Angels: Images Of God's Providence Series

5. Their number is almost uncountable to human beings

--Rev. 5:11 says that they number “ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of

thousands.”

E. Most of the time you see angelic appearances in the Bible, they’re typically delivering some sort of

a message.

1. Angels are symbols of God’s providence so, whenever you see an angel this month, think: “God

is at work—unfolding His plan.”

2. In the Christmas story, the angels bring three distinct messages:

I. REVELATION

--Lk. 1:26-38 – “In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin

pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The

angel went to her and said, ‘Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.’ Mary was

greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her,

‘Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son,

and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The

Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever;

his kingdom will never end.’ ‘How will this be,’ Mary asked the angel, ‘since I am a virgin?’ The angel

answered, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So

the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child

in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with

God.’ ‘I am the Lord’s servant,’ Mary answered. ‘May it be to me as you have said.’ Then the angel left

her. “

A. When the angel appeared to Mary, he revealed information that she didn’t have.

--The angel explained something she couldn’t understand.

1. He informed her that she would become pregnant and name the child Jesus

2. He also told her that this baby would be the promised Messiah

--reference to “Throne of his father David, and will reign over the house of Jacob forever, his kingdom

will never end.”

3. Confused as to what was happening, Mary asked how it could all be possible

a. The angel clarified that all of this would happen through God’s Holy Spirit and that the baby being

born would be the Son of God

b. He even shared that Mary’s aged relative, Elizabeth – who was thought to be unable to conceive a

child, was also pregnant

--Information that no one could possibly have known

B. Some of us have had moments just like Mary where we ask, “How could this be?”

1. But God has a message for us

2. Even though everything doesn’t make sense at those times, we must remember that God is always at

work, and just like Mary, we should trust in God’s plan.

II. CONFIRMATION

--Mt. 1:18-25 – “This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be

married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.

Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he