We can be sure that Jesus claims about Himself are true, because the angels knew Jesus even before He was born. They knew Jesus is Lord.
The angels give us a peak into the spiritual world
Both the Old and New Testaments reveal that angels play a significant role in the whole course of history. The angels are created beings, with individuality, that exist in a spiritual dimension that touches, but is apart from, our material universe. While we should not give overdue attention to such beings, we can get a glimpse of an invisible war that is being continually waged between the forces of good and evil. The war impacts both our material world and the hidden spiritual dimension, for God is the creator of both.
The invisible war is Satan’s (i.e., the Devil’s) effort to thwart the purposes of God. The Bible reveals that Satan was created as Lucifer, meaning “light bearer”. He was a powerful angel in God’s originals creation. But His pride led to a sinful desire to be like God. So, he led a rebellion, which incited a defection of many angels. And this led to that host of fallen angels being expelled from heaven. Now, Satan and his fallen angels are free to trouble humanity, within the limits that God permits.
Though the fallen angels spread lies to derail our faith, they know exactly who Jesus is and they feared Him. (See James 2:19.) It wasn’t unusual for these unclean spirits to possess and dominate a person. So, when Jesus encountered someone who had one or more demons, the demon(s) would acknowledge Jesus’ authority over them. They would declare His true identity as the Son of God and obey His command for them to depart.
Mark 3:11 says, “Whenever the impure spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, ‘You are the Son of God’.”
The angels role as messengers
The holy angels know Jesus is Lord and were affirming it through their messages to others, including Mary, Joseph, Zechariah, the shepherds, the disciples, and the apostles.
The Angel Gabriel predicted the birth of Christ to Mary
God would often send angels to communicate special messages to specific people. For example, He sent the angel Gabriel to tell Mary that she would be having a very special baby, conceived in her by the Holy Spirit, even though she was a virgin.
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. 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, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” 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. 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. For no word from God will ever fail” (Luke 1:28-37).
An angel of the Lord warned Joseph about Herod’s plot to kill Jesus
“When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. ‘Get up,’ he said, ‘take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him'” (Matthew 2:13).
An angel of the Lord told Joseph to take Mary and Jesus back to Israel
Once again, God was looking out after the welfare of His Son. So, He had an angel tell Joseph when it was safe for the family to move back 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 were trying to take the child’s life are dead'” (Matthew 2:19-20).
An angel rolled the stone away from the tomb and announced the resurrection of Christ
After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.
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.
The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 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” (Matthew 28:1-7)
Two angels appeared to the apostles as Jesus ascended into heaven
“After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. ‘Men of Galilee,’ they said, ‘why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven'” (Acts 1:9-11).
The angels appear before the shepherds to praise God
An angel of the Lord appeared to them [the shepherds living out in the field], and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” (Luke 2:9-14).
The angels role as ministering spirits
Since the angels knew Jesus is Lord, they came to minister directly to Jesus at crucial times in His public ministry.
Angels ministered to Jesus after His temptation by the Devil
“Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him” (Matthew 4:11).
An angel ministered to Jesus when He was praying at the Garden of Gethsemane
“An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him” (Luke 22:43).
Believe the angels who know Jesus is Lord!
As we have seen here and elsewhere that there are impeccable witnesses about the Lordship of Jesus Christ. John the Baptist identified Him at Jesus’ baptism. God audibly declared it from heaven three times. The apostles preached about Jesus, and backed up their messages through miraculous signs and wonders. Finally, the angels testified about Him through words and actions.
The writer of Hebrews asks, “Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation? We must pay careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. For if the message spoken by angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, how shall we escape such a great salvation?”(Hebrews 1:14-2:1-3a)
Come to the wellspring of life
We are saved by grace through faith in Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9). We are told to repent of our sin and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Ask yourself two very important questions. First, are you sure that you’ll go to heaven when you die? Secondly, are you certain why God should let you into heaven? If you don’t know for sure, you can settle that matter today. Visit my post, How to Begin Your Life Over Again and you’ll know where and how you’ll spend eternity.
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