This Christmas season I have enjoyed a devotional entitled “Joy to the World” with excerpts of Charles Spurgeon’s sermons on the incarnation of Jesus Christ. I’d like to share one that really grabbed hold of me. I pray it grabs you as well!

^“And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, ‘Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.’”(Luke 2:8-10 ESV)

No sooner did the angel of the Lord appear to the shepherds, and the glory of the Lord shine round about them, than they were afraid. It had come to this, that man was afraid of his God, and when God sent down his loving messengers with tidings of great joy, men were filled with as much fright as thought the angel of death had appeared with uplifted sword.

The silence of night and its dreary gloom caused no fear in the shepherds’ hearts, but the joyful herald of the skies, robed in glories of grace, made them afraid. We must not condemn the shepherds on this account as though they were peculiarly timid or ignorant, for they were only acting as every other person in that age would have done under the same circumstances. Not because they were simple shepherds were they amazed with fear, but it is probable that if they had been well-instructed prophets they would have displayed the same feeling; for there are many instances recorded in Scripture, in which the foremost men of their time trembled and felt a horror of great darkness when special manifestations of God were shown to them.

When he heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, Adam was afraid and hid himself from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden. Sin makes miserable cowards of us all. See the man who once could hold delightful conversations with his Maker, now dreading to hear his Maker’s voice and skulking in the grove like a felon, who knows his guilt, and is afraid to meet the officers of justice.

Beloved, in order to remove this nightmare of slavish fear from the breast of humanity, where its horrible influence represses all the noblest aspirations of the soul, our Lord Jesus Christ came in the flesh. This is one of the works of the devil which he was manifested to destroy. Angels came to proclaim the good news of the advent of the incarnate God, and the very first note of their song was a foretaste of the sweet result of his coming to all those who shall receive him.

The angel said, “Fear not.” As though the times of fear were over, and the days of hope and joy had arrived. “Fear not,” These words were not meant for those trembling shepherds only, but were intended for you and for me, and all nations to whom the glad tidings shall come. “Fear not.” Let God no longer be the object of your slavish dread! Stand not at a distance from him anymore. The Word is made flesh. God has descended to tabernacle among men, that there may be no hedge of fire, no yawning gulf between God and man.

–God incarnate, the end of fear,  delivered by Charles H. Spurgeon December 23, 1866.

As I read these words my heart was filled with the joy of hope I have in Christ Jesus.

But I also hold sadness for those who don’t realize that they don’t have to be far off from their good and gracious God, trapped away from him in sinful disconnect.

God has come to us. You don’t have to be weary. You don’t have to make your own way. You don’t have to hide.

Matthew 1:23 says, See, the virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son,
and they will name him Immanuel, which is translated “God is with us.”

Ephesians 2:13-15 says But now in Christ Jesus, you who were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who made both groups one and tore down the dividing wall of hostility. In his flesh, he made of no effect the law consisting of commands and expressed in regulations, so that he might create in himself one new man from the two, resulting in peace.

Hebrews 4:15-16 says For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin. Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need.

Come to Jesus this Christmas and be in a restored relationship with your Creator.

Whether you need to pray and trust him for the first time or you need to come home to him, don’t delay any longer. The days of fear are over. The days of hope and joy have arrived.