We don’t normally connect angels with Communion, yet they had a profound influence in the birth, life, death, and resurrection of our Lord. It was the Cherubim who first crossed swords to keep Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden, once sin entered. They were also depicted and represented at the Mercy Seat in the Holy of Holies (Exodus 25: 18; 2 Chronicles 3: 7-14).
Cherubim are those angels who guard the holy things of God, while the Seraphim (name means “to burn” Isaiah 6: 2) in Isaiah 6: 6 touch the tongue of Isaiah to cleanse it for use. They also are noted as fiery serpents – most likely to show the stinger of the serpent and its effect as being undone by their touch. The Seraphim eradicate uncleanness. It seems as punishment in the short term, but is protection in the larger picture.
The angels told the greatest story. In Matthew 1: 20-25 angels were the real reporters of the birth of Christ. They had their five point message: Joseph, in Matthew 1: 19-21, alluding to the prophesy of Isaiah 7: 14 and Luke 2: 11 gives us the WHO – Jesus. The shepherds got the WHAT in Luke 2: 8-13 – Good news of great joy. WHERE was given to the Magi in Matthew 2: 1-2, 5 alluding to Micah 5: 2. The WHEN was also given to the shepherds in Luke 2: 11 – NOW. The overview is given in Galatians 4: 4-5. The WHY was also shared with the shepherds, and Mary and Joseph – He will save His people from their sins.
The word “angel” is the Greek word “aggelos” and means “angel, messenger, agent” – one who speaks on behalf of another. They do not add to the message nor adjust it. They are dispatched by God to do His bidding, and they return to heaven once their mission is complete. We are to be evangelists, telling this great story also, but it was the angels – whether through a dream or an appearance, who were give the elements to the greatest story told.
To Mary and Zacharias (pre-story in Luke 1) came the archangel Gabriel, whose name means “man of God”. Remember that Luke is the narrative revealing the perfect Man-Son, so His birth is more defined here and one of the archangels (arch meaning “beginning, origin”) comes to Mary (Luke 1: 26). He was one of the highest of the angelic host, along with Michael and the former Lucifer. Then Joseph, in Matthew 1: 20, was considering, pondering Mary’s pregnancy. His “thymos” – was a “passionate response, impulse, to be quickly moved” as he thought about this. God in response sends an angel from the Lord and speaks through a dream and tells him to go ahead and take her as his wife. What an honorable man to withhold his needs until the birth is complete. Later the angel tells Joseph in another dream to go to Egypt (Matthew 2: 13). The angels give directions all the way through; they provide the map to be in the right place at the holy time. An angel stood by the shepherds in Luke 2: 9, showing they can materialize in our atmosphere. They told the shepherds to “fear not” – it was a command, not a suggestion. “Fear not” is the Greek word “phobeisthe”, meaning to be “terribly frightened”. It’s amazing that we are afraid of the heavenly presence, while we often have no fear of being in sin or any of its effects. These were called angels of the “Lord” – the Greek word “kurious” which is “Lord, Master, Sovereign”. They served Jesus after His temptation – Matthew 4:11; after prayer in Gethsemane – Luke 22: 43; at the tomb – Matthew 28: 2. They were summoned to serve the Master – the second person of the Godhead at these important junctures and only after Jesus did what He was supposed to do. The angels carried with them the “fixings” for the only true feast which will feed people eternally.
At His ascension the angels gave the completion of the story of Jesus – that He is returning as He left, and that we should be looking for Him and keeping our eyes in the skies.
Let us respond in grateful appreciation and adoration of our Lord Jesus Christ.