Advent 2023 Week Two: Angels

Angels

"You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob's descendants forever; his kingdom will never end." Luke 1:31-33

"Although the term' wisdom' is used primarily in the Old Testament with reference to human beings, all wisdom is ultimately rooted and grounded in God. Wisdom forms a central part of the nature of God. In wisdom, God created the universe (Prv. 3:19) and mankind (Ps. 104:24). Those matters which are not understood by human beings or any other living creature are fully comprehended within the wisdom of God (Jb. 28:12–23)." [1]

Angels Call Us Not To Fear

In the biblical Christmas story, three people met angels who encouraged each of them not to be afraid. Maybe you, too, need to hear God say, "Do not be afraid."

Elizabeth and Zechariah feared they would never have a child. 

"But the angel said to him: "Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John." Luke 1:13.

Joseph found out his fiancé was pregnant. He knew he was not the dad. Joseph feared that Mary had slept with another man. 

Then, "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.'" Matthew 1:20. 

God is doing something good in what Joseph thought was terrible. 

Mary knew she would be considered a tramp and risked losing her relationship with Joseph. 

"The angel went to her and said, 'Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.' Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, 'Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.'" Luke 1:28–31.

To each person facing their fears, Zechariah, Joseph, and Mary, an angel, said, "Do not be afraid." During Christmas, fear can haunt us. I encourage you to listen to God speaking to you this Christmas; do not be afraid. Know that God is with you and has good plans for you, just as he did for Zechariah, Joseph, and Mary. 

[1] Elwell, Walter A., and Barry J. Beitzel. "Wisdom, Wisdom Literature." Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible 1988: 2149. Print.