And in the same region, there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you; you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

Luke 2:8-14 (ESV)

Luke tells us that a vast multitude of angels appeared to a group of shepherds watching their flocks in the countryside and announced to them the birth of Jesus.

"Fear not," one of the angels said to them. That word of comfort applies to us just as much as it did to the shepherds. Fear is something we all experience, and very painful at times. Yet we are not without help. We are to behold the good news that brings great joy to everyone, everywhere and for all time.

What makes the good news good?

It is the revelation that God in Christ has come to be like us in order to save us all.

We are awed by Jesus' humility when we consider how He came as an ordinary baby to be our extraordinary Saviour. He embraced all of our human vulnerabilities and uncertainties so that none of us can claim that God does not understand how we feel. Everything about Jesus is about us. He was born for us. He lived for us. He suffered for us. He gave His life for us. He rose to life again for us. He went back to heaven for us, and He will return for us.

The fear of shepherds turned to joy when the angels sang, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!" It is really good news to know that God is pleased with us because of what Jesus has done in and through us.

Don't berate yourself for not being as strong as you want to be if fear is keeping you from moving forward in faith. You, like the shepherds, must believe the wonderful news of angels and respond to God’s grace. Believing is not a one-moment thing. It’s a continuous way of life. It involves more than just assenting to the truths of Jesus but also beholding Jesus in all of His beauty and glorious splendour.