Do you have angels decorating your Christmas tree? If you are like me, you have angels of every variety represented. Often today we see angels depicted as babies, but that image doesn’t fit with what we see in scripture.
Angels are created beings that are messengers of God. One of the angels named in scripture is Gabriel. God sends Gabriel to accomplish specific tasks. He sent Gabriel to Daniel twice to interpret visions (Daniel 8:15-19 and Daniel 9:20-23). When Daniel saw him, Gabriel looked like a man.
Many years later, God sent Gabriel to Zechariah to announce the coming birth of John the Baptist. From these verses in Luke 1, we learn more about Gabriel. Zechariah, a priest, was in the Holy Place burning incense when suddenly an angel appeared to the right of the alter of incense. And this Gabriel was no baby cherub. In scripture when an angel appears to people, they don’t have to be told they are an angel. When Zechariah saw Gabriel, he was troubled and fear gripped him. Have you ever had that sensation of sudden fear before? In an instant your body reacts from top to bottom as terror floods your soul. Often in scripture, angels sent by God told people not to be afraid. So clearly, they were powerful looking and caused great fear.
When Zechariah sees the angel, Gabriel says, “Don’t be afraid.” That would have been comforting to the terrified Zechariah. He continues to tell Zechariah that God was going to answer their prayers for a child. The child, John the Baptist, would prepare the people for the Lord.
I can only imagine how many years Zechariah and Elizabeth had prayed for a child. Throughout their marriage, they probably hoped year after year but never had a baby. Now they were both considered too old. I suspect they had both given up by this point in time. Zechariah says to the angel what he is thinking: “How is this going to happen now that we are both old?”
Gabriel’s answer gives us a glimpse into heaven. He says:
“I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God . . . ‘’
Just think of that for a moment. Gabriel, considered the archangel of God, ever stands in the presence of God. At God’s command this powerful created angel is sent from the glory of heaven to this earth with a message. Yet Zechariah did not believe the words of Gabriel immediately. As a result, Zechariah would be unable to speak until John’s birth. Can you imagine what Zechariah must have said once he had his voice back? Did he tell everyone he talked to about the miracle of God and of seeing Gabriel? How many times did he tell his son John about the circumstances surrounding his birth?
The next time we see Gabriel, God had sent him from heaven with the most important message of all. He is sent to a little nowhere village of Nazareth to a little nobody virgin girl named Mary. The first word Gabriel says to Mary is “Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you.” Gabriel tells her she will give birth to the Son of God, Jesus. Mary is confused and afraid but she listens carefully. She too asks a question, but it isn’t a doubtful question like Zechariah’s. She asks, “How can I have a son since I’m a virgin?” When Gabriel explains that the Holy Spirit would overshadow her and she would bear a child without a human father who would be the Son of God.
Then without another question, or any doubt, or hesitation, this young girl says,
“Behold, the bondservant of the Lord; be it done to me according to your word.”
It was settled. Gabriel left Mary and returned to stand before the presence of God in heaven.
And Mary was left to ponder in her heart all Gabriel told her. This young girl was filled with faith in God and total trust in Him. We aren’t told about the uncomfortable conversations she must have had with her betrothed husband Joseph or her parents. Or the condemning looks from the people of Nazareth. All she knew is that God sent Gabriel to tell her what was going to happen. Mary believed and accepted God’s plan for her life even when it was hard.
Within the space of a few months, Gabriel was sent to announce the birth of two sons. The first announcement Gabriel gave to a righteous, mature man, who was a priest of God—who doubted the angel’s words.
The second birth announcement Gabriel gave to a poor, pure young teen, who had no special religious training—who immediately believed the angel’s words. She probably didn’t understand it all, but Mary had confidence that Jesus would reign over a kingdom without end.
Just as Gabriel said.
Carla Killough McClafferty