<p>2:10 <i>And the angel said to them: Be not afraid. For I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people</i>- Their fear was because of their own sense of unworthiness in the presence of the Lord's glory. But Luke has already begun the theme that the grace to be revealed in the Lord Jesus takes away our fear and sense of unworthiness (see on 1:74,77). And it continues with this assurance to the shepherds, that the good tidings of the Gospel are that &quot;all people&quot; implying the Gentiles too could serve God without fear. It is this which is the greatest joy, and which is good news indeed; that we need not fear God's condemnation because we are identified with His Son. Anything less than this would make the &quot;Gospel&quot; not so much good news, but rather just a worrying and burdensome weight of responsibility before God.</p>