…Even angels long to look into these things.
1 Peter 1:12b
Jesus is the son of God and the main character in the story of the Bible. Angels have been with Him since they were created in the beginning.
When Jesus came to earth as a man, they longed to look into it (1 Pet 1:12). They were curious about the whole redemption thing and eagerly watched as it unfolded.
They were also ready and willing to help whenever needed or assigned. The Bible gives many instances when angels were involved in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ while he was on earth.
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How Angels Were Involved in Jesus’ Earthly Life
Angels were involved in every significant event of Jesus’ earthly life…from predicting His birth to His death, resurrection, and ascension back to heaven. Angels don’t really understand redemption because they have never been separated from God, nor have they sinned. But they are curious and eager to watch and obey. And God gave them many assignments during Jesus’ life on earth. We will look at ten.
1 – An Angel Predicted Jesus’ Birth
Mary and Joseph were engaged to be married when the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and said:
“You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever.” (Luke 1:31-33 NLT)
An angel also visited Joseph after Mary became pregnant and told him:
“Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” (Matt 1:20-21 NLT).
Interestingly, what Gabriel said to Mary concerned Jesus’ second coming and reign, but to Joseph, the angel focused on why Jesus was coming the first time.
2 – Angels Proclaimed Jesus’ Birth to the Shepherds
Next, an angel of the Lord came to some shepherds near Bethlehem the night Jesus was born. They were staying in the fields guarding their sheep when the angel appeared.
The glory and radiance of the Lord surrounded them, and they were terrified. But the angel reassured them by saying:
“Don’t be afraid! I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior–yes, the Messiah, the Lord–has been born in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snuggly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:10-12 NLT)
After that, a whole host of angels appeared saying, “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace goodwill toward men.” (Luke 2: 14 KJV)
You can find the whole story of Jesus’ birth in Luke 2:1-20.
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3 – An Angel Warned Joseph of Herod’s Plan to Kill Jesus
After Jesus was born, wise men from afar came to worship Him. Before they arrived, they stopped to ask King Herod where they could find the newborn king of the Jews.
The news of another king disturbed Herod, so he asked the religious leaders what they knew. They told him the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem.
Herod told the wise men to go to Bethlehem and search for this baby. And when they found him, he said, “Come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too.”
However, Herod was lying. And God warned the wise men in a dream not to return to the king. So they went back home after finding Jesus.
After the wise men left, an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream. He said, “Get up! Flee to Egypt with the child and his mother. Stay there until I tell you to return because Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”
That night, Joseph and Mary took Jesus to Egypt and stayed there until an angel appeared to Joseph again in a dream and told them to return. The angel said, “Those who were trying to kill the child are dead.”
You can find the story of the wise men, King Herod, and the escape to Egypt in Matthew 2:1-23.
4 – Angels Ministered to Jesus At His Temptation
After Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit led Him into the wilderness for forty days to be tempted by the devil. Jesus fasted for forty days and nights and became very hungry.
The devil tempted Jesus three times, but Jesus didn’t give in. He defeated Satan with the truth of Scripture.
Jesus ended by telling Satan to leave, and he did. Angels then came and took care of Him.
You can find the story of Jesus’ temptation in Matthew 4:1-11.
5 – Angels Strengthened Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane
At the end of Jesus’ three-year ministry, He knew His “time had come.” He came to die for our sins, but that doesn’t mean it was easy.
He went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. He left His disciples a ways away and told them to also pray.
Jesus was distraught. He prayed, “Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” (Luke 22:42 NLT)
Then, an angel from heaven appeared and strengthened Jesus. And Jesus prayed more fervently and was in such agony of spirit that His sweat fell to the ground like drops of blood.
Jesus knew He was about to be betrayed, beaten, and crucified. You can read this part of the story in Luke 22:39-23:49.
6 – Angels Were At Jesus’ Disposal When He Was Betrayed
Judas, one of the twelve, had agreed to betray Jesus with a kiss. It happened after Jesus finished praying in the Garden of Gethsemane.
When Judas kissed Jesus, the guards grabbed Jesus and arrested him. Peter (see John 18:26) took out his sword and cut off the ear of the high priest’s slave.
Jesus told Peter to put away his sword, saying, “Those who use the sword will die by the sword.” And continued, “Don’t you realize that I could ask my Father for thousands of angels to protect us, and he would send them instantly? But if I did, how would the Scriptures be fulfilled that describe what must happen now?”
Obviously, Jesus did not ask for angels to be sent because He finished what He came to do.
You can read the story of Jesus’ betrayal in Matthew 26:47-56.
7 – An Angel Rolled the Stone Away On the Third Day
Interestingly, angels aren’t mentioned during Jesus’ trial, crucifixion, and burial.
You can read about these things in Matthew 26:57-27:66.
But we see one again at Jesus’ resurrection on the third day when an angel rolled the stone away and sat on it (Matt 28:2).
The angel’s face “shone like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow.” The guards were so frightened that they fainted.
8 – An Angel Announced That Jesus Had Risen
The gospels give several different accounts of the resurrection. But all four mention one or two angels at the tomb. And only the book of John does not mention the angels announcing that Jesus had risen.
The other three do:
Matthew 28:5-7 Then the angel spoke to the women. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come see where his body was lying. And now, go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and he is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there. Remember what I have told you.”
Mark 16:6-7 but the angel said, “Don’t be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Look, this is where they laid his body. Now go and tell his disciples, including Peter, that Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you before he died.”
Luke 24:5-7 The women were terrified and bowed with their faces to the ground. Then the men [angels] asked, “Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive? He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Remember what he told you back in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and that he would rise again on the third day.”
The gospel of John focuses on only one of the women: Mary Magdalene. This account mentions two “white-robed angels” and a short conversation but details her encounter with Jesus Himself (John 20:11-18).
Many people say the four gospel resurrection accounts can’t be harmonized. But others say they can. Answers in Genesis tell us how in Christ’s Resurrection–Four Accounts, One Reality.
In the other three gospels, notice how they all say, “He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead!” This is one message the angel was excited to announce.
9 – Angels Appeared When Jesus Ascended to Heaven
The book of Acts gives the most detail on the ascension of Jesus. His last words to the disciples were a response to their question, “Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?
He said, “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere–in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
After Jesus said these words, he was taken up in a cloud and hidden from their eyes. So, as they were straining to see Him, two white-robed men suddenly appeared. They told the disciples that Jesus would someday return from heaven in the same way they saw Him go.
And here we still are, waiting for His return.
10 – Angels Will Return With Jesus When He Comes Back
What a glorious day when Jesus returns. All the saints will be with Him and so will the angels.
Revelation 19:14 The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean.
The armies of heaven are the saints. They will be from every nation, tribe, people, and language (Rev 7:9).
Matthew 25:31 When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory.
His throne will be in Jerusalem, and He will rule with a rod of iron. It’s unclear where angels will be during the 1000-year Millennial reign of Christ on earth.
Final Thoughts
Angels were a part of all the major events in Jesus’ earthly life and ministry. Even before Jesus was conceived, an angel told Mary she would give birth to the Messiah.
They were present at His birth, the king’s plot to kill him as a baby, and His temptation when He was led into the wilderness for forty days.
His ministry lasted three years, and then He was arrested, beaten, and crucified. An angel was there to strengthen Him. Angels would have rescued Him if He had called on them to do so. Of course, He didn’t ask because He came to die for our sins.
Jesus didn’t stay dead, though. He rose again on the third day, and an angel was there, rolling the stone away from the tomb. And when the women came to visit the grave, an angel told them that He wasn’t there because He had risen.
Finally, angels will be with Jesus when He returns to earth. They will be with Him when He judges those who rejected Him in their lifetime. In fact, they will help Jesus judge.
Angels are curious and eagerly watching everything unfold. But they themselves don’t truly understand because they have never sinned or been separated from God.
As you read the Bible, you hear much more about angels and their involvement with humans and God. And as fascinating as angels are, they would never want us to worship, pray to, or focus solely on them. Angels always worship God and do His bidding.
Only God is worthy of our prayers and our worship. Only God is Supreme!