THE MESSAGES OF THE ANGELS
I. THE ANNOUNCEMENT TO MARY
Luke 1:26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,(The sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy)
27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.
28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
Mary was unique in all of the human race! She was especially chosen for this honor.
29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.
30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
Mary learns of her conception and of Jesus’ birth.
32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
She learns of his nature and honor. She knows that he shall be the son of God! and that he shall be the expected king of Israel!
34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?
Mary knows that children must have a father, and she has not been with a man. She wants to know how this will be?
35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
Now Mary knows that the conception will be of God, and that her son will be called the Son of God.
II. THE ANGEL’S REASSURANCE TO JOSEPH
Mat. 1:20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
Angels, the messengers of God, appear throughout the Bible when important announcements are to be made, and God wants to send a special message to someone. Sometimes the angel is called the "Angel of the LORD", which could mean that it was the LORD himself. Those Old Testament appearances are sometimes called the epiphaneia, or the showing of God himself as when God spoke to Abraham before he destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.
III. JOSEPH’S FAITH AND OBEDIENCE
Mat. 1: 24 Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:
Joseph was a faithful man. His faith did not allow him any equivocation. He always obeyed immediately. When his mind was relieved, by faith in the words of the angel, he did not hesitate, he arose up and took unto himself his lovely wife, Mary.
IV. THE ANGELS’ MESSAGE TO THE SHEPHERDS
Luke 2:8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
Shepherds were considered common and unclean. Why would God choose them to receive the first public announcement of Jesus’ birth?
9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
The Saviour’s birth, time and place were announced to them. Bethlehem was the city of kings!
12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
To be sure that the shepherds found the right babe, a sign of his circumstances was given. This was a most unusual circumstance!
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
The angels praise God for offering mankind a redeemer through Jesus Christ, his Son.
15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
The news was so great that the shepherds immediately acted upon it. Their faith in action was greatly rewarded.
V. ANOTHER WARNING TO JOSEPH
Mat. 2:13 And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.
The wise men had no longer departed, than the LORD sent his angel to give Joseph another important message. Had Joseph been in the habit of delaying in his obedience, it may have been too late, since Herod in his fury, sent his soldiers to annihilate the child along with every infant under two years of age. As they left Bethlehem, the soldiers may have met them on their way out, and tried to kill the child, Jesus. But Joseph arose and departed immediately, saving Jesus’ life.
VI. A MESSAGE CONCERNING HEROD
Mat. 2: 19 But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,
After Herod’s death, it was safe to return to Israel. The LORD sent his angel to bring this news to Joseph. He again obeyed without dispute. It was not God’s will that Jesus should be raised in Egypt, as Egypt represents sin. The scriptures were fulfilled that said: "I called my Son out of Egypt".
VII. ANGELS ASSIGNED TO PROTECT
Psalms 91:9 Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;
10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
This promise seems to apply to all who accept the LORD as Saviour and redeemer. It is most comforting! Could these be our guardian angels?
11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.
Satan used this part to tempt Jesus, but we can take this promise as assurance of our own protection, too.
13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.
14 Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.
Shouldn’t we set our love upon Him, too? Would we not receive these promises as well. Certainly these promises apply in His Millennial kingdom.
John 1:51 And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.
This would be a sign of His divinity and power. He is both the Son of man and the Son of God!
VIII. THE ANGEL’S MESSAGE OF HIS RESURRECTION
Mat. 28:2 And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.
Mat. 28:5 And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.
Many people received messages from God through angels. Those who most loved the LORD, and needed these special messages received them. The women at the tomb would have been more frustrated and concerned than they were, if God had not answered their bewildering questions at the scene. It was a divine revelation of His wonderful resurrection!
