Drive through town and there are angels everywhere. Angels made of metal frames lit with lights. Angels topping trees. Angels on wrapping paper. And all the angels look strangely girly.
But Gabriel, the Angel sent to make all the announcements about Jesus most definitely looked like a man. Trouble is I am not sure a guy sitting on top of the tree has the same impact. I know he looked like a man because of the description in the book of Daniel.
Daniel saw Gabriel and described the being he saw as “one who looked like a man”. The actual word in Hebrew means warrior or a valiant man.
This is our first look at Gabriel, but he is really busy in the Gospels.
And every where Gabriel appears, the first words out of his mouth are “Do not be afraid”. I am not sure if his general appearance is frightening but I suspect it is his tendency to just appear suddenly that causes the fear, but either way, it is obvious he isn’t the soft sweet angel of Christmas tree decorations.
Now, I think Gabriel made a mistake telling Zachariah not to be afraid. When the old priest first sees the angel standing in the Holy area of the temple where no one other than the priest was allowed to be, he was terrified. The angel tells him:
Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him 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 before he is born.16 He will bring back many of the people of Israel 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 parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
Now you would think Zechariah’s response would be wow this angel (word means messenger from God) just popped in from no where to tell me my prayer is going to be answered. But no, his first response is how can I know this is really going to happen.
Think about it on two levels. First minutes ago he is trembling in awe of the messenger. Now he is how do I know you can do what you say. And second, this is answered prayer. Why was he praying if he didn’t think God could answer?
Gabriel doesn’t appreciate this change of attitude and tells Zechariah that he will not be able to speak until the baby is born.
This baby grows up to be John the Baptist–a man of great faith.
Now Gabriel gets a new assignment a few months later. He appears to a young teenage girl.
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 conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him 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 Jacob’s descendants 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 on 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 unable to conceive is in her sixth month. 37 For no word from God will ever fail.”
Now I doubt Mary had been praying let me get pregnant by the Holy Spirit and no one in my village will believe me. They might even stone me. Joseph will not want to marry me. Yep that is what I want Lord. I am doubting it had ever crossed her mind.
But Mary’s response to Gabriel’s message is:
38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.
I look at my life and wonder how often I am a Zechariah. Do I pray my prayers without truly believing God can answer the prayer? When I see God move, do I see his hand or do I wobble and doubt?
Prayer: Lord help me to have stronger faith. Help me in my unbelief.
Meditation: Think about answered prayers
Action: Make a list of answered prayers; write it down. Look at it often to remember what God has done.
Fourth Day Adventures 