Sermon Central
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The Day The Angels Wept
Contributed by John Gaston on Dec 20, 2023 (message contributor)
Summary: What must the angels have thought when the Lord they loved -- Jesus -- was announced as going down to be born as a lowly human? How must it have affected them when He was crucified?
THE DAY THE ANGELS WEPT
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR
1. A teacher decided to ask her students what their Christmas traditions were. “What traditions does your family do at Christmas?”
2. The first student was a Catholic girl; “On Christmas Eve we go to Church, say our prayers with the rosary, and take the Mass and sing a hymn.”
3. The second student was a protestant boy; “We open presents early on Christmas morning and then go to church and hear a sermon on Christ’s birth.”
4. The third student was a Jew, so the teacher hesitated, but finally said, “And what do you do on Christmas morning?” The Jewish boy said, “We all get in our Mercedes-Benz and drive to my dad’s toy factory. We go into the big empty warehouse, get in a circle and sing, ‘What a friend we have in Jesus!’”
B. TEXT
8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” Lk. 2:8-14.
C. THESIS & TITLE
1. Tonight we’re looking at what the angels must have thought when Jesus became a human.
2. The title of this message is “The Day the Angel’s Wept.”
I. THE ANGELS ARE EVERYWHERE IN THE CHRISTMAS STORY!
A. EXAMPLES OF ANGELIC INVOLVEMENT
1. APPEARED TO ZACHARIAH, John the Baptist’s father in Luke 1:11-19. The angel Gabriel, God’s #1 messenger angel appeared to Zachariah in the Temple in Jerusalem to tell him of the future birth of his son, John.
2. TO MARY. Gabriel was again dispatched to tell the Virgin Mary that she would become pregnant and become the mother of the Messiah, Savior of the world, whom she should name Jesus, which means “Savior.”
3. TO JOSEPH. Matt. 1:20. An angel appeared to Joseph in a dream to direct him to go ahead and marry Mary. Vs. 24 tells us Joseph obeyed.
4. TO SHEPHERDS NEAR BETHLEHEM, Luke 2:9-10, informing them of the news of Jesus’ birth and instructing them to go see the Child.
5. TO JOSEPH, Matt. 2:13-15. An angel appeared in a dream to tell him to take Jesus and escape from Herod by going to Egypt. Years later, the angel came in a dream again telling Joseph to take Christ back to the land of Israel.
B. WHEN THE ARCHANGEL TREMBLED
1. Frederick Buechner, in his book, Peculiar Treasures, imagines the angel Gabriel as he encountered Mary: "She struck him as hardly old enough to have a child at all, let alone this child.
2. “But he had been entrusted with a message to give her, and he gave it. He told her what the child was to be named, who he was to be, and something about the mystery that was to come upon her.
3. “‘You mustn’t be afraid, Mary,’ he said. As he said it, he only hoped she wouldn’t notice that beneath the great golden wings, he himself was trembling with fear to think that the whole future of Creation hung on the answer of a girl.”
II. WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT ANGELS?
A. GENERAL INFORMATION
1. There are a lot of them—millions, in fact. Rev. 5:11 says 10K X 10K = 100 million, in one place.
2. They are very powerful— they can stand in sun; execute 185,000 at once (2 Kgs. 19:35).
3. Some are mighty warriors—like Michael.
4. They were created by God.
5. They sometimes take on human form.
6. Their perception of God leads them to worship Him.
7. They deliver messages—in fact, the word “angel” means—a “messenger.”
8. Some angels rebelled against God and were cast out of heaven—we call them evil spirits or demons or fallen angels.
9. Some have a ministry to protect and deliver believers; they also encamp around God’s people (Ps. 34:7). They can be agents of judgment on the disobedient.
B. DO ANGELS FEEL EMOTION? YES!
1. THE ANGELS GET HAPPY/ “REJOICE” WHEN A SINNER IS CONVERTED; “...there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents” Lk. 15:10.
