Have you’ve ever wondered about the ministry of angels? Although angels are around us, they are usually hidden from our view. Sometimes they do become visible as part of their assignment from the Lord as we see in the story of the women who went to the tomb of Jesus. John 20:11 But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb. 12 And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. 13 Then they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.”[1]
The angel spoke to Mary like a mother would speak to a child who was crying. You can hear the compassion in the voice of the angel. Mary was grieving over the loss of Jesus and the Lord was aware of her grief. Yet, Mary was heartbroken because she did not yet know that Jesus was alive.
What are Angels?
Hebrews 1: 14 Therefore, angels are only servants—spirits sent to care for people who will inherit salvation.[2] God created them to serve those who believe in Him. They are not to be worshipped. The first mentioned of angels in the Bible was when Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden of Eden. Gen.3:24 After sending them out, the Lord God stationed mighty cherubim to the east of the Garden of Eden. And he placed a flaming sword that flashed back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life. [3]In an act of grace, the Lord did not want Adam and Eve to eat from the tree of life and live forever in a state of sin.
What are the many things angels do? The ministry of angels includes:
- Worship of God.
- Surrounding the throne of God
- Rejoicing when someone is saved
- Listening and obeying God
- Watching over and protecting God’s children
- Sending messages and warnings from God
- Fighting for God’s people
- Being sent to answer your prayers
- Bringing judgment [4]
To hear more about the encounter Mary had with angels, listen here: https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/encountering-jesus-with-mary
[1] The New King James Version. (1982). (Jn 20:11–13). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
[2,3] Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.