Do Not Be Afraid!

Yesterday was Easter Sunday and I joined a few others for the Community Sunrise Service. 6:30 seemed so early to me this day because I had been up late the night before because my 5 year would not go to sleep. The worship was good and the people were friendly. It was the beginning of a great day celebrating the Resurrection. The pastor preaching the Sunrise had a good word for the crowd, but it was God’s Word, the Scripture he read, that got my attention:

Matthew 28:1-6 (NASB) 1 Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave. 2 And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it. 3 And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. 4 The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men. 5 The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid ; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. 6 "He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying.

“He is Risen!” That’s great news. But, what really got my attention were 4 small words found in verse 4: “Do not be afraid.” Was I in fear at that moment? No, not really. I’ve had a little anxiety lately. But I wasn’t afraid at that moment. What intrigued me about these 4 words was that this was an announcement of great news. The angel said “Do not be afraid.” A thought occurred to me in that moment: “I wonder if the same angel gave this message to some shepherds in a field about 33 years earlier.”

 Luke 2: 8-12, 8 In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. 10 But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid ; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people ; 11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 "This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

Whether or not this is this is the case is just a (hmmm) thought. However, “Do not be afraid” is a great message for someone to hear. Think about all the moments when we need to hear the message of “Do not be afraid”: the doctor’s office, the first day of school or a new job, a thunderstorm, an opportunity to witness. The scenarios are numerous. In the stories of the Resurrection and Birth of Christ, we have an angel giving this message in an announcement of Good News. However, I bet they were afraid. I would’ve been. I’m minding my own business and all of sudden: there’s an angel. And I don’t think this was a “Touched by Angel” moment either. I doubt these angels looked and sounded like Roma Downy. These angels probably really put some shock and awe around the tomb that day and in the sheep pasture that night. There was reason to be afraid in those moments.

There was also a reason to worship. Seriously, this was not just good news it was great news. The shepherds heard “A Savior is born!” Mary and Mary heard “He is Risen!” Can you imagine what it must have been like for these fairly ordinary people?

My Salvation Story

I came to faith in Christ when I was 16 years old. 1986 was an interesting year for me. I got a car. I got a job. I was enjoying the freedoms that came with a driver’s license. I was spending a lot of time with my friends. On the weekends, I would drive to my dad’s place where he ran a campground. One Saturday morning I woke up in his camper to find that my dad had been arrested. This turned my world upside down. This was my dad and he was the man I looked up to and received affirmation from. How could this be? As I would later learn, my dad was not at all what I had pictured him to be during my childhood. He would go on to commit other crimes and is now serving a 20 years prison sentence.

I was going into my junior year of High School that year greatly unsure of who I was and wondering what this life was really about. As I look back I can see the hand of God in every situation that year. God began surrounding me with friends and influencers who were believers. Like my best friend at the time, Kenny Perkins who had always been inviting me to church. He had also put Kevin McCoy in my life as a kid who just needed a ride to school, but he was a Christian he prayed for me. And then there was my English teacher, Mr. Anderson who would just simply ask if we had attended church on Sunday. Partly because I was curious and partly because I wanted to find something or someone to make me not feel lonely anymore, I went to church with my grandmother. Wow! Right away, the Gospel began to pierce my lonely heart. Each week I would here the preacher call people to salvation and I would grip the pew in front of me wondering what was happening to me. Over the next several months the same thing would happen and I would reject. I had no idea that when I went to church the first time looking for answers to my loneliness that the Answer, Jesus, was calling me out.

On January 17, 1987 I was sitting in my bedroom. It was a Saturday night. I knew what was coming the next day. God was really dealing with me. The preacher was going to ask the same question. I wanted to make the decision to follow Christ, but I was scared. My mom told me that she was not going to be able to be there for some reason that I don’t remember. I knew that I was headed to church on my own. It was the moment of truth. I could back out. I could stay home or I could go. I went. And he said it. The preacher said that Jesus said, “If you confess me before men I will confess you before My Father in Heaven, but if you deny me before men I will deny you before My Father in Heaven.” There it is. He said it. I knew he was going to say it. Now it was my turn again. It only took one step. I honestly don’t remember much of the rest. I believe I was saved in that moment, that first step, on Sunday January 18, 1987. That’s all it took, a moment, a step. I don’t even remember what the sermon was about that day. I am so grateful that God can change you in a moment.

What's your Story?