This evening I’m going to add just a couple thoughts to our consideration of angels this morning. Earlier we noted the existence and importance of angels in the Bible. If there are no angels, then the Lord Jesus cannot be trusted, neither can Paul, Peter, the Old Testament or the Bible in general. And based on the declarations of the Bible, not only do angels exist, but we are probably in the presence of several of them right now – perhaps many of them. I hesitate to use the term “guardian angels,” because those words can’t be found in the Bible, but it is probably an accurate thought.
In this scripture about the Lord Jesus’ temptation, we have two references to angels. Even though there is hardly anything specifically declared, together they open the door to several thoughts. And that is even in skipping over the fact that Satan himself is an angel – a fallen angel.
The first reference comes, not from our historian Matthew, but from the Devil, in the second temptation. This is not my primary thought, but there are a couple of interesting suggestions here. “If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his ANGELS charge concerning thee.” The Devil, knowing far more about the spirit world than we do, affirms the existence of angels. To the unbeliever this may not mean anything, but to those who believe, it is so obvious as to be invisible. It is a phenomena of life that we often don’t recognize things which we see over and over again. We know that angels exist, so we aren’t surprised when others affirm that fact – even if it is the Devil. Liberal, heretical Sadducees may deny the existence of angels, including Satan, but we know otherwise.
Something else, which we often over look, are the little pronouns of the Bible – such as this text’s use of “his.” Satan is the captain of an evil army of angels – fallen angels. When he rebelled against God, there were myriads of angels who pledged their allegiance to Lucifer. They are his angels. But in the course of his temptation of Christ, Satan referred to the angels which remained faithful to God. “Cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give HIS angels charge concerning thee.” The Devil seems to acknowledge that these angels are obedient to the commands of God. He also shows us that they are capable of doing difficult things, like catching a man falling 400 feet and keeping him from so much as stubbing his toe on a rock below. These things are so instilled in us, that we take them for granted, but we shouldn’t. Oh, and by the way they may catch us or move us as well. Austin was telling me that his sister is convinced that something, perhaps an angel, once kept her son, Damon, from being hit by a pickup truck.
Let’s try to glean an application or two from those angels who later came to minister to Christ.
First, note that ANGELS WILL NOT DO what is REQUIRED OF US TO DO.
As I have said, I am convinced there are angels just about everywhere – perhaps everywhere. I can’t tell you exactly how many there are in this world, but the Bible speaks of “myriads.” The Greek word refers to numbers larger than we can – or want to try – to count. I am of the opinion that there are at least as many angels in this auditorium as there are Christians. And – there may be as many fallen angels as there are righteous angels, but I have no proof of that. Every one of God’s servants are interested in God’s glory; they are dedicated to His service.
But as is illustrated in Jesus’ temptation, there are things that those angels cannot do. None of them, not Gabriel, not Michael, can step in and face the Devil on Jesus’ behalf. Christ must be tempted like as we are, yet without sinning. And those things which are required of you and me, are not responsibilities that we can delegate to angels. Probably the very least angel in the host of God could preach this message better than I can, but that is not going to happen. I don’t know if they smile at my ignorance or grimace in pain, but generally speaking, they have no commission to correct my errors or to strengthen my arguments. Furthermore, when we are tempted to sin, as our Lord Jesus was, I am not sure that an angel is going to stand between us and the enemy, interrupting the assault. They might attempt to strengthen us, but they won’t stop the attack per se. And this case, it wasn’t until Satan departed that the angels of God came to minister to the needs of Christ.
That doesn’t mean that when we are faced with an important decisions, or when we are tempted, we shouldn’t pray, asking God for strength or wisdom. And it doesn’t mean that the Lord might not give some angel orders to assist us in some way. But no angel is going to take over for us, doing what we should do. And it goes without saying that we shouldn’t even think about praying directly to God’s angels. They are not our servants, even though they may serve us. They are God’s servants, and they do His bidding – His bidding alone. The foolish man who prays to an angel, is quite likely to get angelic help, but it may not be an angel of God. He may get demonic assistance, dressed in the clothing of an angel of light.
Dare we ask IN WHAT FORM these angels came to minister unto Jesus?
I don’t believe that there was any human being there present on that relatively high mountain that day. There were no reporters in helicopters following Jesus and Satan as they went from place to place. Matthew and Luke were given this information by the special revelation of God. Since they were not told in what form the angel’s appeared, whether physical or spiritual, we can’t know for sure.
But John Gill, in his periodic, dogmatic fashion, said that they came in physical, human form as we sometimes see them in the Old Testament. While it is true that they did come to Daniel, and others in the human shape and appearance, it must be remembered that would not have been necessary in this case, because Christ Jesus was no mere man. Christ wouldn’t have been surprised or disturbed no matter how that angelic help arrived. But of course, the Son of God was living in human form at that time. His temptations were in some ways physical, and His fasting and hunger were physical and real. So I’m not going to quarrel with Gill in saying that this angelic visitation was physical, visual and real. But I’m not going to be dogmatic either.
I wonder who these angels were – and how many of there were there? Were there archangels there that day? The Saviour was certainly deserving of only the highest and best. Were Michael and Gabriel there, or were lesser angels given the privilege of serving our Saviour?
And how many volunteered for duty that day? Do you remember what Christ said when Peter was trying to defend Him with his sword? “Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?” A Roman legion might have been as many as 5,000 to 6,000 men – this could have been 72,000 angels. In Revelation we are given a glimpse of the throne room of Jehovah. “I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands.” That is an incalculable number of angels – a “myriad” times a “myriad” and thousands of thousands. There might have been a billion angels available to help the Lord, but that would have been too many. Suffice it to say that there were enough present to meet the Saviour’s needs.
And WHAT was it that they DID for the Lord?
Perhaps this question takes us into areas where we do not need to go. All we know for sure is, “Behold, angels came and ministered unto him.” The word “minister” is “diakoneo” (dee-ak-on-eh’-o) and is related to “deacon.” There isn’t much of a description of this “ministry” except to say that those angels “served” Christ.
Personally, I think that they probably met some of His physical needs. The Lord Jesus, in His humanity, needed to eat, and so they probably fed Him. An ordinary person who hasn’t eaten solid food for six weeks cannot keep down a steak dinner. So what did they feed him? Soup? Chowder? Oatmeal? Was it manna? Perhaps the Lord needed a bath or shower; I know that I’d need one after spending that time with Satan. Did those angels carry Jesus back to Nazareth after all that earlier commuter air travel?
There was probably spiritual and emotional ministration as well, although we can’t be sure how much of that sort of thing the incarnate Son of God would need. Did they in some way comfort Him? I know that it is not the same thing for us as it was for Christ that evening…. But what were the angel’s most common greeting when coming to minister to the average human? Didn’t they usually come with the comforting words – “Fear not?” Did they need to calm Jesus, or was He as cool and collected as His language seems to indicate? Did they make a place for Him to rest and then back away to guard Him while He slept? Did they keep the wild beasts from coming to disturb Him?
All that I have are questions, without a single definite answer. And as I said this morning, without real care, perhaps we shouldn’t ask.
But, again, this scripture does remind us that angels are MINISTERS.
Remember that the word “angelos” means “messenger.” Sometimes that means they are carrying a message, as from Jehovah to Daniel or the Apostle John. But sometimes their message is one of help or assistance.
As noted this morning, In Hebrews, Paul makes an important and revealing statement about angels. “The angels … Are they not all MINISTERING spirits, sent forth to MINISTER to them who shall be heirs of salvation?” Ministers to the HEIRS of salvation. Austin asked me this morning: Does that speak of those whom the Lord has saved, but who have not yet received the fullness of their inheritance. Is that speaking of Christians? Or does it speak of God’s elect, who have not yet been saved? Why not both? And didn’t the Lord, when speaking about the children who were brought to Him, say to His disciples, “Take heed that ye despise not one of these LITTLE ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven THEIR angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven” – Matthew 18:10? God’s angels are ministering spirits serving God’s people on behalf of the Lord Himself.
Have you ever compared the temptation and victory of Elijah to that of Christ Jesus? On Mount Carmel, the Devil, through his false prophets, battled with the prophet of God. Elijah was initially and outwardly victorious, routing the enemy and stirring the hearts of Israel. But in the hours that followed, he was so physically and spiritually drained that he emotionally collapsed. I believe that Satan’s angels were victorious over that godly man and over the angels guarding him. A few days later the Lord commissioned another angel to minister unto him. “Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time. And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there. But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an ANGEL touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat. And the angel of the LORD came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee. And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.”
Angels are the servants of God, and their service is sometimes directed toward God’s saints. Zachariah the father of the Baptist, was visited by an angel, as were Mary and Joseph. Daniel was strengthened by angels, in a fashion paralleling that of the Lord Jesus. He said, “Whiles I was speaking, and 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; Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation. And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding.” Gabriel, of whom we are told in other scriptures is an angel, appeared to Daniel in the form of a man. As I pointed out this morning, Cornelius was visited by an angel. Peter was assisted several times and was even released from prison by a ministering angel. On more than one occasion Paul was strengthened by angels. “There stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.”
Angels are the servants of God, but their service is sometimes directed toward God’s saints. And that makes us wonder how many times even we have been visited by angels without our knowledge. Sometimes they have been there to comfort, strengthen and keep us. Sometimes they have caused us to remember God’s promises to us. Sometimes they have stirred up a friend to be the comfort we need. And in that regard sometimes they have just been passing through on their way to help someone else. Paul exhorted us in Hebrews 13 to act like Christians, or was it to behave like angels. “Let brotherly love continue. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.”
I’ll close reasserting something I said this morning. Angels may be different from us in nature, wisdom, knowledge and strength. But they are exactly what we are supposed to be in service and devotion – in holiness and worship. Paul tells us to be ministering people, just as angels are ministering spirits.
It is as ministering spirits that we see God’s angels here in Matthew 4.