Fear Not

And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God…."  Luke 1:12-16 (ESV)

“Do not be afraid” is a common exclamation by the angelic host when they make themselves visible to a human. It is so common that we must conclude that seeing an angel can be a terrifying experience.

I wonder if it is the brightness, the voice, the strangeness of the sudden appearance, or the helpless feeling of being invaded by someone or something we cannot understand.

The truth is this: angels are all around us now. We cannot see them, yet they are there. They have a job to do and are doing it, and because of that, we can “fear not.”


Dave Wager

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