4th Advent – Angels Candle

Angels have a recurring role in the Christmas narrative. An angel is God’s mouthpiece first to Zechariah about the birth of John the Baptist (Luke 1:8–20), then to both Joseph and Mary about the birth of Christ, communicating God’s marvelous plan and the young couple’s involvement in it—even answering their questions and easing their fears (Luke 1:26–38, Matt. 1:20–25).

Later, an angel appears to the shepherds at night, surrounding them with God’s visible glory and the famous “fear not!” greeting. The sky bursts with heavenly fanfare—a host of angels heralding the Savior’s birth for their lowly and astonished audience (Luke 2:8–14).

Even after Jesus’ birth, Joseph is warned by an angel in a dream to flee to Egypt with his family because of Herod’s vicious intent against the Christ child, thereby fulfilling an Old Testament prophecy: “out of Egypt I called my son” (Matt. 2:13–15; Hos. 11:1).

The appearances of these angels are awesome—heaven invading earth at this crux of God’s redemptive plan. We can only imagine what it would be like to stand before such a messenger as Mary did, or gaze with the shepherds into the starry sky and watch it fill with angels proclaiming God’s glory and his humble condescension.

But the cornerstone of their messages, their heralding, their warnings, was—and is—Jesus Christ.