This New Life

Every major character in the Christmas story receives the same angelic message: “Do not be afraid.” Zechariah, Mary, Joseph, the Shepherds—all of them hear the words: “Fear not.” When Christmas happens, heaven announces, “You don’t have to be afraid anymore.” That’s good news because fear is universal. It’s also debilitating. It shuts people down and keeps them paralyzed in their thinking. Very often it prevents them from stepping into the future God has for them.

But, whether it’s fear of disappointment, the fear of inadequacy, the fear of rejection, or the fear of the unknown, God can help us overcome our fears. Indeed, the only thing we have to fear is God himself. King Herod didn’t have that fear. And that’s why he’s the only figure in the Advent story who doesn’t hear the reassuring words, “Fear not.”

But those who do fear God can overcome their fears. They can surrender the lie that stands behind the fear. They can submit to the truth that contradicts the fear. And they can seek the Lord, who alone is to be feared.

Sermon Resources:

Series: Fear Not: Trusting God One Promise at a Time

Overcoming Fear (Sermon Outline PDF)Download

Overcoming Fear (Sermon PowerPoint PDF)Download

Contact This New Life directly for the sermon audio file.

Matthew’s account of Jesus’s resurrection is filled with sarcasm, culminating in the order Pontius Pilate gave: “Take a guard. Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how” (Matt 27:65). How did that work out for you, governor? Jesus rose from the dead, and the guards had no power to stop it.

But Pilate’s order represents what most people are trying to accomplish these days—making things as secure as they can. We lock our doors, buckle our seatbelts, password-protect our computers, wear helmets while biking, go through TSA stations at the airport, and purchase all kinds of warranties and insurance policies. But the resurrection account reminds us that real security is found in the risen Savior.

That’s the point of Matthew’s sarcasm. Sarcasm in this context means a holy defiance against the lies and pretense of this world, and humanity’s vain attempts to destroy the work of God. It’s a sacred sneering at all the obstacles and injustice in our society that keep people from flourishing as God wants them to flourish. It’s an attitude that faces the difficulties and challenges of life and says, “Bring it on.”

Why? Because the empty tomb means believers can’t lose in the end. Indeed, our own impending resurrection gives us a holy defiance against our fears and final enemy, death itself. Therefore, we can have a healthy suspicion of all our own attempts to keep ourselves secure, and a bold embrace of God’s incredible adventure for our lives—whatever that may entail. Make the tomb as secure as you can? You might as well try to kill an elephant with spitballs. Jesus Christ—risen from the dead—is Lord of all.