“And the angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.”
— Luke 1:35
Angels. Who are they and what do they do in God’s economy? The first chapter of the book of Hebrews defines their ministry by asking a rhetorical question, “Are they not ministering spirits sent forth to serve, for the sake of those who are to obtain salvation? (Hebrews 1:14). So they are not human like us but spiritual beings, created by God in our behalf. And there are millions of them (Revelation 5:11) as there are millions of us. I don’t believe we ever outgrow their presence in our lives (Matthew 18:10). Yes, they are God’s messengers but they are also warriors (Matthew 26:53) and worshippers of God (Luke 2:13; Revelation 5:11-13). We also see them in the Tribulation assisting God in judgment and salvation (Revelation 6-18).
But it only took one angel to bring a message that would change the world for all eternity. The name of that angel was Gabriel (Luke 1:19, 26), which appropriately means “God is my strength.” Mary would be overshadowed by the Holy Spirit, which means that the divine power of God would rest upon her and indwell her—filling her with His love and presence.
The angel’s message was clear in what would happen next. The Holy Spirit would come; the power of God would be manifested; and there would be an amazing Holy result, the Son of God would be revealed. That specific event will never happen again but it is a type for those who seek Him, promised by Jesus to His disciples:
But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God. — 1 John 1:12-13
Blessed Be The Name of the Lord
Heavenly Father we thank you for the way you work in peoples lives who are searching for you. Thank you that as a result of your overwhelming love for us you came into our lives, and overshadowed us and filled us with your Spirit, that we might become your sons and daughters, that we might take that same message to a world who does not yet know you. May you receive all the glory. — Maranatha!
“God is good all the time. All the time God is good!”
