- [Narrator] If ever there was a life
in which angels participated,
it was the life of the Lord Jesus.
Welcome to a Grace Digital presentation.
In this video, we want to look at seven times
angels were tangled in the earthly ministry of Christ.
Number one, telling of his prophet.
The story of angelic participation in the life of Christ
must start before we contemplate Mary and Joseph.
For God had commissioned a prophet
to come before the Messiah
to announce his coming
and to prepare the hearts and minds of men for Jesus.
And God in his wisdom and sovereignty
decided that the birth of this prophet himself
would be a miracle.
The prophet's parents were Zacharias, who was a priest
and his wife, Elizabeth.
Luke 1:7 says,
"And they had no child, because that Elizabeth was barren
"and they both were now well stricken in years."
Know also how closely this account is consistent
with the case of Abraham and Sarah.
But God sent the angel named Gabriel to Zacharias,
to announce that not only
would he and Elizabeth have a child,
but also that their child would be
the Messiah's Harold, John the Baptist.
Later when John the Baptist and Jesus were grown up,
John actually prepared people for Christ
by pointing out their sins and inviting them for repentance.
And when Jesus was ready to begin his public ministry
and John's work was done,
John said, "You yourselves bear me witness that I said,
"I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him."
John 3:28, "He must increase, but I must decrease.
"He who comes from above is above all.
"He who is of the earth is earthly
"and speaks of the earth," John 3:30.
Number two, telling of his coming.
Speaking of his coming of Christ,
the involvements of angels in the life of Christ
continued before he was born.
For his birth was to be a special act
a novel life conceived outside the normal human procedure
without a man in a virgin.
Certainly the lady who was to conceive the Christ child
had to be informed before the occasion.
She had to be ready for an event that was impossible
except for the involvement of God.
Even if the event were to be an act of the Holy Spirit,
the young woman could be subjected to the jeers
and insults of those in her family and her neighbors.
Who did not believe in the miracle of the virgin birth.
As a matter of fact, fornication,
which would be the only normal way
for an unmarried woman to become pregnant
was punishable by death under Mosaic law
as seen in Leviticus 20:10.
The man who commits adultery with another man's wife,
he who commits adultery with his neighbor's wife,
the adulterer and the adulteress
shall surely be put to death.
That is why God sent the angel Gabriel again,
this time to tell the Virgin Mary,
what was going to happen as seen in Luke 1:26-38.
When Gabriel broke the news to her,
Mary was understandably confused.
Angel Gabriel, however,
explained that it was the power of God himself
that would lead to this developed.
Let us look at Mary's response to this revelation,
Luke 1:38, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord
"be onto me according to thy word."
After it became clear that Mary was pregnant
with the Christ child, Joseph her fiance
wanted to send her away secretly
to protect her from shame.
So an angel was sent to encourage Joseph
of the wondrous spiritual nature of Mary's pregnancy.
And to encourage him to take her as his wife.
Joseph obeyed and gave us another example
of gracious submission to God.
Matthew 1:19-21, when Joseph her husband being just a man
and not willing to make her a public example,
was minded to put her away privily.
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 onto the Mary thy wife.
"For that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
"And she shall bring forth a son
"and thou shall call his name Jesus.
"For he shall save his people from their sins."
Number three, announcing his birth.
The next part in the story of angels
in the life of Jesus is very familiar to all of us.
When the Christ child was born in Bethlehem,
God sent an angel to shepherds in a nearby field
to announce his birth.
Good tidings of great joy of the coming of a savior,
Luke 2:10-11, "And the angel said unto them
"fear not for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy
"which shall be to all people.
"For unto you is born this day in the city of David,
"a savior, which is Christ the Lord.
"And this shall be a sign onto you.
"You shall find the baby wrapped in swaddling clothes,
"lying in a manger."
As if that were not enough
to cause fear and awe in the hearts of the shepherds.
After the angel had directed them where to find the child
a multitude of angels appeared with the first angel
praising God and saying,
and suddenly there was with the angel
a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God
and saying glory to God in the highest
and on earth peace goodwill toward men, Luke 2:13 and 14.
Try to visualize yourself in that situation.
Imagine how it must have looked and felt.
Then maybe you can regain some of the wonder
of that first Christmas.
Think too, of the exuberant joy and wonder
that the angels must've felt when they announced
that their creator God was now living
among men as a tiny baby.
Number four, protecting him as a baby.
Christ was born during the reign of King Herod,
a family of Herods who ruled Palestine
for several generations under Roman rule.
When the three wise men came from the East to Jerusalem
in search of the new King of the Jews,
Herod called in the Jewish priests and scribes
to ask where the Messiah was to be born.
He then asked the three wise men when the star had appeared
that had led them there.
Matthew 2:4-7, "And when he had gathered
"all the chief priests and scribes of the people together,
"he demanded of them where Christ should be born.
"And they said onto him, in Bethlehem of Judea
"for thus, it is written by the prophets
"and thou Bethlehem in the land of Judah
"are not the least among the princes of Judah.
"For out of the shall come a governor
"that shall rule my people, Israel."
Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men
inquired of them diligently
what time the star appeared.
Herod's motives for asking these questions were of course,
fear of a possible competitor for the throne
and a want to eliminate that rival immediately.
God knew that and understand
that the life of the baby Jesus was in danger.
So we see in Matthew 2:13 and 14,
that when the wise men had left
when they had gone an angel of the Lord came to Joseph
in a dream, he said, "Get up, take the young child
"and his mother to the country of Egypt,
"go as fast as you can.
"Stay there until you hear from me.
"Herod is going to look for the young child to kill him."
During the night he got up and left with a young child
and his mother for Egypt.
Joseph again, obeyed the command of the angels
and brought Mary and Jesus to Egypt.
Then as God had known would happened
Herod ordered the execution of every boy, two years old
and under in Bethlehem and the surrounding area.
Matthew 2:16, "Herod learned that the wise men
"had fooled him.
"He was very angry.
"He sent men to kill all the young boys two years old
"and under in Bethlehem and in all the country nearby.
"He decided to do this from what he had heard
"from the wise men as to the time when the star was seen."
Herod thought that if he killed all the boys,
he would surely get to the one he feared
would overthrow him as King.
After Herod had died and it was safe
for Jesus and his family to return to Israel.
After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream
to Joseph in Egypt and said,
"Get up, take the child and his mother
"and go to the land of Israel.
"For those who are trying
"to take the child's life are dead."
Matthew 2:19 and 20.
So we see that once again,
angels were watching over this particular child
and protecting him from those who would harm him.
Number five, sustaining him in his ministry.
The Bible tells us very little
about the years when Jesus grew up.
Not a word is said about any angelic activity in his life
after the events surrounding his birth.
Though it would not be at all surprising
if we in heaven were to learn
that they served him many times in those years.
Next, however we see angels serving him
in the familiar story of his temptation in the wilderness.
When he took up public ministry,
he had been led into the wilderness by the Holy spirit.
And there he fasted 40 days and 40 nights.
Matthew 4:1 and 2.
"While he was there, Satan came and tempted Jesus,
"failing every time.
"When Satan finally gave up and left,
"then the devil left him and angels came and attended him."
Matthew 4:11, "Later when Christ was in terrible anguish
"in the garden of Gethsemane,
"fighting for the sins of mankind
"with the fact of his imminent death,
"an angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him."
Luke 2:43, if anyone ever needed such help,
it was the Holy son of God.
At that moment, when he faced the prospect
of bearing the sins of the world and dying on the cross.
And there was an angel there to help.
Later when Jesus was being arrested,
he gave us insight into the angelic forces
that were at his disposal should he need them.
When the soldiers came to take Jesus,
Peter had drawn a sword and cut off the ear
of one of the high priest's servants
who was with the soldiers.
Jesus wanting to make clear to Peter
that he was going to his death voluntarily told him,
"Don't you realize that I could ask my father
"for 1,000s of angels to protect us,
and he would send them instantly?"
Matthew 26:53.
In other words, he said to Peter,
it's not as if I'm defenseless.
All the angels I might need to save me
are ready and waiting for me to do it.
I am arrested of my own free will.
This statement of Jesus expresses to us
the fact that Christ truly willingly bore our sins
and showed his love for us
while we were yet sinners Romans 5:8.
He had a choice.
The angels were standing by to save him
but he elected to die in our place.
Number six, active in the resurrection.
The Lord Jesus Christ life and ministry
did not end when he was crucified.
For after death came the resurrection,
the role of angels in his life
continued when Jesus Rose from the tomb.
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.
His countenance was like lightning
and his Raymond White as snow.
For fear of him, the keepers did shake
and became as dead men, Matthew 28:2-4.
Imagine you were one of these guards
and perhaps you could understand a little better
how they must've felt when that angel appeared
and rolled the stone away from the tomb.
After that, the angelic role continued.
For next the angels had the privilege
of proclaiming the resurrection of Christ to his disciples.
All the synoptic gospels tell us how the angels
told the women who came to the tomb
that Jesus was no longer there.
That he had risen, as he had said
and as the prophets of the Old Testament had predicted.
Number seven, proclaim...
What the angels did not say on this occasion,
but both Jesus and the apostle Paul affirmed
was that when Christ does return to earth,
the angels will come with him.
Example, Jesus said in Matthew 25:31,
"When the son of man shall come in his glory
"and all the Holy angels with him,
"then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory."
We also see Mark 8:38, 2 Thessalonians 1:7.
So we see that even in Jesus's future
glorification upon the earth,
angels will be involved just as they were with him
and ministered to him during his incarnation.
If we look at the events in human history
that changed the world, there are very few.
Chief among those do rank in that category.
However, is the coming and walking among us
of God himself in the person of Jesus Christ.
Those were certainly the most remarkable
33 years of all time.
Given the extraordinary nature of the incarnation
and the importance of the goal that Christ came to fulfill,
it is not surprising that angels were very present
in association with the birth, life, death
and resurrection of the Lord.
We pray that your knowledge is continuously deepened
in the name of Jesus.