ANGELS
God's messengers
Did you decorate your Christmas tree with angels, little figurines
with wings? Angels are powerful beings who deliver God’s messages. Although they
inhabit the spiritual realm, occasionally people see them, as the Bible
relates. Imagine these brilliant messengers interrupting your routine! How
would you react? I’d be shocked and terrified.
In ancient Israel, a priest selected for special duties would
burn incense at the Temple’s Holy Place, perhaps only once in his career. Zechariah
would always remember his call to the temple. Washed and dressed in his
priestly garments, the white linen robe, the ephod, the breastplate, the tunic,
sash and turban, he entered the Holy Place, carrying hot coals and incense, while
outside the worshippers prayed.
Next, he trimmed the lampstand wicks and approached the
small altar with hot coals which stood before the woven curtain separating him from the
Holiest of Holies. But as he drew
closer, Gabriel, God’s angel, appeared beside the altar! Zechariah gasped,
trembling from his head to the soles of his feet. Would he survive after
meeting an angel? Was God about to slay him?
Far from it, because Gabriel had arrived with the most heart warming
news.
“Don’t be afraid, Zechariah. The Lord has heard you and
your wife, Elizabeth’s prayers for a son. He will be named John and be your
joy; he will be esteemed by the Lord, a herald for the Messiah, preparing people
and leading them to repentance.”
It was too good to be true. Doubt flooded Zechariah's heart and he queried the message.
“With both of us advanced in
years, how may I be certain?”
“I am Gabriel, and I stand in God’s presence. He has sent me to tell you this
wonderful news.”
If Zechariah alone had witnessed
Gabriel, hardly anyone would have believed him. God struck him deaf until John
was born, and then people understood this baby was God’s gift. Next, the
Almighty dispatched the same celestial messenger to Nazareth, to a maiden
betrothed to Joseph. She was Mary.
“Greetings, you
are highly favoured, and the Lord is with you!”
Me? A poor peasant girl? Who is this scary, glistening visitor?
She stared at him, bewildered,
and trembling.
“Don’t be afraid, Mary, God favours
you to carry a child and give birth to a son named Jesus. The Lord will give
him the throne of David, and he will reign over Jacob’s house forever.”
With humility and grace, Mary
believed the angel and accepted the enormous privilege of being the Savior’s
mother. The Holy Spirit powerfully overshadowed her, and she conceived the Son
of God.
“I am the Lord’s servant. Your
words hold true for me.”
In faith, she accepted Gabriel’s promise and the advice
to visit Elizabeth, and when she arrived, Elizabeth’s baby leaped for joy in
her womb. Elizabeth realized Mary’s baby was the Lord of heaven and earth.
Soon afterwards, Joseph fell
asleep, wondering if he should divorce Mary. An unwed mother in ancient
Nazareth brought shame on herself and on her fiancé, a crime punishable by stoning. If he wasn’t
the father, who was responsible? Joseph was an honourable man who wished Mary
no harm, despite his confusion. And as he slept, he dreamed of an angel who
brought him a message from God.
“Don’t be afraid, Joseph, to bring
Mary home as your wife. She is the virgin Isaiah prophesied about in his
writings. This child is Immanuel, and he will save his people from their sins.”
When Joseph awoke, he took Mary
home as his wife, and following the angel’s instructions, he named the child,
Jesus.
Through these individual visits, Zechariah,
Mary and Joseph, God prepared them for these ordained roles.
Jesus was born in a humble
stable, among the smells, the bleating sheep and mooing cattle. On a hillside
outside the city, shepherds guarded their sheep by night.
All was quiet.
The most brilliant light flooded the sky as an
angel stood in their midst. Rugged men who had protected their flocks from wild
beasts, shook in terror, for nothing could have prepared them for this
supernatural celebration. They cowered under the scrutiny of the light, shading
their eyes from the glare.
The angel calmed them. “Don’t be
afraid, because I bring you wonderful news of great joy for all people. In
David’s town, a Savior has been born, and he is the Messiah, Christ the Lord. You
will recognise him, for he is wrapped in cloths and lies in a feeding trough.”
And in glorious celebration, a vast
company of angels filled the sky, praising God.
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace to men on whom favor rests.”
Jesus came to earth to live among us, to minister and heal our brokenness. God sent
unique messages via individual angels before the Savior’s birth, and the hosts
of heaven burst into triumphant praise when the Son of God finally lay asleep
in a Bethlehem stable. He wasn’t born in a palace to a princess, to revel in
status and wealth. God valued humility and sincere faith above privilege and human
power, since Jesus left heaven’s glory to suffer punishment for our shame and
guilt. He is the King of kings, whose throne is in heaven. He welcomes the less
privileged and the rich to his kingdom if they humble themselves before him,
believing in his work on the Cross.
Is the Christmas story true? When
a judge considers a case, he calls witnesses to the stand. The angels delivered
identical prophesies from God. The gospel writers, under the inspiration of the
Holy Spirit, recorded identical evidence about his birth, ministry, death and
resurrection. When God speaks, whether through an angel or the written word, it
pays to listen.
Has something unexpected
happened recently? Were you terrified? Pray, because God has a message for you and he is nearby. “Do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am the Lord your God.” Isaiah
41:10.
Whether this
Christmas is all you hope for or delivers an unwelcome surprise, remember nothing
is impossible with God, nor is He ever caught unawares. Our times are in his hands,
and he is always faithful. Although trials don’t respect the calendar, God has
a perfect agenda, which trains and guides us closer to him. Let’s embrace Jesus
by celebrating his birth. He’s greater than our problems, worthy of our praise.
As you sing those beautiful carols, remember He rescued us from a lost eternity
and heavenly peace will guard your heart and mind.
The joy of the Lord
is my strength. Nehemiah 8:10
HALLELUJAH!
Glory to God
in the highest and peace on earth.
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