Easter Angels

Easter Angels

(topical)

1. A Sunday School teacher asked her class on the Sunday before Easter if they knew what happened on Easter and why it was so important. One little girl spoke up saying: "Easter is when the whole family gets together, and you eat turkey and sing about the pilgrims and all that." "No, that’s not it," said the teacher.

"I know what Easter is," a second student responded. "Easter is when you get a tree and decorate it and give gifts to everybody and sing lots of songs." "Nope, that’s not it either," replied the teacher.

Finally a third student spoke up, "Easter is when Jesus was killed, and put in a tomb and left for three days." "Ah, thank goodness somebody knows" the teacher thought to herself.

But then the student went on: "Then everybody gathers at the tomb and waits to see if Jesus comes out, and if he sees his shadow he has to go back inside and we have six more weeks of winter."

2. Even some people who go to church regularly may not know too much!

3. In ancient times, Theology, the study of God, was called the, "Queen of the Sciences." Even today, serious Christians do things like devour their Bible, attend Sunday School, teach a class, and read good Bible study material.

Main Idea: When you study the Bible or reflect upon the person and work of Christ, you are joining in the curriculum of the angels; you are on holy ground.

I. Born-again Believers Are the CURRICULUM

(I Peter 1:12b)

• Ever feel like you are being watched?

? The verb parakypto (NIV, "long to look") means "to stoop over to look." It implies willingness to exert or inconvenience oneself to obtain a better perspective. Here the present tense gives it a continuous aspect. (ski lift?)

The angels have intense interest in human salvation.

• it is not an experience they have

• they learn about God by watching how He deals with us

• besides being messengers and servants, angels are students, and we are the curriculum

1. Angels REJOICE when a sinner is converted (Luke 15:10)

“In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

You may have never heard of Sir Lionel Luckhoo. But if you open the Guinness Book of World Records, you’ll discover that he is listed as the most successful trial lawyer ever. He had 245 successful murder defenses in a row.

To give you an idea how good that is, I want you to think about the TV show Perry Mason. The producers had him lose a case after he won 70 successful ones, because they didn’t think anyone would find his character credible without a loss every now and again.

Although Lionel Luckhoo had fame, success, and wealth he felt empty inside. The older he got, the more meaningless life seemed to him. At age 63, he turned his analytical skills to the claim that Jesus rose from the dead. He found that the message of Jesus’ resurrection satisfied his personal needs and his intellectual questions.

He wrote: “I have spent more than forty-two years as a defense trial lawyer in many parts of the world. I say unequivocally the evidence for the resurrection of Jesus Christ is so overwhelming that it compels acceptance by proof which leaves absolutely no room for doubt!” (source: Michael Luke, www.sermoncentral.com)

• But whether we come to Christ via great intellectual pursuit or simply by hearing the Gospel, the angels party.

2. They observed the LIFE of Jesus (I Timothy 3:16)

“Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great: He appeared in a body, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.”

3. They learn about SALVATION from us (Eph 3:10)

“His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms…”

4. They SERVE believers (Heb 1:14)

“Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?”

John Paton was a missionary in the New Hebrides Islands. One night hostile natives surrounded the mission station, intent on burning out the Patons and killing them. Paton and his wife prayed during that terror-filled night that God would deliver them. When daylight came they were amazed to see their attackers leave. A year later, the chief of the tribe was converted to Christ. Remembering what had happened, Paton asked the chief what had kept him from burning down the house and killing them. The chief replied in surprise, "Who were all those men with you there?" Paton knew no men were present--but the chief said he was afraid to attack because he had seen hundreds of big men in shining garments with drawn swords circling the mission station.