Luke 2:10-12
Last Sunday,
our church presented a Christmas play entitled “Angels on Assignment.” It was
different from the kid’s presentations we have done in the past. It was packed
full of the common characters you would expect, like, Mary, Joseph, the
Shepherds and the Wise men, but it was told from the vantage point of the
Angels assigned to oversee Jesus’ birth.
It really
stirred something in me. I never really took time to consider what the angels
must have thought about what was happening. They must have watched with wonder
as God’s plan to save mankind unfolded. In fact we read in 1 Peter 1:10-12:
“Concerning this salvation, the
prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and
with greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the
Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of
Christ and the glories that would follow. It was revealed to them that they
were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have
now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy
Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.”
This group
of witnesses to His birth is unique in that they were with Him before He came.
This made me even more curious, not just to what they must have thought, but what they had to say! We read about them on four occasions just prior to the birth of Christ. An angel of the Lord visits Zechariah the father of John the Baptist, who would be the forerunner of Jesus. An angel also visits Mary, Joseph and the shepherds keeping watch over the sheep near Bethlehem. All of them brought a message from God. That message was “Do not be afraid!”
This made me even more curious, not just to what they must have thought, but what they had to say! We read about them on four occasions just prior to the birth of Christ. An angel of the Lord visits Zechariah the father of John the Baptist, who would be the forerunner of Jesus. An angel also visits Mary, Joseph and the shepherds keeping watch over the sheep near Bethlehem. All of them brought a message from God. That message was “Do not be afraid!”
Powerful
words that each of them needed to hear as they faced a very common enemy…Fear!
Fear of the unknown, fear of change, fear of loss, fear of failure, pain and
even death. The same kinds of fear that we face today! You can’t turn on the
television or open the newspaper without reading stories that usher fear into
our hearts like the horrendous shooting in Connecticut, the devastation of
hurricane Sandy, the looming war in the Middle East, to the financial crisis
facing our own nation. This is not to mention the personal struggles we face
daily. Many are facing loneliness, job loss, addictions, financial
uncertainties, and marital problems. Fears that can cripple and paralyze us.
Yet, in the midst of it, God sent the angels with a message of hope… “Do not be
afraid…A Savior has been born to you, He is Christ the Lord.” Just like with the shepherds of old, the angels
are pointing us to Jesus. Why? Because they know that in Him we can find healing
for our broken hearts, peace for our anxious minds, and rest for our weary
souls. They know this because they knew Him before He came to earth.
In the face
of all the uncertainties, we need not be afraid. Because lying in the manger is
the answer to all our fears “Emmanuel- God with us.” We simply must come to Him. Just like the Wise
men and the shepherds, we must come and kneel before Him to find the comfort we
need. Jesus said in Matthew 11:28:
“Come to me all you who are weary and
burdened, and I will give you rest.”
So if you
are overwhelmed with anxiety, fear, depression, discouragement and
hopelessness, gather them up and come and kneel before Jesus. He is waiting to
give you the rest your heart is longing for.
Pastor Scott
Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com/
No comments:
Post a Comment