Advent 2011

Advent 2011

Four times, different individuals in the gospels receive a special announcement of the Savior’s birth. John the Baptist’s father, Zechariah, was the first, followed by Mary, Joseph, and finally the shepherds of nativity-scene fame. All four of these received a special word from God about Jesus’ coming, and this Advent season we are going to examine each one of these announcements of the Savior’s birth in turn.

Interestingly, all four include a common theme. Of course, all four mention the birth of Jesus, but there’s something more—a specific directive from God that appears in each of the angelic messages. Take a look:

To Zechariah: The angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah…” (Lk 1:13)

To Mary: The angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary…” (Lk 1:30)  

To Joseph:  As he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not fear…”  (Mt 1:20)

To the shepherds: The angel said to them, "Fear not…”  (Lk 2:10)

In all four greetings, God says, “Do not be afraid” or “Fear not.” Now you might respond, “Well, sure! All four greetings were delivered by angels. No wonder these people were frightened!” But I don’t think that explains it. For one thing, the Scriptures don’t indicate that either Mary or Joseph was frightened by the angels. For another, if you look closely at the angel’s message which follows the “Fear not,” they don’t address a fear of angels. They don’t say, “Don’t be afraid; I’m only an angel.” Or “Fear not! I’m not here to hurt you.” Instead, in each case, they speak to a deeper and more abiding fear than that. They say “Fear not,” and then give reasons that go far beyond the momentary fear of being in the presence of an angel.

In Zechariah’s case, the message is “Do not be afraid, for God answers prayer.” In Mary’s, it’s “Do not be afraid, for nothing is impossible with God.” To Joseph, the message is “Do not be afraid, because God works in mysterious ways.” And to the shepherds, it is “Do not be afraid, for the Savior is born!” Each of these messages speaks to a deep-seated need in our heart and overcomes the fears that lurk there. So I hope you’ll join us for our 2011 Advent study: “Do Not Be Afraid!”