What Jesus Did! 'Don't Be Afraid' — Luke 1:30-33

Fear. It can be overwhelming. It is sometimes paralyzing. We shouldn't be surprised that one of the most often repeated commands in Scripture is, "Don't be afraid!" Older translations sometimes say, "Fear not!" Fear of the unknown, fear of complications, fear of death and dying, fear of a person, fear of a circumstance, fear of the incomprehensible, fear of what we cannot control, and a host of other fears can come crashing down on us in times of stress, danger, and uncertainty. The great heroes of faith faced moments of fear. God guided them through their fears. Jesus' coming is about putting aside our fears. So it shouldn't be surprising that the announcement of his conception would come with the command to Mary that she shouldn't be frightened and the assurance that she doesn't need to be frightened. As you journey with Jesus this year, ask God to make the assurance of Jesus real in your life and to have that assurance crowd out the forces of fear in your heart.