The Angels of Christmas (Message 2)

Two Lessons for this Series

Angels are an ESSENTIAL part of the Christmas story.

The words of the angels help us to understand WHO God is and HOW He relates to man.

Last Week We Learned . . .

Angel appearances in the Bible are INFREQUENT.

Angels are sent to MINISTER to BELIEVERS.
Heb.1:14 Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?

Angels don’t have WINGS (except the ones that have six).

Angels in the Bible are pictured as MALE.
Mark 16:5 As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.

Angels don’t SING in Scripture.

Angels are working AMONG us though we normally wouldn’t RECOGNIZE them as angels.
Heb. 13:2 Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.

Everything God does is at the PERFECT time!
Luke 1:20 And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.”

The Second Angel Appearance of Christmas

An AMAZING Greeting
Luke 1:26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

a. God wanted us to know the DETAILS of this appearance:
— The angel’s name — GABRIEL (same one). He was sent by God and not acting on his OWN.
Dan. 9:21 while I was still in prayer, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice.
Luke 1:19 The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news.

— The TIMING - Six months after Zechariah and Elizabeth account (probably at the end of December).

— The PLACE - NAZARETH (in Galilee).

— The VIRGIN - NO sexual intimacy (παρθένος parthenos). Her name was Mary (Mara, Maria) or “BITTERNESS”.

— Her fiancé - JOSEPH from King DAVID’S line.

b. The greeting had great MEANING. Mary was “highly FAVORED” or chosen by God for this work. She could COUNT on the Lord’s presence. (She knew the word “favor”.)
Gen. 6:8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.
Psa. 30:7 LORD, when you favored me, you made my royal mountain stand firm; but when you hid your face, I was dismayed.
Dan. 9: 23 As soon as you began to pray, a word went out, which I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed. . . .

An AWESOME Prophecy
Luke 1:29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 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.”

a. Just like Zechariah, Mary was AFRAID, and again, Gabriel uses the SAME words to comfort.
Luke 1:13 But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah;

b. The prophecy was DETAILED:
— Mary had found God’s FAVOR (mentioned again!).
— She would CONCEIVE and give birth.
— She would have a BOY and His NAME would be Jesus.
— The child would be GREAT and would be GOD’S Son.
— The child would be an ETERNAL king.

An AUTHENTIC Question
Luke 1:34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

Mary didn’t DOUBT God or the angel, but she wondered how this was POSSIBLE since she had never had an intimate relationship. (Although the NIV text says “virgin”, Mary actually said, “since I have not KNOWN a husband.”)
Luke 1:18 Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.”

An ACCOMPLISHED Word.
Luke 1:35 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. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. 37 For no word from God will ever fail.”3 8 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.

a. God sometimes gives us the SIMPLE answer because we couldn’t understand the COMPLEX one. The Holy Spirit would “overshadow” Mary and the offspring would be God’s.
Ex. 37:9 The cherubim had their wings spread upward, overshadowing the cover with them. The cherubim faced each other, looking toward the cover.

b. God doesn’t take the EASY path. Mary’s cousin, who was biologically UNABLE to conceive, was 6-months pregnant.

c. What God says — God DOES. He would never FAIL! And Mary responded, “COUNT me in!”

Our Response

To have FAVOR with God, one needs to be a person of obedience and of deep FAITH.

What God says He will do, He ACCOMPLISHES. You can TRUST His timing and His Word!

Walk The Talk

How is this story both similar and different than the previous angel story?

What was helpful to you in learning about Gabriel’s words and Mary’s response?

What is your favorite part of this account and why? How does it encourage your faith?