Star of Wonder: 5-Days of Advent to Illuminate the People, Places, and Purpose of the First ChristmasSample

God gave us Christmas so we could be courageous in everything we do.

Mary was undoubtedly startled when Gabriel appeared, but she had no reason to fear: “The angel spoke to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Miriam, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and you shall call His name Yeshua’” (Luke 1:30–31).

Joseph didn’t know what to do about his pregnant fiancée, but assurance soon arrived: “Behold, an angel of Adonai appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Miriam as your wife, for the Child conceived in her is from the Ruach ha-Kodesh [the Holy Spirit]’” (Matthew 1:20).

We are surrounded by a great cloud of invisible witnesses, the saints who displayed parresia, the Greek word translated as boldness, courage, and confidence. Placing obedience to God before the opinions of men, they upheld God’s truth, often at the risk of their lives.

A dear friend of mine likes to say that when God sent Jesus to earth, He didn’t send the Savior off by saying “Take care!” Instead, God told His Son, “Take risks!”

Christmas is a time to forget about everything but one amazing miracle: God Almighty so loved this fallen world that He sent His Son to be born in vulnerable mortal flesh. Jesus had the courage to take risks, so why don’t we?

Fear not, brothers and sisters in Christ! Your heavenly Father loves you and He’s willing to use your life in ways you can’t even imagine.

Want more content like this? We adapted this plan from the book Star of Wonder by Angela Hunt, https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/516380.