The Angelic appearances are a significant part of the Christmas story. We love the passage from Luke where the Angel appeared to the Shepherds. In Charlie Brown’s Christmas, Linus reads the 16 angelspassage, Luke 2:8-14. It is really very profound. Verses 9 & 10 tell us about the Angelic visitation: “Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. ‘Don’t be afraid!’ he said.”

Whenever the “glory of the Lord” shone on people in the Old Testament the normal reaction was fear. Moses ascended the mountain and called the people to join him amidst the thunder and the lightening, but they were too afraid. They sent Moses up on their behalf and Moses came down the mountain glowing from his exposure. As you read of Angelic visitations in the Bible the normal response is fear. But that’s not what God intends. Someone said that there are 365 “don’t be afraid’s” in the Bible but I’ve only been able to find about a hundred of them. I suppose if you included “fear not,” “be not afraid,” and some other similar phrases you might get to 365, but I’ve not been able to do it. Yet I love the idea of there being a “fear not” for every day of the year. But I don’t think that gimmick is necessary to grasp the clear truth that God loves each and every one of us and pays close attention to us and watches over us in our day to day lives. The words of the Angel should reassure us all!

The Bible clearly teaches us to not be afraid of life’s problems and pains. Do you think God would let something happen to you that He couldn’t control? Absolutely not! His mighty hand extends beyond the veil of flesh and bone into eternity. He guarantees us safety. Jesus said that we’re too valuable for God to allow any permanent damage. In Matthew 10:29-31, Jesus says, “…not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.” God sovereignly controls the details of every person’s life and he does so with a purpose. Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” So no matter what the problem, “Don’t Be Afraid!” Take it from the Angel!