Good News Drives Away Fear

You know that feeling, don’t you?  That feeling that you get when a DPS Trooper, Sheriff’s Deputy, or Police car starts following you.  You are sitting in the driver’s seat, and your body tenses up.  You look at all the gauges.  You check your speed.  You wonder about your tags.  You wonder about your lights.  Your heart races, and you wonder if lights will suddenly flash and sirens will wail.  If the trooper follows you for any length of time, your symptoms become worse.  The fear starts rising.  Are you in trouble or not?

Take that little bit of fear that you have felt during those times and multiply it by a thousand, and you might get close to what the shepherds were experiencing on that hillside outside of Bethlehem nearly 2000 years ago.  Luke recounts the tale, and we heard it just a few minutes ago, “8 In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.”  English sometimes is a poor conveyor of meaning, and this is one case in point.  The ancient Greek literally reads, “and they feared great fear.”  Whenever Greek uses two of the same words in conjunction like that, it is adding tremendous emphasis.  Terrified might not quite cut what the shepherds were experiencing at that moment.  Perhaps a better word might be–panic.  The shepherds panicked!!

Have you ever wondered why?  Why would the shepherds panic when they saw an angel of the Lord?  I mean we don’t seem to have too much of a problem with angels.  We talk about them showing up from time to time.  We put them on the tops of our Christmas trees.  We dress up kids as angels during our Christmas programs.  We consider them blessings; signs of hope; signs of peace and joy.  We seemingly have no fear of angels.  But these shepherds did.  They panicked when they saw one.  They were absolutely terrified.  Shaking.  Trembling.  Cowering with deep fear.  Have you ever wondered why?

Consider the idea that these shepherds believed that the Day of the Lord was now upon them.  Consider the idea that they believed that the Lord was now coming to judge the world and set up His kingdom.  Now, if you have been raised as a Christian, you might wonder why this is such a bad thing.  Aren’t we hoping for that day?  Aren’t we longing for the day when the Lord will come to make everything right?  Why would this be such a bad thing for those shepherds?  Well, to be blunt, you are looking at this day post-Jesus.  The ancient Jews had a very different understanding of the day of the Lord.  It wasn’t going to be all that bright and shiny.

Consider these important biblical texts regarding the day of the Lord.  These would have been the scriptures read to those shepherds who were on that hillside watching this angel appear to them.

Consider Isaiah 13 verses 6-9, “6 Wail, for the day of the Lord is near; it will come like destruction from the Almighty! 7 Therefore all hands will be feeble, and every human heart will fail, 8 and they will be dismayed.  Pangs and agony will seize them; they will be in anguish like a woman in labor.  They will look aghast at one another; their faces will be aflame.  9 See, the day of the Lord comes, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger, to make the earth a desolation, and to destroy its sinners from it.”  Does that sound like a day to look forward to?

Consider Amos chapter 5 verses 18-20, “18 Alas for you who desire the day of the Lord!  Why do you want the day of the Lord?  It is darkness, not light; 19 as if someone fled from a lion, and was met by a bear; or went into the house and rested a hand against the wall, and was bitten by a snake.  20 Is not the day of the Lord darkness, not light, and gloom with no brightness in it?”

One last passage.  Consider Zephaniah chapter 1 verses 14-17, “14 The great day of the Lord is near, near and hastening fast; the sound of the day of the Lord is bitter, the warrior cries aloud there.  15 That day will be a day of wrath, a day of distress and anguish, a day of ruin and devastation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness, 16 a day of trumpet blast and battle cry against the fortified cities and against the lofty battlements.  17 I will bring such distress upon people that they shall walk like the blind; because they have sinned against the Lord, their blood shall be poured out like dust, and their flesh like dung.”

Now, after hearing those passages, and if you had been taught this from the beginning of your religious life, and if you suddenly seen a heavenly angel towering above revealing the power of God, how do you think you would feel?  Don’t you think you might be a little concerned that all that once was told you was coming true?  Don’t you think you would be terrified, panicked, overwhelmed and ready to crawl into a hole?  The shepherds were.  They were terrified.  They panicked.

But their panic was transformed with some unexpected words that flowed from the lips of the angel, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: 11to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.”  What the angel spoke was good news.  If there is nothing else that you remember from this sermon tonight, please remember these next words: Good news drives away fear.

Good news drives away fear.

The shepherds were expecting the promised day of the Lord–a day that was foretold to be horrible as God’s wrath was poured down and God exacted vengeance upon sin.  The shepherds expected to be blasted with holy fire, but instead were met with the news that God was acting in quite a different way.  Instead of unleashing wrath, God was unleashing salvation.  For the Jews believed that the Messiah would usher in God’s kingdom of peace, joy, and prosperity.  The Messiah would be the one who was to set things to rights.  The Messiah would be the one who would turn the world upside down and bring freedom from all that oppresses!  Oh, this news was not to be feared in the least.  This news was not to cause panic.  This news was full of hope.  This news was full of promise.  This news was full of joy.

Certifying that this was indeed the case, a whole host of angels filled the skies and broke into song.  They proclaimed, “Glory to God in the highest and peace among those whom He favors!!”  This was not a wrathful day at all.  It was a day to be celebrated.

It is no wonder that the shepherds’ fears were transformed into hope and joy.  It is no wonder they arose and spoke amongst each other and said, “Let us go now to Bethlehem to see this thing that the angels have made known to us.”  Good news drove away their fear, and they responded with reckless abandon to seek out total strangers and witness God’s action in the world.  Truly good news has that effect on people.

Think about how transformative good news is.  Think about the cancer patient who is declared cancer free.  What is the reaction?  Think about the person who has suffered the loss of a job who is told, “We’d like to offer you a better job.”  Think about the couple who has struggled with infertility who discovers they are pregnant.  Think about the family who is struggling to make ends meet who receives an unexpected financial windfall.  Think about the military family who received word that their deployed loved one will be home for Christmas.  Good news transforms folks and brings true joy.

But in most cases, such joy is short lived.  Either by the fact that something else comes along that changes circumstances or the fact that what is good news to one person is the exact opposite for another person.  For instance, in some of the above examples–the family who was struggling to make ends meet receives and unexpected financial windfall, but in two months, the windfall has run out, and they are back to square one.  The military family whose loved one came home for Christmas finds out their loved one will be deployed for Easter.  Circumstances change.

This past election cycle saw roughly half of the country pleased and excited about the outcome–it was good news.  However, for the other half of the country, fear, angst, and anger was the response–it was not good news.  A factory that decides to uproot and move to another location is certainly bad news for the current employees of that factory, but it is good news to the jobless who will benefit from the factory’s move.  Hearing that Tom Savage is going to be the Texans’ quarterback is good news for all Texan fans, but it is certainly not good news for Brock Osweiller.  Do you see how that works?  Do you see how oftentimes good news is short lived or how good news is not necessarily good news for everyone?  Can you see how because of this fear easily gains a foothold and even sometimes becomes the driving force in our lives?

And so we must ask: Is there good news that indeed is good news for everyone; that is long lasting; that brings joy and peace and assurance no matter if circumstances change?  Is there such news that can bring transformation to our entire lives?  Is there such news that will drive away fear and give us a sure and certain hope?

What if I told you, there was?  What if I told you that the news of this night–the birth of the Messiah who is Christ the Lord–leads us straight toward that Good News of Great Joy that never ends?  No, it’s not simply a baby in a manger that encapsulates that good news, but it is the fact that that baby will grow and lead us all to a cross and an empty tomb.

For it is on the cross that the God of this universe dies for each and every one of us.  It is on the cross that the God of the universe makes sure that we are right with Him.  It is on the cross where all of the things that separate us from God–our sin, our selfishness, our desire to call our own shots, our failure to love one another, our failure to be compassionate, our failure to live the lives that deep down we know we are supposed to live–all of these things are forgiven and paid for by God Himself.  Jesus, the God in flesh, takes all of these things and much more upon Himself so that you are free of any guilt of your failures.  Nothing in the past can haunt you.  You can walk free.  This is good news.

And it is in the empty tomb that we find assurance that all that is bad will be transformed.  All that is evil will become good.  All pain will be taken away.  All hate will turn to love.  All darkness will turn to light.  All despair will turn to hope.  All death will spring to life.  Whatever it is that you are facing, even should it bring death to your body, will be transformed by the God who holds the future in His hands.  The resurrection is proof of God’s transformative power over the future.  And if you trust that your future is in God’s hands–if you trust the promises of God, what do you have to fear?  The answer is nothing.  Absolutely nothing.

The cross.  The resurrection.  God’s reconciling action.  God’s promise of hope.  This is good news for all.  This is news which has no down side.  This is news of a life-changing scale.  Countless Christians from the time of the resurrection have had their lives changed because they trusted in these promises.  From the shepherds on that hillside to the martyrs who died singing in flames to ordinary people like you and me.  This good news has taken away fear and brought hope to billions.  This good news that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that all those who trust in Him should not perish but have eternal life; for God sent the Son into the world not to condemn the world, but to save it.

May we trust in this promise.  May we trust in this good news.  May we have our fears removed so that we may experience peace, hope, love and joy. Merry Christmas!!  Amen.
 

The Kingdom of Heaven and Violence

    There is a fascinating line in our Gospel lesson today.  Matthew 11:12 reads, “From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force.”  During our staff meeting this week, we read this gospel lesson, and many of us were struck by this particular verse.  Why?

    Well, we are not exactly used to seeing the kingdom of heaven and violence butted up against each other.  During this time of preparation for the arrival of our Savior, we dream about peace on earth and goodwill toward men.  Last Sunday, our choir sang a cantata entitled, “And On Earth Peace.”  We hear Jesus say to those of us who follow Him, “My peace I leave with you.”  Indeed, for many of us the term “kingdom of heaven” conjures up a time of peace without conflict or strife.  And yet, here Jesus says, “From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force.”  What on earth is going on here?

    I think we need to put this into a little bit of context so that we might be able to understand it better.  And, we are going to have to dig a little deeper than the texts which are printed in our bulletin.

    I’d like to ask you a moment to turn in your Bibles to Matthew chapter 10.  Let’s do a fast walk through this chapter as we see what leads up to those words about the kingdom of heaven and violence.

    In Matthew 10, verses 1 through 15, Jesus calls the twelve disciples and sends them out to proclaim the gospel, giving them authority over demons and illness.  He gives them instructions on what to do and how to go about doing it.  In verses 16 through 23, Jesus tells His disciples what they can expect, and some of it is not too pretty.  “See I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves...they will had you over to councils and flog you...you will be dragged before kings and governors because of me...”  Preaching the gospel will not be a walk in the park.  Tough things will happen to you when you follow me, Jesus says.  Yet, a word of hope in verse 26 and following, “So have no fear of them...Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell...every hair on your head is counted.  Do not be afraid.”

    And here is an interesting little snippet beginning in verse 34, “34 ‘Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; 36 and one’s foes will be members of one’s own household.  37Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.”

    Jesus finishes with a few words about welcoming and who will not lose any sort of reward.  Throughout this chapter, Jesus talks about the proclamation of and the breaking in of God’s kingdom, and the results of what happens when His disciples bring it.  Not all of it is pretty.  In fact, the proclamation of the Gospel oftentimes stirs up a hornet’s nest, and people react–sometimes violently.  “You will be dragged before the councils and flogged in the synagogues...”

    Our appointed text for the day comes next, and John, who was sent to prepare the way for Jesus is a bit confused.  He’s sitting in prison because he dared to speak an unkind word about Herod.  He hears all the stuff about Jesus, but he also knows he is suffering because of his proclamation.  We can speculate about all the reasons John sends his disciples to ask Jesus if Jesus is the Messiah, but given the context of what comes before and what follows, let me suggest John is wondering why Jesus isn’t getting him out of jail.

    If the kingdom of heaven is arriving, and Jesus is the promised Messiah, why isn’t Jesus exercising power and authority to bring release to all the prisoners?  John certainly is a prisoner.  Perhaps John is asking, “Haven’t I been faithful?  Haven’t I proclaimed the coming of the Word?  Haven’t I done that which I am supposed to do?  If Jesus is the one coming to free us, why am I still here, in prison, suffering?  Shouldn’t I be free?”

    Jesus tells John’s followers, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: 5the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. 6And blessed is anyone who takes no offence at me.”  Jesus unequivocally tells John, “Your wait is over.  I am performing the things the expected Messiah is to perform.”

    John’s followers go away.  We have no record of whether or not John accepts Jesus’ words to be true.  We have no idea whether or not this satisfied John as he sat there in that cold prison eventually beheaded because of a woman’s jealousy. 

    What we do know is that Jesus has some strong words to say about John.  “Truly I tell you among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”  If this is the case, then why is he in prison?

    “12From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force.”

    Hope you are still following along with me, because skip down just a few verses, and let’s round out the context, “18For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, “He has a demon”; 19the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, “Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax-collectors and sinners!” Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”

    Jesus points out something very, very true in this statement.  Both He and John are messengers about the kingdom of heaven.  Both of them are polar opposites.  John was the wild prophet out in the wilderness “neither eating or drinking,” and those intent on discrediting John said, “He has a demon.”  Jesus, is the opposite.  Jesus eats and drinks, and those seeking to discredit Him say, “Look, a glutton and drunkard, a friend of tax-collectors and sinners!”

    “From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force.”

    This statement very much reminds me of the scene in “A Few Good Men” when Jack Nicholas’ character screams at the top of his lungs, “You want the truth?  You can’t handle the truth!”

    You want the kingdom of heaven?  You can’t handle the kingdom of heaven!

    Herod tried to silence it and it’s arrival by imprisoning John the Baptist.

    Humanity tried to silence it by crucifying Jesus.

    There are those who still try to silence it today.

    Last week, I got my hair cut, and a very interesting exchange took place in the barber shop.  We managed to get on the topic of heaven and hell, and one of the barbers there said, “I don’t agree with those pastors and priests who visit a guy who is on death row after that guy has murdered or raped.  They listen to that guy and then come out and say, ‘He is forgiven.’  I don’t think so.  I was taught that if you are a good person and you do the right things, then you are going to heaven.  If you don’t and you do something like that, then you are going to hell.  I think those guys are in hell.”

    I responded, "I think there is a difference between God's forgiveness and the necessity for justice."

    "I don't think so," was the reply.

    "And so, is Moses in hell?  Because he committed murder."

    Silence for a moment.  Then a half-hearted joke, "Maybe he should be."

    "Don't mess with a pastor who knows the Bible.  God operates differently than we do.  God offers forgiveness."

    It's called grace.  The kingdom of heaven isn’t primarily about peace.  When it arrives in its fullness, it will be.  But in this time, the kingdom of heaven is primarily about grace.  It’s about God’s reconciliation of the world unto Himself through Jesus Christ.

    For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.  For God sent the Son into the world not to condemn the world but so that the world may be saved through Him.

    Many don’t like that.  Many don’t want grace to reign.  Many want to make it about what we do or don’t do.  Many want to make salvation contingent upon our work, but it is not.  It’s about Jesus’ work.  People wanted to silence Him then.  Some want to silence us now.

    But what do we do with grace?  Do we allow violence to continue to reign over and above the kingdom of heaven?  Do we allow our voices to become silent because of fear?  Not if we have experienced the grace of God.  Not if we have experienced the love of Christ poured out for us on the cross.  Once we have experienced this in our inner most being, we simply cannot be silent.  We have to spread the news.  We have to tell the world what God has done, is doing, and will do.  Go and tell what you hear and see.  For this is what it means to live God’s Word daily.  Amen.