Zechariah's Angel (1 of 5)
Series: Christmas Angels
Tony Thomas
Luke 1:5-20
''It's a Wonderful Life'' is my favorite Christmas movie of all time. It begins with Clarence the angel, who learns that he can earn his wings by helping a banker named George Bailey. The movie revolves around Clarence showing George what the world would have been like had he never lived.
Eventually, George realizes that he's enjoyed ''A Wonderful Life.'' That movie ends with the sound of a Christmas bell. That sound reminds George Bailey of a truth: ''Every time a bell rings, an angel has earned his wings.''
As much as I love the movie, it is filled with theological baloney! This Christmas, I want to focus our attention on the angels who appear in the Christmas story. There are over three-hundred references in the Bible to angels, and they played a key role in the events surrounding the first Christmas in Bethlehem.
Even though a lot of information is available in the Bible, we still harbor a lot of misconceptions, even in the age of information. At the risk of losing your favor, you ought to know that we do not become angels when we die, angels are not perfect, heavenly creatures, and angels are not blonde, blue-eyed, good looking females. Sorry, guys!
Hebrews 1 teaches us two things about angels. First, Jesus is superior to angels, and second, angels are, ''... ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation'' (1:14). Angels were created to serve us. How about that!
Let's begin with the Reality of Angels. The first appearance of an angel in the Christmas story is Gabriel who appeared to Zechariah in Luke 1. Zechariah was an old, godly priest who went into the Temple to burn incense. Keep in mind, Zechariah had waited his entire adult life for this once-in-a-lifetime experience. Luke tells us (verse 11) that, ''An angel of the Lord appeared to him.''
Some Christians are iffy about the reality of angels. By that I mean, you are unsure of wh ...
Series: Christmas Angels
Tony Thomas
Luke 1:5-20
''It's a Wonderful Life'' is my favorite Christmas movie of all time. It begins with Clarence the angel, who learns that he can earn his wings by helping a banker named George Bailey. The movie revolves around Clarence showing George what the world would have been like had he never lived.
Eventually, George realizes that he's enjoyed ''A Wonderful Life.'' That movie ends with the sound of a Christmas bell. That sound reminds George Bailey of a truth: ''Every time a bell rings, an angel has earned his wings.''
As much as I love the movie, it is filled with theological baloney! This Christmas, I want to focus our attention on the angels who appear in the Christmas story. There are over three-hundred references in the Bible to angels, and they played a key role in the events surrounding the first Christmas in Bethlehem.
Even though a lot of information is available in the Bible, we still harbor a lot of misconceptions, even in the age of information. At the risk of losing your favor, you ought to know that we do not become angels when we die, angels are not perfect, heavenly creatures, and angels are not blonde, blue-eyed, good looking females. Sorry, guys!
Hebrews 1 teaches us two things about angels. First, Jesus is superior to angels, and second, angels are, ''... ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation'' (1:14). Angels were created to serve us. How about that!
Let's begin with the Reality of Angels. The first appearance of an angel in the Christmas story is Gabriel who appeared to Zechariah in Luke 1. Zechariah was an old, godly priest who went into the Temple to burn incense. Keep in mind, Zechariah had waited his entire adult life for this once-in-a-lifetime experience. Luke tells us (verse 11) that, ''An angel of the Lord appeared to him.''
Some Christians are iffy about the reality of angels. By that I mean, you are unsure of wh ...
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