Do Not Be Afraid! I Bring You Good News of Great Joy
Pastor Tan Thai · Dec 24, 2016
This Christmas sermon explores the true meaning of Christ's birth through Luke 2:8-14, showing that the Gospel message is not merely outward peace but reconciliation between humanity and God. The pastor explains that fear of God is the greatest barrier keeping people from Him, and the incarnate Christ is the answer to that fear.
This sermon was delivered on Christmas Eve, December 24, 2016, opening with vivid images of Christmas's global influence — from a Christmas tree made of bullet casings in Aleppo, Syria, to the world's tallest artificial Christmas tree in Sri Lanka, and the historic message read from Genesis by Apollo 8 astronauts orbiting the moon. The pastor poses the central question: what makes Christmas so uniquely significant?
The sermon analyzes three kinds of peace that humanity longs for: peace between people and nations, inner peace of the soul, and peace between humanity and God. The pastor argues that all human efforts to achieve the first two kinds of peace without the third are mere illusion — like trying to catch one's own shadow on a wall. The angel's words in Luke 2:14 are carefully interpreted: peace is not promised to all people indiscriminately, but to those upon whom God's favor rests — those who receive Christ by faith.
The heart of the sermon focuses on humanity's fear of God. The pastor uses the image of Adam and Eve hiding in the Garden of Eden after their sin to illustrate how separation from God produces fear. People today similarly cover their fear with wealth, fame, status, and achievement, but none of these coverings can hide the truth forever. This fear is the greatest barrier keeping people from coming to God.
The Christmas message is presented as the direct answer to that fear. The angel declared: 'Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy' (Luke 2:10). God came into the world humbly and gently, born in a manger in Bethlehem, so that people would no longer need to fear Him but could draw near to Him. The sermon contrasts Buddhist and Confucian teaching with the Gospel, emphasizing that only the Bible teaches that God loves the world and takes the initiative to come to humanity (John 3:16; John 1:11-13).
The sermon closes with an invitation to receive Christ, to be restored in relationship with God, to no longer fear condemnation on the day of judgment, and to receive true and lasting peace. The pastor invites those who want to know more to speak with him or the church leadership after the service.