The ministry of angels is seen throughout the Bible, but who are they? Hebrews 1:14 gives us an overview of what the angels do. 14 Therefore, angels are only servants—spirits sent to care for people who will inherit salvation. [1]Angels are God’s servants, meaning they serve God but also serve people who will come to faith.
As people of faith, angels work in the background even when we are unaware of it. There are times when angels manifest themselves in the natural, such as the angel Gabriel, who comes to Mary and tells her she will have a child by the Holy Spirit, the Son of God. As servants, they are also God’s messengers. They are sent, meaning God commands them to go to different places and do different things. Angels are created beings that were created before man. Some of these fell with satan into sin and were cast out of heaven and now wage war against God’s children. (Ref. Revelation 12:4)
Angels at the Empty Tomb of Jesus
The Lord did not need the stone rolled away from His tomb to leave the grave. But it needed to be rolled away so Jesus’ followers could see He had risen for themselves. Mark 16:3 On the way they were asking each other, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” 4 But as they arrived, they looked up and saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled aside. [2] The Spirit led the faithful women to the tomb even though they were unsure how the stone would be rolled away. They didn’t realize God would send an angel to roll the stone away.
Matthew 28:1Early on Sunday morning, as the new day was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went out to visit the tomb. 2 Suddenly, there was a great earthquake! For an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled aside the stone, and sat on it. 3 His face shone like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow. 4 The guards shook with fear when they saw him, and they fell into a dead faint. 5 Then the angel spoke to the women. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come see where his body was lying.[3]
Angels Assigned to Us
You may not realize that angels are on assignment all around you, watching over you because you are precious to God. They may be assigned tasks like rolling the stone away to enable God’s plans to take place. They may care for us in other ways as God determines. God’s children are incredibly special to Him and receive special attention. We can be thankful that angels are all around us as we journey through life because they are an extension of the ministry of God in this world.
To learn more about the ministry of angels, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/jesus-resurrection
[1-3] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation . Tyndale House Publishers.