Fear Not!

Note. Today we mark the Annunciation of Mary, which normally occurs on March 25th. This day coincided with Palm Sunday and beginning of the Holy Week. That is why it was brought forward to today.

Luke 1:26-38

The angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the House of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. He went in and said to her, ‘Rejoice, so highly favoured! The Lord is with you.’ She was deeply disturbed by these words and asked herself what this greeting could mean, but the angel said to her, ‘Mary, do not be afraid; you have won God’s favour. Listen! You are to conceive and bear a son, and you must name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David; he will rule over the House of Jacob for ever and his reign will have no end.’ Mary said to the angel, ‘But how can this come about, since I am a virgin?’ ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you’ the angel answered ‘and the power of the Most High will cover you with its shadow. And so the child will be holy and will be called Son of God. Know this too: your kinswoman Elizabeth has, in her old age, herself conceived a son, and she whom people called barren is now in her sixth month, for nothing is impossible to God’ ‘I am the handmaid of the Lord,’ said Mary ‘let what you have said be done to me.’ And the angel left her.

Food for thought! 

Fear has been a part of the human existence since the fall of man in Genesis 3:8-10. Everyone, regardless of how brave they seem, is afraid of something, Snakes, Spiders, Disease, Financial Setbacks, Old Age, Gray Hair, Rejection, Disappointment, Exposure, Being Forgotten, Etc.) Even in the Bible, we can see where men were stalked by their fears: Abraham lied about Sarah out of fear - Gen. 12:11-13; Jacob displayed fear of Esau - Gen. 32:6-8; Moses feared Pharaoh - Ex. 2:14; Moses feared Rejection - Ex. 4:1; The Disciples feared the storm - Matt. 8:24-26.

Nothing has changed! People are still caught in the grip of their fears. We fear not having enough money, of not meeting everyone's expectations, we worry because of our past, our present, our future. We just seem to fear everything.

Three times God sent angelic messengers to the earth with messages connected to the birth of His Son, the Lord Jesus. Each time, they brought big news, news which troubled the hearts of their hearers. However, they also came with a message of peace. Three times angels appeared. Three times they spoke the words, "Fear not." One of these times, "Fear not" was addressed to Mary.

When Gabriel appears to Mary, she is probably about 14 or 15 years old. She has probably grown up dreaming the same romantic dreams that girls have dreamed since the dawning of time. Dreams of marriage, home and family. She is even engaged to a man named Joseph and about to be married. According to the text, she has maintained her sexual purity, as well as her spiritual purity. She is living close to the Lord and is living a good life before the Lord. Mary apparently has it all sewed up. A bright future is awaiting her, she has everything for which to live.

We all like it when our life goes just as we have planned. There are times when we sail the calm seas of life, but those days often seem fleeting and few when compared to the days when trials invade us like savage beasts.

When Gabriel makes His announcement to Mary, her life is immediately turned upside down. Mary is called upon to bear shame, reproach and humiliation for the glory of God. Her's is to be the greatest honor ever afforded to woman, but at the same time it carried with it a tremendous social stigma, shame and even possibility of being stoned to death. 

When our lives do not go as we have planned, it is easy to fear that which is unknown. Often, God will allow things to happen in our life that are hard to bear and hard to understand, yet the Lord sends them our way for a reason hard to understand. When these times arise, it is easy to question the Lord and His judgment. It is always easy to question, but like Mary, we do well to comply with the Lord: let it be done to me according to your will.

You and I would do well to learn to submit to the will of the Lord in every detail of life. We need never fear the providential hand of God, for He will never do us wrong! Regardless of what may come our way in life, we can rest assured that God is going to use it to get glory to Himself and to help us learn more about Him.

An old man was asked what had robbed him of joy the most in his lifetime. He replied, "Things that never happened!" All of us can recall all the needless fears of things that never happened. So, remember these three fs: Fret Not - He loves you - (John 13:1).2. Faint Not - He holds you - (Psalm 139:10).3. Fear Not - He keeps you - (Psalm 121:5).

Is there fear in your heart today? Bring it to Jesus! Is there sadness? Bring it to Jesus! Is there fear over sin and hell? Bring it to Jesus! Is there disappointment and disillusionment in your life? Bring it to Jesus! Are there burdens too heavy to bear? Bring them all to Jesus! Is there brokenness and despair? Bring it to Jesus! Is there failure and defeat? Bring it to Jesus! Whatever it is that is causing you to fear, bring it to Jesus! 

Mat 11:28

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.]

1Pe 5:7

Cast the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.