THE ANGELS

On the way to work today I was thinking about Jesus and his incarnation and death. I was thinking about how the angels must have viewed this. I'm sure others have written about this, but the thought struck me concerning the angels and their reaction to the Passion and death of Christ.

The good angels are completely innocent beings. They have never sinned, and ALWAYS obey the Lord when he sends them forth. The Psalms say they are "flames of fire", and joyfully obey the Lord. Hebrews 1:14 says they are "ministering spirits sent forth to minister unto those who are to be the heirs of salvation".

They are constantly observing us, and are very interested in God's plan, so much so that one of the writers of the NT mentions "things that angels desire to look into". They possess emotions, as the Bible says when a sinner repents all the angels in Heaven "rejoice". We can be sure that if they can rejoice, they can also weep, and feel sadness when they see us in pain and emotional suffering. They are sent to "minister" to us, and I'm sure that often we do not realize when this is actually happening.

So imagine these innocent, holy beings, as they saw the King at the right hand of God, the very Son of God himself, humble himself and become a baby! Knowing almost nothing of God's plan (they may know a bit, but for the most part they are just ministers and not privy to God's plan of salvation) they must have been in amazement beyond words!! God himself had become a baby!!! God had become a human being!! What could be the meaning of this!!!??

Imagine then when they began to see Jesus insulted and berated by men!! Their holy anger must have been greatly aroused, that men could say such things to the very Son of God!!! They must have wondered with extreme amazement that God would "allow" the very men he had created to treat Him as they were!!

Then imagine when he was brought before Herod and Pilate and condemned to death. Imagine as they flogged Jesus with whips. I would imagine that Michael the ArchAngel had to be restrained by the Father, or he would have attacked these men in holy anger for harming the very Son of God!! For he is the Prince of the people of Israel, and their very King, Jesus, was being subjected to great humiliation! It must have been more than he as an archangel could stand! He, as a "protector", could do nothing, and could only watch as enemies mocked and hurt the King of Israel, and as Michael knew him, the very Word of God.

Imagine the tears the angels wept as they saw the King of Heaven being beaten to a pulp before their very eyes!! And imagine the amazement as they saw the Father doing nothing to stop it!!

When Jesus was on the cross they must have been in total disbelief!! When the crowd shouted "If he be the Son of God let him come down from the cross and save himself!!" the angels probably asked themselves "Why doesn't he save himself??" They had no way of knowing or understanding what was happening. These innocent, holy beings must have been beside themselves with grief and anger. When they saw the Father placing all of his anger on his Son they must have been astonished!! How could this be!!?? He had done nothing to deserve this!!

Then imagine when Jesus died on the cross. The angels didn't know God's plan. They may have thought that Satan had won--he had successfully killed the very son of God. All they saw was the body of Jesus hanging there, and his earthly mother Mary below, weeping. Imagine the tears that flowed from their eyes too. They could hear the forces of darkness cheering--the fallen angels claiming victory. What had happened? How had the King of Heaven been driven to a cross to die? Because they did not understand, they were in great emotional turmoil . But because they were innocent, and servants of God, they also knew there must be a GOOD explanation for all of this also. But because they do have emotions, and hearts that can feel, their sorrow for their King must have been immense.

Then, when Jesus was raised from the dead, can you imagine the heavenly angelic celebration of Victory!!!?? Though they only understood in part, they realized that the very Son of God had suffered these things for mere mortal men. How amazed they must have been!! It was all in God's plan after all----it was designed by God and accomplished by God!! How they wanted to know more!! And the Bible says that to this day they are still "looking into these things" to try to gain an understanding. They observe us, and see the mercy God bestows on us and perhaps wonder sometimes "how do they get away with it"? (I mean this reverently, as I know we can never "get away with anything" in God's eyes---but the angels must wonder tremendously at God's mercy towards our failings and wonder how he can continue to forgive such wretched beings).

Perhaps the good angels also, just as the older son in the parable of the "Prodigal Son", have asked themselves why God is so good to such erring and horrendous individuals? Why does he "kill the fatted calf", and put "rings on the fingers" of people who were rebelling against him, and not even searching for him at all, when they as Heavenly angels have ALWAYS BEEN FAITHFUL AND TRUE? Yet, perhaps because they are so innocent, no thoughts like this ever penetrate their hearts. But one thing is certain---Scripture says that the angels are always watching, and they are always learning more about God's Grace THROUGH US. These innocent, holy beings are learning about God's grace through our every day failings and victories. God's wisdom and plan are incredible!!

"so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places". (Ephesians 3:10)