But who needs “good news of great joy”? Angels were not born; they came to be when God spoke them into existence. The word, "angel" is derived from the Hebrew and Greek words which mean "messenger." And so was King David, who became the father of Solomon by committing adultery and being an accomplice to murder and who late in life presided over the collapse of his kingdom and the disintegration of his family. They must have such an interesting take. Michaelmas (/ ˈ m ɪ k əl m ə s / MIK-əl-məs; also known as the Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, the Feast of the Archangels, or the Feast of Saint Michael and All Angels, Irish: Fómhar na nGéanna) is a Christian festival observed in some Western liturgical calendars on 29 September. In Him, you will find all moral excellencies in impeccable proportion and delicate balance, all spiritual perfections in stunning brilliance and full integrity. Scripture tells us that angels do not experience death. In all five accounts, the angels that are a part of the Christmas story were delivering a message. ***** This is the final installment of a three part series. The joy they know is a joy in our salvation, a joy that has been welling up for literally millennia, since the beginning of time, way back to Genesis. With the Apostles, the angels at Christ’s birth could have proclaimed to us who have repented and believed the gospel, “Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? The Christmas story in the Bible includes several different angelic visits, including one from an angel who spoke to Joseph through a dream about God's plan that he serve as the father of Jesus Christ on Earth. And still they are watching to see the triumph of God’s grace in us who will receive and rest in Jesus alone for salvation. So did the Evangelist Matthew. Therefore, “come boldly to the throne of grace, that [you] may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb 4:16, NKJV). A Christmas Bible Study We are all familiar with the Christmas story, perhaps too familiar. Dr. R. Fowler White has served for almost two decades as a professor and an administrator in theological institutions. An angel takes Christmas-y form on a 14th-century Italian chapel wall. Angels are believed to be immortal, who live in Heaven, and act as intermediaries between God and Humankind. It rests on all who receive and rest upon Jesus alone for salvation as He is presented to us in the Gospel, even by the angels. But why should we care about what these beings say about Jesus’ birth? angels don’t sing! In fact, many of our favorite Christmas hymns portray angels singing following the announcement of Christ’s birth to the shepherds, including “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear,” “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” and “Silent Night.” The idea of an angelic chorus singing praises to God has become very common in our culture. Have you ever wondered what the Christmas story was like from the perspective of the angels? For permissions, view our Copyright Policy. Do you know anyone like that? Christmas According to the Angels (pt. For example, the Evangelist reminds us that among Jesus’ ancestors (by adoption, of course) was Judah. They were there in the tabernacle and the temple, their likenesses woven into the furnishings, emblematically guarding the holy of holies against the defilement of sinners. There’s more to their joy than our everyday garden-variety joy. In the Bible narrative of Christmas, there are two angelic visits that occur important to the story. Therefore, Gabriel is regarded as a Christmas angel. Nowhere, though, are angels more prominent at Christmas than in our music—the songs we sing. 20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “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. The angels couldn’t wait to see what he was about to do! The Gospel birth announcements tell us about “Christmas according to the Angels.” In those announcements we find “good news of great joy” to “all the people” as they speak to us of Jesus’ person and work and as they celebrate glory to God and peace for man. He has contributed to several books, including By Faith Alone: Answering the Challenges to the Doctrine of Justification and Whatever Happened to the Reformation? In Jesus, “all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell” (Col 1:19). Christmas of the Angels 4 Nature rather than His mystic birth. Fix that problem! In Him these excellencies are found in impeccable proportion and harmony — all are found in delicate balance, stunning brilliance, and full integrity. The difference in influence is striking and most interesting to the student able to perceive it. For unto you is born this day in … God: „ I have decided that my son Jesus will be born tonight as a human child in a stable in Bethlehem.‟ Angel 1: „Did he say “stable”?‟ Angel 2: „Yes, but I‟m sure he meant to say, “palace”!‟ Who is to condemn? . Matthew also found a woman named Rahab in Jesus’ genealogy. 4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. The point is that God is the sum of all desirable qualities. So again I ask, do you know anyone who needs good news? First published in Tabletalk Magazine, an outreach of Ligonier. The Gospel birth announcements tell us about “Christmas according to the Angels.” In those announcements we find “good news of great joy” to “all the people” as they speak to us of Jesus’ person and work and as they celebrate glory to God and peace for man. 34. She was the Canaanite daughter-in-law of Judah, who, because of Judah’s negligence, took the desperate measure of posing as a prostitute to become the mother of two sons by Judah, all to save from extinction the line from which the Messiah was to come. Very simply, it was they who came from the very presence of God in heaven and, with birth announcements patterned after those of the Caesars, it was they who declared to us on earth all that is important for us to know about Christmas, about Jesus’ birth. Yes, that Rahab, the Canaanite prostitute who believed in the God of Abraham and was saved by Joshua and his spies from the destruction of Jericho. We can do something which angels cannot do, and that is sing. The Christmas Story. The Christmas Story: Angels. To fully understand the meaning of Christmas, let’s begin by looking at the Christmas story in the gospel of Luke, and how both the shepherds and the angels understood the meaning of Christmas. (1 Peter 1:12) Angel armies on Christmas. It's a great pleasure and privilege for me this year to have been asked to bring three Christmas… It only describes them telling the shepherds the good news that God's Son would be born. Read parts one and two. Toward the end of Jesus’ genealogy Matthew highlights even Jeconiah and his brothers. 79. First, the angel known as Gabriel visits the Virgin Mary to inform her that she will give birth to the "Son of the Most High." He has regular work to do, like following humans around and helping them out from time to time with their problems. In other words, in Jesus, the “beauty of the LORD” (Ps 27:4) has become incarnate. Satan sends his angels randomly, doing as much good as they can in order to deceive the gullible. It is to sinners such as these that the angels bring good news of great joy. The mission, passion and purpose of Ligonier Ministries is to proclaim the holiness of God The mission, passion and purpose of Ligonier Ministries is to proclaim the holiness of God ***** This is part one of a three part series. As Jesus is “the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of His nature” (Heb 1:3), He is Himself altogether excellent, exquisitely splendid, supremely lovely, and radiantly wonderful. To bring this three-part series to a close, reflect with me for a moment on the joy of the angels. Angels were created to live for eternity. You remember him: he was the one who led his brothers to sell Joseph their brother into slavery and was otherwise known in Scripture as conniving and promiscuous. You see, even as the Evangelist reviewed Jesus’ genealogy, he saw many who needed to hear good news of great joy. But that is just the point of the angels’ birth announcements. The Next 500 Years: 2017 National Conference, Naming Ligonier the Beneficiary of a Bank or Investment Account, Gifts That Provide Income and Tax Benefits, Jesus and His Apostles: Teaching in Harmony, Christmas According to the Apostle Paul - Gal 4:4-5 (Part 1 of 3), Christmas According to the Angels (Part 3 of 3). 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.” 16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. Dr. R. Fowler White has served for almost two decades as a professor and an administrator in theological institutions. The Hebrew word in Ps 27:4 carries the idea of the utter delightfulness of God, the profound desirability of God. 4. With the angelic host, let us also praise God, saying, “Glory to God in the highest” indeed (Luke 2:14)! And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. The Christmas Story – according to the Angels Narrator: God called a meeting of angels and archangels. Donate Now. The holy angels of the Christmas story were sent by God with special assignments to special people. In fact, it was one of their very own, a cherub named Lucifer, who rebelled against God, took the form of a serpent, and tempted Adam into sin, bringing judgment on the whole human race. And Luke again tells us that it was a host of them who brought the birth announcement to shepherds. The Next 500 Years: 2017 National Conference, Naming Ligonier the Beneficiary of a Bank or Investment Account, Gifts That Provide Income and Tax Benefits, Jesus and His Apostles: Teaching in Harmony, Christmas According to the Apostle Paul - Gal 4:4-5 (Part 1 of 3), Christmas According to the Angels (Part 1 of 3). What is that the Gospel birth announcements tell us about “Christmas according to the Angels”? There was also a woman named Tamar in Jesus’ line. Consider first that the angels celebrated “glory to God” (Luke 2:14) in their birth announcements for Jesus. Does God’s pleasure rest on you? Again with the Apostles, the angels of Christmas could have declared to us, “Therefore, since [you] have been justified by faith, [you] have peace with God through [your] Lord Jesus Christ. These angels mouth good doctrine and bring light with them. Donate Now. It has been well said that good news is good news only to those who know they’re in a bad way. You and I should know at least one person like that, at least one person whom sin, suffering, and death have made lowly and humbled: that person goes by the name “Me,” “Myself,” or “I.”. This Christmas, be sure that you have learned and remember what the angels, messengers from heaven that they are, have told us sinners about Jesus and His birth. It … But though Christmas is good news for children, it’s not a sentimental greeting card. Is your conscience restless and unsure before God? The Evangelists record four key ideas for us that we want to explore in this three-part series. Matthew the Evangelist tells us that it was one of them who brought the announcement of the upcoming birth to Joseph. 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.” 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) The angels who celebrated “glory to God” also celebrated “peace for man.” In Jesus full reconciliation with God has been made available to those on whom His pleasure rests. First published in Tabletalk Magazine, an outreach of Ligonier. Christmas According to the Angels (Part 1 of 3) by R. Fowler White Other than the Holy Spirit, they are the most pivotal players in the drama that we know as the Christmas story; they are the most pivotal players in the accounts God gave us about the birth of Jesus our Lord.
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