Christmas is the time of year we remember when God came to this earth as a baby boy named Jesus. We send all those Christmas cards with pictures of Jesus in the manger. Underneath our Christmas trees are Nativity sets with baby Jesus next to the donkeys and sheep. There’s nothing wrong with that, as that’s what happened 2000 years ago. However, somehow, subtly, what gets etched into our minds is Jesus as a baby.
What thoughts come to your mind when you think of Jesus as a baby? Probably sentimental thoughts of a sweet cuddly baby. What can babies do for you? Not much, they need to be taken care of. So when you’re facing a big problem in your life, the thought of baby Jesus coming to your rescue doesn’t lead to much confidence. In fact, if our view of Jesus is too small, than our view of our problems will be too big. Your view of Jesus will determine the amount of fear and worry you have in your life. The smaller your view of Jesus, the more you will fear. The bigger your view of Jesus, the less you will fear.
How big is Jesus in your mind? The Jesus that was born on Christmas was God Himself, the God that created the universe. That’s pretty big. There’s no one bigger than that. Here’s what Jesus told His disciples about fear.
Matthew 10:28 (NLT) Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
A believer should not fear even if someone is out to kill you. Why? Because even if they kill you, your soul will be safe in heaven. However, there is one fear that every believer should have, the fear of God. Jesus gives the ultimate reason to fear God. We fear God because our lives and our eternal destiny are in His hands. In other words, when you fear God completely, you will fear nothing else.
The fear of God is mentioned throughout Scripture, yet is not talked about much today.
Proverbs 3:7 (NIV) Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil.
The fear of the Lord will keep you humble and keep you from sinning.
Psalm 34:7 (NIV) The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.
God sends His angels to protect those who fear God.
Proverbs 14:26 (NIV) He who fears the LORD has a secure fortress, and for his children it will be a refuge.
Those who fear God will be secure and so will their children. We’re going to look at an incident in the life of Jesus to teach us more about the fear of God.
Listen to my December 27, 2009 message “Jesus Dispels Fear” (message notes).