A Season of WaitingSample

Fear not Christmas

As the holiday season approaches, joy is often accompanied by waves of anxiety. Where will the Christmas party be this year? What presents should I get? How much should I spend on food, gifts, and festivities? How do I avoid family conflicts? How can I ensure Christmas is more than just going through the motions? How can I honour Christ in all of this?

With great expectations often comes great anxiety. The things we care about most can easily stir up the deepest fears. Luke 2:9–15 speaks directly to this: the shepherds, witnessing the glory of God – an incredible privilege – were filled with great fear. It’s a reminder that encountering the living God in all His glory is both awe-inspiring and terrifying. But then comes the angel’s message: ‘Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.’ This is the heart of Christmas – good news that brings great joy for everyone.

Christmas is a celebration of God Himself coming to us, taking on flesh, and uniting humanity with deity in a way we could never have imagined. It’s God finding a way to draw us, sinful humanity, into His presence. The God who could strike fear in our hearts comes to us as a baby, wrapped in swaddling cloths. What an incredible privilege to know that this baby born into the world is Christ the Lord. We don’t have to be afraid of falling short of God’s glory, because Christ has died for us. If He calls us not to fear when we see Him, then we certainly need not fear anything the Christmas season brings. So, prepare your hearts to see Jesus and celebrate.

Written by Quynh Eastman