Angels

 

Do you believe angels do God’s work? The Bible says they do, and Jesus bears this out in his conversation with Nathanael when he called him to be one of his disciples. Philip brought Nathanael to Jesus so he could see for himself that Jesus was the Messiah. As Nathanael was approaching, Jesus said to him, “Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false.” “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.” (John 1:47-48). With that, Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God...” Jesus responded, “You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You shall see greater things than that.  I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man” (John 1: 49-51).

Jesus referred to a vision that the Patriarch Jacob received from God where he saw a ladder extending to heaven and angels going up and down the ladder. The dream was given to Jacob to encourage him and let him know that God was dispatching angels to work in his life. I think Jesus was saying to Nathanael; I am that ladder on which angels ascend and descend, and being my disciple, you will see some extraordinary things.

Angels that appeared to people in the Bible always scared them half to death, but scripture tells us that some angels may look like ordinary people when sent on a mission (Heb 13:2). I am pretty sure my family has experienced some angelic activity in our lives. Here is one experience:

When we were living in Tucuman, Argentina, I had to make a trip to the province above us called Salta. Marilyn and the kids went with me. It was about a five-hour drive through some pretty desolate country. In one of those isolated spots, the car quit, and it was a sweltering day. If we rolled the windows down, the insects attacked us, and if we left them up, we burned up. In those days, there were no phones, no neighbors to call. I decided to try to hitch-hike the remaining 100 miles and come back with a tow truck. Finally, a pickup truck came by with several guys in the cab, and they let me get into the bed of the truck.  When we had driven about two miles, I felt a sensation of danger for my family. I banged on the cab and told them I felt my family might be in trouble, and I would walk back. They insisted on taking me back. Marilyn was seized with the same feeling of uncertainty at that exact moment, so she and the kids prayed for God to bring me back.

When we arrived, I found my family safe and sound, so I jumped out of the truck. The guys got out and looked at the car, but there was no fixing it because it was dead. They said they would tow us the 100 miles, but they didn’t have a chain. One of the guys saw an old wire fence, so he twisted the wires together and used it to tow us to our destination. They even pulled us to the church, and we made it time for service. The next day I got the car repaired. I don’t know if these men were angels, but whether they were or not, I do believe that God sent them.

(Parenting with a Long View) https://bovdbrooks.com/

 

The Road Builder

 

There has never been anyone like John the Baptist! He wore a camelhair coat, ate grasshoppers and wild honey, but man could he preach. He could preach like nobody you ever heard. At just the right moment, John burst on the scene as the forerunner of the Messiah. We don’t know to whom John preached his first sermon, but the Gospels tell us that immense multitudes came to hear him and were baptized in the Jordan River. When John preached, his words stirred your soul and made you feel remorse for your sinfulness. It was uncomfortable, and it was comforting at the same time.

What was it that brought Jesus out of the carpenter’s shop at the moment he did come out? Most likely, it was John’s preaching. The scriptures are silent about Jesus for eighteen years of his life, but his powerful ministry begins with his baptism by John the Baptist.

John knew who Jesus was but didn’t know for sure that he was the Messiah. He didn’t feel entirely comfortable baptizing Jesus, but Jesus insisted, so John consented. As he baptized Jesus, he realized without a doubt Jesus was the Messiah because he saw a dove descend on Jesus and heard the voice of God from heaven that proclaimed that Jesus of Nazareth was his beloved Son. This was all John needed.  

The two parted company, Jesus going into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan and John to continue his ministry. It was about six weeks later when they met again. People everywhere that day when Jesus appeared on the banks of the Jordan, and John introduced him, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). That may not mean too much to people today but in John’s day that was an extraordinary statement.

That is what John continued to do—point to Jesus as the Messiah. When asked if he (John) was the Messiah, he answered with an emphatic no! Nor was he a prophet like Elijah or Moses. He was simply the one preparing the way for Jesus. John saw himself as a spiritual road builder—making a straight path for Jesus. John’s favorite verse from the book of Isaiah was “I am the voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord’” (John 1:23).

John was a road builder—he prepared a way for people to come to God. You see, you can’t meet Jesus without repentance. You have to acknowledge you are a sinner and be sorry for your sin, and when you have done that, you are ready to meet the savior. I like to think we can be road builders like John preparing people to come and meet the savior. We too can introduce Jesus as the “Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.”

(Parenting with a Long View) https://bovdbrooks.com/