4th Sunday of Advent
Scripture 1 Timothy 3:16
Consider the Christmas story through the eyes of the angels.
1. The angels saw Christ in heaven.
Extracted from the first Christmas Carol:
1 Tim 3:16
Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great: He appeared in a body, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.
Angels pinnacle of creation in heaven as humans are pinnacle of creation on earth.
Angels are not God - Can’t see all things, be all places or have all power. They long to look into the things of God.
Before time began, some participated in the great rebellion and lost their heavenly position.
Before the son of God entered earth - the created angels saw him in heaven as described by Isaiah: Isa 6:1-3 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory." John says this is Jesus whom Isaiah was talking about John 12:41 Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus' glory and spoke about him.
Speaking of the prophet, Peter write: 1 Peter 1:12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.
Jesus steps down from his throne in view of the angels and disappears from their sight. Where did he go? He took on the form of flesh conceived as an embryo in a young woman’s body in Israel over 2000 years ago.
However - after 9 human months of time - angels get to see where he went
2. The angels saw Christ in the manger.
Left His glory - who was with God and was God - is found lying as a helpless baby lying in a manger. The word became flesh and dwelt among us. Imagine Gabriel going first to witness the Nativity scene and making haste to go tell the shepherds this good news of great joy - While he is delivering that message an entire heavenly host are sent to see the Nativity and they are filled with inexpressible joy and quickly join Gabriel giving praise to God before the shepherds.
3. The angels saw Christ in the desert.
At the end of fasting 40 days the Devil tempted him. Desperately hungry and weak, he is greatly tempted. Triumphant but exhausted: When the devil went away, angels ministered to him.
Matt 4:10-11 Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'" Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
4. The angels saw Christ in the garden.
The angels know the pathetic failure of humans from the paradise garden to the time of Christ in the garden of Gethsemane.
Luke 22:41-44 He withdrew about a stone's throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, 42 "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." 43 An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. 44 And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. Without the angel, Jesus would not have been able to bear this night. The angel who had seen Christ’s glory in heaven and now seeing him alone, in great anguish and pain. The angel comes to give him strength to make it through what he is about to face.
5. The angels saw Christ on the cross.
Jesus was arrested: Matt 26:53-54 Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?"
6. The angels saw Christ at the Resurrection
Angels were the first to witness the incarnation and first to witness the resurrection. The angels must have been chomping at the bit to show Satan & Jesus’ followers that THE Christ had won.
Matt 28:2-7 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. 5 The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you."
When he rolled the stone and SAT on it he turned it from a sealed death chamber to an open cave - possibly identical to the one he had been laid in at his birth.
7. The angels will see Christ at the Second Coming.
Matt 25:31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory.”
Rev 5:11-12 Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they sang: "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!"
VIII. We are to tell the nations what the angels have seen.
We don’t tell the nations only what we have seen. We must preach among the nations what the angels have seen. Not our perspective but the truth of angels. Add to that, what we have known that the angels do not. Angels have not experienced redemption - going from sinner to saint.
Conclusion
We should share the angels' sense of awe in worship.
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