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Session 1

1. Devotional

   Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. (Luke 2:10-11)

   One of the most beautiful things God repeatedly says in the story of Jesus’ birth is that his people do not need to be afraid. When the angel Gabriel comes to Zechariah to tell him that his wife Elizabeth will have a son, and he will prepare the way for the Messiah, the angel says, “Do not be afraid” (Luke 1:13). When the angel Gabriel comes to Mary and announces that she has been chosen to be the mother of God’s Son, he tells her, “Do not be afraid” (Luke 1:30). And when an angel of the Lord announces Jesus’ birth to the shepherds, he begins the message with, “Do not be afraid" (Luke 2:10). Even in situations that must have been bewildering, and more likely terrifying, God says, “Do not be afraid.” Why? Well, because in every situation, he is in control. His plan is in place. And he is bringing “good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” Something good is coming! Not only were they not to be afraid in that moment, but as God’s plan developed in their lives, they were not to be afraid of the future. Zechariah and Elizabeth did not need to fear a pregnancy late in life or the sneers of those who doubted their story. Mary did not need to fear the ridicule she would receive for being pregnant out of wedlock or the possible rejection of her fiancé Joseph or worse, of her family and entire village. The shepherds did not need to fear going before a king, even in their lowly state. This is our assurance as well. One reason we don’t need to fear is because Jesus’ birth was not something God just came up with on a whim. In fact, the salvation Jesus brought at his incarnation goes all the way back to the first book of the Old Testament. In Genesis 3:15, after Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the garden of Eden, God offered them a path to redemption. As he said to the serpent:

   I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel. (Genesis 3:15)

   Here, God explained that the offspring of the woman would crush the serpent’s head. Theologians commonly call this the proto-euangelion, or “first gospel,” because it was the first time in history that God revealed his plan to send a Redeemer to rescue humanity from the curse of sin. Throughout the Old Testament, the prophets predicted the coming of this Redeemer, and in the New Testament, God fulfilled his promise in the birth of Jesus. For this reason, we celebrate Jesus’ birth every year. The “good news of great joy” (Luke 2:10) that accompanied his birth gives us great assurance that he really is God’s chosen Messiah and King. And he really will “save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). We do not need to be afraid.

2. Watch

3. Personal Application

   • Read Luke 1:1–2:40. What do God’s responses to the people’s fears in this passage tell you about the heart of God?
   • What are you worried about or afraid of right now? Pray through each fear, asking God to give you peace and comfort.
   • If you did not need to fear your future or be anxious about the way people react to you because you know that God is with you and is in control, how might that change the way you live and interact with other people?