the angel’s explosive arrival. Luke says, “they were filled with fear”. The jarring brightness of “the glory of the Lord” brought them trembling to their knees. They are not alone. Throughout Scripture, those subjected to the manifest “glory of the Lord” instinctively respond with terror! The reason is clear. The radiance of God’s glory exposes sin! When God’s angel appeared to the shepherds and “the glory of the Lord shone around them” they had nowhere to hide. That glory exposed their pride, lust, bitterness, coveting, apathy towards God and more! In an instant, every one of those shepherds understood how worthy of hell they were! And that’s precisely why the angel’s announcement that a Savior had been born was so precious to them.
Can I ask? In the light of God’s word, do you recognize your own depravity like the shepherds recognized theirs? Do you understand that—left to yourself—everything you are, do, and think is tarnished by your self-centeredness and sin? Because, if you’ve never recognized the depth of your sin, I don’t see how the coming of a Savior can mean anything to you.
Jesus says he came to save sinners. If a sinner isn’t what you are, of what relevance can Christmas be? However, if—left to yourself—you’re a sinner worthy of hell, take heart! Rejoice in what the angel says, “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
Do you know him?