THE ROLE OF ANGELS

But to which of the angels has he ever said, "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet"? Are not all angels spirits in the divine service, sent to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation? (Hebrews 1:13-14, NRSV )

Devotion 7 of 11

THE LAUNCHING OF JESUS' MINISTRY

The Savior of the world was basically incognito for the first thirty years of His life. Apart from His confrontation of the religious elite when twelve years of age, He remained unknown. But when the fulness of time arrived, He appeared on the banks of the Jordan to inaugurate a ministry so extensive that the hosts of hell were awakened, as it were, by it. Immediately after His baptism, He began His preparation in the wilderness with wild beasts. There He confronted the Adversary in all of his subtlety. "And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto Him" (Mark 1:13).

The extent of this temptation transcends our abilities of discernment. Something of its
magnitude is seen in the reference to angels. They "ministered unto Him" during the fierce
onslaught of the wicked one. They were functioning in their appointed role as "all ministering
spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation." What better way to
minister to us than to strengthen the One sent to save us! Thanks be unto God for their
indispensable ministry to Jesus!

In the Garden of Gethsemane

On the night of His betrayal, Jesus faced His greatest challenge. Assaulted by the forces of darkness, He suffered unspeakable agony in the garden of prayer. It appears that even His body was thrown into a state of disorder by the spiritual stress of the hour. We are told that "His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground" (Luke 22:44, NIV). The word "drops" is a translation of the Greek word thrombos, meaning "a clot:--great drop." This vivid description highlights the fierceness of the conflict of that hour, when the Tempter sought to dissuade God's Lamb from laying down His life for the world.

But Jesus did not grapple with the devil alone! The forces of evil no doubt converged
upon Jerusalem at this time, determined to thwart the purpose of the Almighty. But they were
not the only ones there. It is written, "An angel from heaven appeared to Him and strengthened
Him" (Luke 22:43, NIV). It was following that angel's appearance that He experienced bloody sweat and overcame the wicked one. How this heavenly messenger strengthened the Savior we do not know. Perhaps it was by reminding Jesus of the blessedness of His mission, and of the multitude of "heirs" that would result from His vicarious sacrifice. In the strength ministered to our Savior at that time, benefits would accrue to those who would receive Him. What better way to minister to the "heirs of salvation" than to strengthen their Redeemer!

When the enemies came to arrest Jesus in the garden, Peter came to the aid of Jesus.
He thought himself to be the minister of the hour. But this was not Peter's time, it was an "hour"
given over to the powers of darkness, and Jesus would not allow an intervention (Luke 22:53).
Jesus told Peter to sheathe his sword, reminding him of the availability of angelic hosts if needed. "Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?" (Matt 26:53). You get the picture of a mighty heavenly host, poised and ready to come to the aid of the Savior. A staggering thought, when considering that one angel destroyed an enemy host of 185,000 seasoned solders (2 Kings 19:35). The angels of God were absolutely devoted to the Son of God, the Captain of our salvation. In this way, they were fulfilling their appointed role, "all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation."

At His tomb

The commitment of the angelic hosts to Jesus is seen in their association with the burial of Christ. An angel of God rolled the stone away from the tomb in order that earnest women might enter. Angels also announced the resurrection of Christ, keeping vigil over the empty tomb. "And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it" (Matt 28:2). "And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted. And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him. But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you" (Mark 16:5-7). "But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre, and seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain" (John 20:11-12).

If angels remained undaunted in their commitment to Jesus after His death and prior to His ascension, what must be their level of commitment now that He has been exalted! The degree and effectiveness of angelic commitment to the exalted Christ challenges the most prodigious minds among men. If angelic hosts surrounding Elisha were more than the adversaries that surrounded him (2 Kings 6:16), what must be said of the "innumerable company of angels" that are now aligned with the redeemed!

PRAYER POINT: Father, I thank You that He that is in me is gerater than he that is in the world. I also praise Your name that I am surrounded by an angelic encampment that are devoted to ministering to me as I progress to glory. In the name of Jesus, I commit myself to fight a good fight of faith and lay hold on eternal life.

-- TOMORROW: AT HIS ASCENSION INTO HEAVEN --