"Seen Of Angels"

I Timothy 3:16

All the elect angels who were kept by Christ in their holy habitation, whom he made to be ministering spirits sent forth to minister to those who shall be the heirs of eternal salvation, saw the Son of God perform the whole work of redemption as our Mediator. I do not know when the angels were created, but they appear to be God's very first creatures. As soon as they were created by him, they saw him, loved him, and adored him. To this day they attend the gatherings of God's church to learn from redeemed sinners the wonders of redemption (Eph. 3:10; I Pet. 1:12). Yet, those holy creatures saw the Lord Jesus Christ as he performed the great work of redemption.

THE ANGELS OF GOD SAW CHRIST IN HIS PREINCARNATE GLORY, not only as God, but also as the Mediator, as the Lamb of God slain from the foundation of the world (Isa. 6:1-7; Rev. 4:8-11; 5:8-10). They were informed of the covenant of grace, made aware of our Savior's intentions of grace for his elect, and of the purpose of God in the creation of the universe (Heb. 1:14).

WHEN THE BLESSED SON OF GOD ACTUALLY ENTERED INTO THIS WORLD HE WAS "SEEN OF ANGELS". The angels beheld his miraculous conception. An angel was the first and the second messenger of the incarnation (Matt. 1:18-21; Lk. 1:26-35). An angelic host announced the birth of our Savior (Lk. 2:8-14). What a place Bethlehem's stable was for one brief night! The presence of the incarnate God turned a cow stable into a temple of glory! A feeding trough was made a throne of grace in which the King of glory was laid!

THE ANGELS OF GOD MINISTERED TO THE GOD-MAN IN HIS TIMES OF TROUBLE. In the wilderness of temptation, after he had foiled satan, the angels ministered to him. In Gethsemane, when his body was covered with the bloody sweat, the angels of God ministered to him. In his death, our Savior was alone. But the angels of God watched over his dead body in the tomb, rolled away the stone on the resurrection morning, and announced his resurrection to his disciples.

AT LAST, THE ANGELS OF GOD WELCOMED THE TRIUMPHANT SAVIOR BACK TO GLORY (Rev. 12:10-12). They watched him as he entered in once into the holy place, With his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption for us, and sat down on the throne of God!

Don Fortner