Do Not Be Afraid

The Christmas season has just ended, in which we once again heard the message of the angels proclaimed to the shepherds in the fields of Bethlehem: “Do not be afraid!”

The Christmas decorations have been cleared away, and the gray, everyday life is back. Has the message of the Savior also been put away? Did it only apply to the festive season? That would be fatal! After all, this message should be a source of strength for us in our everyday lives. Especially at the beginning of the year, it wants to encourage us as we step into the dark future.

Dark future!

Yes, of course! The media will continue to bring sad news in the new year: strikes, conspiracies, revolutions among the people, and natural disasters! The fear that the mighty nuclear powers could collide unexpectedly and cause widespread devastation and loss of life weighs heavily on humanity. All the more reason for us to be grateful for the divine call:

Do not be afraid!

The deepest underlying cause of our fear is actually unatoned guilt. Under its spell, we feel how completely lost and helpless we are in all the collapses of this world. Where could we flee to when our earthly life is threatened, when we realize that we cannot stand before the holy God because of our sin?

But – reconciled with the eternal God – the darkness of the future loses its horror for you. You still remain in this threatened world. But even if everything falls apart, you have a solid hold on the rock of Jesus Christ.

Yes, you no longer need to be afraid, because Jesus’ birth is irrefutable proof: God loves you. He came to atone for your guilt by His sacrifice on the cross. Can you believe it? The merciful God wants to forgive you everything in Jesus Christ so that you can become His child! What He expects of you is that you give up all efforts at redeeming yourself and in repentance come to the cross with your burdens. He wants you to thank Him for His substitutionary sacrifice on the cross, to trust Him completely and place your life in His hands, and to follow Him.

You can agree with the Psalmist: ““Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4, ESV). – And the Lord answers you: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine” (Isaiah 43:1). 

A pastor was once talking to an old, experienced Christian about the prospects for the new year. Full of confidence, he replied: “We don’t know what the new year will bring. But what we do know is that it will also be a year of the Lord.” 

That is sufficient! In the new year, God will guide both your personal life and the destiny of the whole world. If only you are certain of His forgiveness and remain firmly and trustingly in His hand, then God’s promise is valid for you: “Fear not; for I am your God!”