James Holmes

Dec

2016

2: On the Second Day of Christmas

The Second Day: Morning

The God’s Special Christmas Angel: Daniel (1)

Now while I was speaking, praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the LORD my God for the holy mountain of my God, yes, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, reached me about the time of the evening offering.

Daniel 9:20, 21a

Read Daniel 9:20-27

Christmas has to do with the salvation of ordinary people—sinners. Christ came to Bethlehem so He could go to Calvary and there offer Himself as a substitute for those who would trust Him.

We have seen that the angels are keenly interested in this matter of salvation. Since Christmas has to do with salvation, it is legitimate to say angels are interested in Christmas.

It is not enough, however, only to say that angels are acutely interested in salvation. Their association with Christmas goes much farther than that. Angels were also deeply involved in announcing Christmas. An angel appeared to Joseph to announce that Mary would bear a Son who was to be named “Jesus” because He would “save His people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21). An angel appeared on the night Jesus was born to announce the good news to shepherds (Luke 2:9).

No angel was more engaged in announcing the birth of Christ than Gabriel. The Bible records four appearances of Gabriel—two in Daniel and two in Luke—and three of these appearances were to do with Christmas.

The first of Gabriel’s three Christmas appearances came almost five hundred years before Christmas became a reality. On this occasion he appeared to Daniel in Babylon (Dan. 9:20-27). Daniel had been reading the Scriptures to ascertain exactly when his people’s period of captivity in Babylon would come to an end. Suddenly Gabriel appeared and announced that he had come to give him understanding (Dan. 9:2,22).

Daniel, of course, expected to be given understanding on the matter with which he was occupied, that is, the end of his people’s captivity. But Gabriel came to give him insight into a far greater matter: the coming of Christ. In effect Gabriel was sent to Daniel to lift his eyes off the pressing issue of the present (the date of Israel’s release from captivity) to an event of far greater importance.

Gabriel’s second Christmas appearance was to Zacharias (Luke 1:5-20). On this occasion he announced the forthcoming birth of John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ, to Zacharias.

Six months after appearing to Zacharias, Gabriel appeared to Mary to announce the forthcoming birth of the Savior (Luke 1:26-38).

The Christmas part of Gabriel’s appearances might well lead us to refer to him as “God’s Christmas angel.” On the other hand, the “announcing” part of these occasions has led some to refer to him as “God’s preaching angel.”

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Dec

2016

1: On the First Day of Christmas

The First Day: Morning

The Christmas Curiosity of the Angels (1)

To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things which angels desire to look into.

1 Peter 1:12

There has always been a tremendous interest in Christmas, and now there seems to be an equal interest in angels. Angels are on television and in magazines. Angel sales are sky-rocketing. Angel books continue to flood the market. Angel pins and angel figurines are constantly seen.

Polls indicate that most people believe in the existence of angels. One poll showed that forty-six percent of Americans believe they have a guardian angel.

The Bible is also interested in angels, so much so that its authors mention them 273 times (108 in the Old Testament, and 165 in the New).

While there is a constant and ongoing interest in angels, that interest increases each Christmas. The Christmas season inevitably makes us think of angels. The angel Gabriel was given the responsibility of announcing the forthcoming birth of John the Baptist, Christ’s forerunner (Luke 1:11-20) to his father Zacharias, as well as the forthcoming birth of Jesus to His mother Mary (Luke 1:26-33).

A single angel announced the birth of Jesus to shepherds outside Bethlehem (Luke 2:8-12). No sooner were the words out of his mouth than he was joined by “a multitude of the heavenly host” who burst into praise of God (Luke 2:13-14).

It is evident, then, that angels were closely associated with Christmas.