CHRISTMAS EVE 2008
Some second graders were talking about Santa- whether he was real or not. One child said he had thought Santa was not real, his cousins had told him this. But then, when he was at the shopping mall, he ran up to Santa and kicked him in the leg. Santa let out a resounding yell. He then knew for sure that Santa was real!
Another child confessed that she wasn’t sure if Santa was real. But she then added that she would never tell anyone about her doubts. She then explained that as soon as her older sister announced she no longer believed in Santa, she stopped getting toys and started getting clothes for Christmas. It looked like Santa had turned on her sister and THAT WAS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN TO HER!
Christmas is all about believing. Yet, the honest truth is that believing in the meaning of Christmas is not easy. It just seems too good to be true. It just seems too wonderful to believe that God really loves each and everyone of us enough to become one of us. It is a truly wonderful story.
“Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see - I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.”
Can we believe it is true; that we don’t have to be afraid? Fear is a universal human emotion; we all feel fear at one time or another in life. Certainly those unsuspecting shepherds dozing contentedly on a hillside outside of Bethlehem long ago felt fear as the sky suddenly lit up with the shining light of the heavenly host.

The angel, sensing the fear of the shepherds, immediately sought to reassure them that everything was all right; there was nothing to fear. The angel was there to bring them good news; the Messiah had been born in Bethlehem. Moreover, this good news was not just for the shepherds, but “for all the people”.
This is “Good News” for us because we “all the people”. And so, the Messiah’s birth is for us! We come together tonight to hear and experience the joy of the good news. Tonight is a celebration. Our church is decorated beautifully. Our homes are festively adorned with Christmas trees, garland and lights.
If it is at all possible for us on this night we are together with family and friends. Tonight we gather with the people we love and care about the most in life.

Tonight our children are filled with eager anticipation, they just can’t wait to see what’s in that big present under the tree with their name on it, or maybe they are dreaming about what “Santa” may deliver tonight while they are sleeping.

All of this and more is what Christmas is and should be about. Regardless, of our age it is the abundance of joy, the warm feelings of love, and the spirit of giving that makes the celebration of Christmas so fun for all of us.
Yet, no matter how joyous we feel, no matter how much we love and are loved, no matter how much we give to others, if we are honest with ourselves, there remains a certain part of us that is terrified tonight, even as we are filled with joy.

Some of us are better at hiding our fear. We bury it deep inside of our hearts. It may not show to others, but we all have a part of us that lives in fear. It’s part of being human to feel fear. Indeed, there will always be things we don’t know, can’t know, and the unknown always carries with it a certain measure of fear. That is why I can say with confidence that at some level each of us remains terrified tonight, even amidst all the genuine joy.
The particular source or sources of our fear is no doubt different for each of us. Perhaps we are afraid of the future. We’re just not sure about tomorrow!
Maybe, we are fearful that our financial future is not secure. It is true we are in difficult and uncertain economic times.
If we have children maybe we are fearful that our parenting skills are inadequate and that our children will suffer because of our shortcomings. Where will we gain the wisdom to the meet the challenges ahead?
Or, maybe we are fearful that we will face a time in our lives when we will be alone.
Or, perhaps we are afraid that somehow, in some way, we are not meeting the standards which God requires of us.
If we stop and think about it for a moment, all of us can name something in life which strikes fear into our hearts.

However, the good news is that God already knows this about us. God knows our fears. Just as God knew the shepherds were afraid as the angel appeared before them on that Judean hillside long ago. That is why the angel immediately reassured the shepherds there was nothing to fear.
It is also the very reason why Christ was born that night almost 2,000 years ago. It is why God choose to come into our world.
God knew we human beings needed help. What better way to reassure us than to come to us directly in Jesus Christ? For that reason, then, to help us confront our fear, Christ has come. Christ has come for us, to comfort us when we hurt, to hold us when we fall and scrape our knees on the challenges of life. We do not need to face the terrors of life alone Christ is here for us.

The comfort that Christ brings is not unlike the comfort a parent gives to a child as the child takes his or her first steps. A child pulls herself up on a piece of furniture. She stands there unsure of herself, clutching the chair or sofa for dear life. Looking at her you can see the fear and excitement in her eyes as she faces something she has never done before. As the parent you come near, eager to offer help and encouragement, but you know that the child must do it alone. You can only stand nearby. You can hold out your arm and call out the child’s name motioning for her let go and walk.

Usually, the first time the baby tries to walk she will fall. You run to her and lovingly reassure her that she will be all right, that she can try again another time. Sometimes, she will lose her fear right away, and try again, sometimes the baby just goes about playing - content to crawl and to face the terror of trying to walk another time. But she knows you are there!
Tonight, amidst the festivities and the boisterous joy that is Christmas for us I urge us to confront our fears, and to remember that we do not face them alone. We are Emmanuel - God with us.
The birth of one little baby, a long time ago, in a simple stable, in a far away and out of the way little country, has forever changed how we face our fear. Through the birth of Christ God has extended God’s arm’s outward toward us, and is even now motioning us to take a step toward him.

God did not promise us that our fears would go away with the coming of Christ God simply promised to face our fear with us. The promise of Christmas, this year and every year, is that we are not and will not be alone in our fear.
As the angel said long ago, “Do not be afraid; for see - I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you this day is born in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.”
May God be with us tonight calming our fears and taking our fears, whatever they may be, upon himself as we rejoice in the nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ. AMEN.
Reverend Marc V. Mason
Christmas Eve 2008
Trinity Presbyterian Church
Travelers Rest, SC