St. Michael and All Angels
September 29, 2024
Text: Matthew 18:1-11
Throughout history, angels have been depicted in many forms and ways. A familiar and favorite image for an angel takes on a child's likeness, typically called a cherub.
In 1995, the United States Postal Service used two child angels from Raphael’s masterpiece, the Sistine Madonna, to celebrate Valentine's Day for its “Love” stamp series.
However, the postal service was warned that this particular depiction of child angels was known as putti. While to the naked eye, a putti appears lovely and gentle; these particular child angels were actually associated not with love but with death.
It’s for this reason these “Love” stamps also stirred controversy at the time, even causing a mother who used them on her daughter’s wedding invitations to complain to the postal service that these “death stamps” jinxed the wedding.
I can’t blame the mother for her confusion. In fact, throughout history, angels—who angels are, what they look like, and what they do—have consistently been misunderstood.
So today, we are going to examine the angels of God and begin learning who they are and what they do.
We begin with the question, what is an angel?
To begin with, angels are not humans who have died and now rest with Christ Jesus. No one gets their wings like Clarence in “It’s a Wonderful Life.” Nor do angels resemble little children with wings and harps like the stamps I mentioned earlier. Honestly, this familiar image might be a little traumatic if you think about the battles angels are involved in throughout the Scriptures, baby angel warriors with harps. God has a sense of humor but also knows how spiritual wars are won.
But let’s get to the basics.
The word for angel comes from the Greek αγγελος, meaning messenger.
Martin Luther remarks regarding the definition of angels, “Thus this name is commonly applied in Scripture to all messengers of God in heaven and on earth, whether they are the holy angels in heaven or prophets and apostles on earth. . . But the heavenly spirits in particular are called angels because they are the highest and noblest messengers of God” (What Luther Says, p. 23).
Now, what does a messenger do other than serve as a means to transport and proclaim the words of the one who sends them?
You see this throughout the Scriptures. In the book of Genesis, it’s the angel of the Lord who comes to Abraham as he is about to sacrifice Isaac; we read,
The angel of the LORD called to [Abraham] from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” [The angel] said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” (Genesis 22:11-12)
This is a redeeming message from the angel, sent by God, but hidden in the message is a foreshadowing that God Himself would send His only begotten Son to be sacrificed upon the cross for the sin of the world.
We hear this great news as God sends His angel to Joseph and Mary separately.
The Gospel of Matthew records,
An angel of the Lord appeared to [Joseph] in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:20b-21)
What a beautiful message from the Lord.
Then again, in the Gospel of Luke, the angel Gabriel appears to Mary as we read,
And [Gabriel] came to [Mary] and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel told her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. (Luke 1:28-31)
Likewise, as the women go to the tomb of Jesus, angels are present with the great message of Christ’s resurrection as they say,
“Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen!” (Matthew 28:5-6)
The angels of the Lord are always announcing the good news of Jesus.
But did you also catch in nearly every human encounter the angel says, “Do not be afraid…?” This is because angels are not childlike nor have friendly appearances; they are warriors, and as God’s messengers, they not only bring His word to you but also serve to guard and protect you.
Think on Psalm 91 as the Psalmist writes,
“For [God] will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways” (Psalm 91:11).
Remember these words of the Apostle Paul.
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:12)
There is a deep, unseen darkness throughout this world, a spiritual element, where the angels that fell with Satan seek to disorder earthly life and cause you, God’s children, to fall out of faith.
St. Peter wrote, “The devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).
Yet, you say, “I don’t see any lions. What’s the big concern?”
Luther warned, “A Christian should know that he is sitting among devils and that the devil is closer to him than his coat or shirt, nay, closer than his own skin” (What Luther Says, p. 399).
Remember, the devil and his minions disguise themselves as angels of light. (2 Corinthians 11:14) They are always near, and the object of their attacks is your heart. They wish to lead you away from faith in Christ Jesus.
So ask yourself, where is your faith weakest? I don’t suspect the answer to this question remains the same from day to day.
But are there Sundays you are at your weakest when the alarm goes off in the morning? You don’t want to roll out of bed; it’s warm and comfortable. The devil is close at hand.
Are there days when you skip prayers because the tasks of this world are staring at you and appear insurmountable? If so, your heart grows colder when you fail to exercise your faith daily. The devil is close at hand.
Have these habits been the cause of God’s “little ones” or His dear children to fall from faith? In other words, have our actions or inactions been the cause for others or even yourself to fall from faith? If so, the devil is close at hand.
And Jesus first says, today,
Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.
This should cause us to possess a godly fear.
But also, did you pick up these words of Jesus near the end of the Gospel?
“See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.”
The angels of God always see His face; they are always doing His will and guarding His children.
The Lutheran theologian Martin Chemnitz wrote regarding angels; “With one hand, angels, protect believers and with the other they pursue and attack Satan and godless men. As you go about your daily work, the angels carry you in their hands.” (Loci 1:178)
Isn’t this comforting?
God’s angels, His warriors, carry you, His child, in their hands. Where are they carrying you or leading you?
His eternal presence.
In the end, all of God’s messengers are helping to protect you in this life so that when you die, you might be led to eternity with Jesus.
For this reason, His angels are just as concerned with your life as they are with your death.
As you look to the cross and see Jesus, know that His angels see Him too, that He has commanded them to watch over you, to protect you, and to lead you unto Himself.
So prepare your voice to sing with this angelic choir in the Sanctus – to sing with the angels, the archangels, and the whole company of heaven, as this not only joins our voice with the heavenly today but truly prepares us to sing with them eternally. +INJ+
Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI
