Luke 1:26b-27a – God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary. (NLT)

Matthew 1:20 – An angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. "Joseph, son of David," the angel said, "do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit." (NLT)

Every Wednesday night, I help with the children's program at church. It's a motley group: the pastor's three kids, four from a blended unchurched family with children from several families, five from a church-attending family but who are a challenge to keep in check, and two from another family. We've just started a series of lessons on the life of Jesus. On the last day of November, I presented the story of the angel bringing the news of the birth of Jesus to Joseph and Mary.

As we talked about the two different angels, I asked, "How would you feel if an angel came to visit you?" The responses were varied: scared, excited, curious. Trying to help them get the idea, I said, "Angels are glorious beings", intending to add some descriptive terms.

Abraham, seven years old and often in his own little world, interrupted: "Wait, angels are beings?" I couldn't understand why he was so incredulous until the pastor interrupted to tell me that Abraham had said "beans", not "beings"! No wonder that he was confused. We all had a good laugh. I clarified for Abraham what I meant, and we moved on with the story.

Angels are prominent in the Christmas story. They came to Zechariah, Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds. Angels are God's messengers, frequently bringing His Word throughout the Bible. But that's all that they are: messengers. Yes, they're glorious in their appearance, but we have to be careful about worshipping the messenger instead of the message.

Hebrews 1:14 – Therefore, angels are only servants — spirits sent to care for people who will inherit salvation. (NLT)

I concluded the children's lesson with the question, "Who did the angel tell Joseph and Mary to expect?" And the resounding answer was, "Jesus, Immanuel, the Son of the Most High." Yes, they got the message.

That's why the angels were important. They didn't come to be adored or to make us think about how glorious and miraculous they are. They brought the most astounding message: Jesus is coming! "He will be very great. … And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!" (Luke 1:32-33 NLT)

My house is on a corner, so every year, I put out signs facing in all directions: "Happy Birthday, Jesus" and "Jesus is the Reason for the Season", hoping that people will get the message — Christmas is about Jesus. I wear a badge that states, "Let's keep Christ in Christmas." When others say, "Happy holidays", I try to remember to respond, "Merry Christmas!" During this Christmas season, what else can we do to spread that glorious message? How can we help others to know that Jesus is at the centre of it all?

Prayer: Thank You, Father, for sending Jesus to us and for His willingness to leave heaven and take on the form of a tiny Baby. Thank You for the angels who are Your ever-ready messengers. May we never fail to spread the message of His birth, His sacrifice, and His kingdom that will never end. Amen.

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About the author:

Sharon Cook <craftercook@gmail.com>
Apache Junction, Arizona, USA
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