The Christmas Messages of Gabriel
Mal 4:2-3
But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall.
On these words the Jewish people clung for 400 years. After coming out of captivity from Babylon the once powerful and independent Jewish nation became a minor territory that was the pawn of successive empires. First they were dominated by Persia who largely ignored the Jews. Then Alexander the Great acquired Palestine in 323 B.C. He decided he was going to unite the world centered on the Greek language and culture. At first they tolerated the Jewish practices but then began to enforce their doctrine Hellenization. The majority of the Jewish people resisted by the aristocracy welcomed it. When the people did not follow suit they tried to destroy the Jewish religion itself and all known copies of the Torah. They even erected a statue of Zeus in the Temple and sacrificed a pig. The Maccabeans revolted against the Greeks and managed to gain the independence of Judah. This independence was short lived because the Romans invaded and began their reign by slaughtering all the priests and entering the Most Holy Place.
It is against this backdrop that the Angel Gabriel is sent with messages from God for three separate people..
When we think of Jesus’ ministry we tend to forget that it was preceded and introduced by John the Baptist. John was the first prophetic voice in 400 years. His job was to announce that the long awaited Messiah was at hand. That is why the Gospel of Luke starts with the announcement of the birth of John the Baptist by the angel Gabriel. God’s silence of 400 years was broken with this announcement:
Luke 1:11-17
Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. 12 When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. 13 But the angel said to him: "Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John. 14 He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, 15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth. 16 Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God. 17 And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous-to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."
These words were met with doubt and unbelief. God hadn’t spoken in 400 years, his wife was old and barren and they were no Abraham and Sarah. His response to the angel was not one of curiosity about how this could come to pass, it was filled with the skepticism of a priest who performed his duties routinely but had forgotten the meaning behind the rituals. Zechariah was stuck speechless for his unbelief. In spite of his doubt, he and his wife, Elizabeth were able to conceive. Elizabeth rejoiced because what she had known as the curse of barrenness was actually a divine reservation.
Then, the angel Gabriel goes on to his second task and visits Mary.
Luke 1:26-38
In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you." 29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. 31 You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end." 34 "How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?" 35 The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. 37 For nothing is impossible with God." 38 "I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.
Initially her mind could not comprehend what the angel was telling her and she had questions that needed to be answered. When the angel answered her questions of how what he said would happen, she readily accepted what the angel said and she submitted to the will of God as a willing servant.
Then Gabriel went on his third errand.
Matt 1:18-25
This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. 20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"-which means, "God with us." 24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son.
We have already discussed Joseph's faith an taking Gabriel at his word, but it still remains that it took an angel of the Lord coming with God's message for him to accept that this immaculate conception was even possible.
Luke 2:8-14
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." 13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."
In these four short messages, Gabriel prepared the way for the birth of our Savior and heralded the coming Kingdom of God. They had killed the prophets, but they couldn't silence an angel. For that we say, "Hosanna and glory to God in the highest"!
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