Most of us lead pretty ordinary lives. We go to work every day or we stay at home and work there. We come home each evening and probably sit and watch the TV and then we go to bed only to repeat the same pattern the next day.
Every now and again we hear that somehow or another God has broken through into our world. Perhaps someone becomes a Christian, perhaps something that can only be described as miraculous happens.
God did this with Mary. A young girl, probably only about 14 or 15. She was betrothed to a man called Joseph and they were planning the wedding.
And then God broke into her life.
An angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favoured! The Lord is with you." 29:Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30:But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favour with God. 31:You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. 32:He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.
God did the same with the shepherds who were sitting on the hillside outside of Jerusalem. All around them were hundreds of sheep. They were all pretty quiet now because it was dark. Only the occasional bleat could be heard from them.
These shepherds lived out here on the hills all of the time. They had no homes as we would understand the word. They just lived with their sheep and went wherever they went.
These were very special sheep though. The lambs were bred especially for sacrifice in the Temple in Jerusalem and so the shepherds had a special responsibility.
And yet they were outcasts in the eyes of their fellow Jews. By mixing with the sheep they were seen to be ritually unclean. They never attended the synagogue because they couldn’t leave their sheep. And of course they weren't quite up to polite social conversation. So they stayed up in the hills with their sheep, just doing their job.
And then God broke into their world.
An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, :"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favour rests."
First of all an angel appeared, and then the sky was lit up with a great mass of angels all singing and praising God.
God broke into the routine of their world to tell them something vitally important, that a Saviour for the people had been born.
But these miracles of God breaking into this world are not just for Christmas.
The Apostle John had been a follower of Jesus before the crucifixion and resurrection. Now about 60 years later God broke through into his life again.
This is what we read in the Book of Revelation 1:10
On the Lord's Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet,
12:I turned round to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13:and among the lampstands was someone "like a son of man", dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash round his chest.
14:His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. 15:His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. 17:When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: "Do not be afraid..
To Mary God said “Do not be afraid”
To the shepherds in the fields God said “Do not be afraid”
To the Apostle John he said “Do not be afraid”
God wants to break into our world today and He would say to us “Do not be afraid”
“Do not be afraid” of taking a step of faith into a new life.
“Do not be afraid” of trusting Jesus. He tells us "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29:Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30:For
my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
The “Do not be afraid” of the future. Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Matthew 10:28
Jesus says to all people today Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me Revelation 3:20
Don’t be afraid to take Him up on His offer.
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