TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL
Matt. 1-2; Lk. 1-2
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR
1. A man built a new home. One day as he was looking at the outside of it, an apparition appeared and was visible for a full minute. One year later, it appeared again at exactly the same time, but his friends thought he was just imagining it.
2. So on that day a year later, he had the local paper send out a photographer to take a picture, so there would be no more doubt about it.
3. The big moment arrived and, right on time, the apparition appeared. However, the photographer had something wrong with his electrical hookups and the picture wasn't good.
4. This all goes to prove the old adage that says, "The spirit was willing but the flash was weak."
B. TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL TV SERIES
1. Touched by an Angel is an American supernatural drama series that ran from 1994-2003, for 211 episodes and nine seasons. The series stars Roma Downey, as an angel named Monica, and Della Reese, as her supervisor Tess.
2. Throughout the series, Monica is tasked with bringing guidance and messages from God to various people who are at a crossroads in their lives
3. Tonight I want to look at what the Bible says about angels, especially connected with the birth of Jesus.
C. UNBELIEF CONCERNING ANGELS
1. Some scientists and modernists scoff at the idea that there’s anything beyond the physical universe.
2. Like the Sadducees of old, they say, "there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit" (Acts 23:8).
3. Some would say that God used to do things like that, but does He still do them today?
D. THE BIBLE & ANGELS
1. The Bible, from Genesis to Revelations, confirms the reality and ministry of Angels. The Bible has 294 references to Angels, 182 of which are in the N.T.
2. Angels play a significant role in the N.T., particularly surrounding the events of the birth of Jesus.
3. There were 4 Major Appearances
a. To John the Baptist’s father Zacharias in the Temple.
b. Next to Mary the mother of Jesus.
c. Next was a scattering of appearance to Joseph, Mary’s husband, in dreams.
d. Inserted into Joseph’s series is the appearance to shepherds on the night of Jesus’ birth. Let’s look at them.
I. APPEARANCE TO ZACHARIAH
A. TEXT
12 When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. 13 But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. 16 He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, 18 Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.” 19 The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God….20 And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words….” Lk. 1:11-20
B. PURPOSES
1. ANNOUNCE. The word “angel” in Hebrew & Greek both mean “messenger.” Angels are often sent to speak for God to humans. In addition to telling Zachariah that he would have a son, Gabriel gave the specific name for the child – John.
2. FORETELL. Another function of angels is to prophesy for God (Gen. 22:16-18; 2 Kgs 1:3-4). Here the angel describes John the Baptist’s ministry as forerunner for Christ and the spirit in which he will operate.
3. EXECUTE JUDGMENT. Zachariah’s unbelief brought a judgment where he couldn’t speak. Angels have been known to bring plagues (Ps. 78:49; 2 Kgs. 19:35, etc)
II. APPEARANCE TO MARY
A. TEXT
26 God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph….name Mary. 28 “Greetings, you who are highly favored! 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 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, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” 34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” 35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on 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. 38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her. Luke 1:26-38.
B. PURPOSES
1. To get Mary’s permission for her to be the Mother for the Christ child. Mary was not just a surrogate, because the Bible says that she “conceived” (Lk. 1:31), which would require her ovum. Thus Jesus was of the seed of Abraham, Judah, David –He took on our humanity.
2. The angel also answered her questions regarding how it would happen (vs. 35).
III. APPEARANCES TO JOSEPH
A. TO EXPLAIN MARY’S PREGNANCY
20 “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). Matthew 1:20-24.
B. TO WARN OF DANGER
Matthew 2:13 “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”
1. Function In A Military Capacity
a. To fight opposing forces (Revelation 12:7, etc.),
b. To guard sacred sites (Genesis 3:24),
c. Reconnaissance (Daniel 4:13, 17),
2. They guard God's people (Ps. 91:11; Mt. 18:10), and deliver God's people (Ps. 34:7; Dan. 6:22; Acts 5:19, 12:7).
C. TO RETURN GOD’S SON TO ISRAEL
1. Matthew 2:20 “Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead.” 22 warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, 23 and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth.
2. MINISTERS TO THE HEIRS OF SALVATION. “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?” Heb. 1:14.
IV. APPEARANCE TO THE SHEPHERDS
A. TEXT
8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” 15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” Luke 2:8-15.
B. PURPOSES
1. For Heaven to Celebrate. If the angels rejoice when one soul comes to repentance, how much more when the Savior comes to redeem them? “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents” Lk. 15:10.
2. To plant Expectation in Israel the Messiah was coming. Lk. 2:17-18, “When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.”
3. Confirm to the Parents that Jesus is Messiah. Lk. 2:19, “But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.”
V. ANY MODERN EXAMPLES? YES!
A. GUARDIAN ANGELS
1. Marie Monsen was a Norwegian missionary in China during the 1920s. At that time lawlessness was rampant in China, and the Chinese army had not been paid for a long time.
2. One evening, the soldiers began looting in the city. Marie and the Chinese Christians with her heard shooting and shouting all night, but no soldier came to bang on the door of their mission.
3. All during night the mission became a sanctuary for the fearful neighbors. The following morning, many of the other neighbors came to ask who their "protectors" were.
4. At first Marie was not sure what they meant, until she heard the same account from so many that she knew it was true.
5. They all separately said they had seen three tall foreign soldiers standing on the high roof of their Gospel Hall, one at each end and one in the middle. A fourth protector was sitting on the porch over the main gate, keeping watch in every direction.
6. They were there all night, and all the accounts said they "shone." Neither Marie nor any of her Christian friends had seen them.
7. Only the nonbelievers living nearby had seen these angel protectors, to convince them that God takes care of all who trust in Him. Peter Kennedy
B. TERRIE FLOWERS
1. Terry flowers, who used to go to church here, told how she was walking home from work one night while living in a large city. She had to walk about a mile through rough neighborhoods.
2. One night she felt danger was near. She prayed and asked God to help her. Then she saw a gang of young men near a building, looking at her. She prayed as she approached them.
3. Suddenly, a very large dog appeared and walked beside her until she had gotten almost to her house. Then it suddenly stopped and went away! She was convinced it was an Angel.
VI. EFFECTS OF ANGELIC MINISTRY
A. SHOWS US THE CONSTANT CARE OF GOD
1. “For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways” Ps. 91:11.
a. Angels don’t watch over us only during times of danger or emergency.
b. According to this verse, their care extends to the ordinary, routine, day-to-day round of events in our lives.
2. Examples:
a. Hagar and her son were thirsty -- an Angel provided for them.
b. Elijah was demoralized. An Angel came to encourage him.
c. The Lord Jesus was distressed in Gethsemane. I'm Angel appeared and strengthened Him.
B. HELPS ENLARGE OUR PERSPECTIVE OF HEAVEN
1. Heaven is a real place. It is inhabited by a large number of Angels, as well as by the ‘spirits of just men made perfect.’
2. There are events taking place in heaven right now. Paul said it would be desirable to be there if he could. Word pictures such as Isaiah 6, Ezekiel 1, Daniel 7, and Revelation 4-5 show was the wonderful worship services and important events transpiring there.
C. GIVES INTENSITY & SERIOUSNESS TO THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING SAVED
1. “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Luke 15:10.
2. Angels rejoice when one sinner is converted and delivered from the fires of hell. They have shared, to some degree, in the mission for mankind to receive salvation.
3. The Angels must likewise be sad when one sinner dies without Christ and must be taken to Hades.
D. EXALTS CHRIST
1. Daniel 7 and Revelation 5 both portray the Angels falling down at the feet of Jesus.
2. Colossians 1 and Hebrews 1 both describe the superiority of Jesus, as the Creator, to His creations, the Angels. The book of Ephesians tells us that He is “far above all principality and power, and every name that can be named, not only in this age, but in the age to come!”
3. This contrast between the Angels and the Lord Jesus gives us all the more reason to exalt Him, give him glory, and recognize Him as Immanuel, God come in the flesh. Glory to His name!
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUSTRATION: SAVED FROM THE TRAIN
1. Carolin Kanagaraj was returning from her friend Jene's house to her home about six o'clock in the evening. To return to her house, she had to catch a train, get down from it, and then catch a bus. It’s a long trip; it takes between one and two hours.
2. She said of one trip, “I got down from the train, and crossed the track, without seeing the signal. (I do not advise anyone to do this; for we are taught in the Bible to obey the rules set by the government!)
3. “Suddenly, my leg got caught in the track. I was not able to pull my leg out. "O God!" No one was near me. But I cried to the Lord: "Send Your angels!" A train was nearing me. I closed my eyes. I don't know what happened in those few seconds.”
4. “Someone pulled me out. I was out of the track. When I opened my eyes, no one was there. I praised God. God will deliver us by His angels when we fear Him.
5. Psalm 34:7 – “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them” (NIV).
B. THE CALL
Praise to God and meditation about our secure place in Christ.
