WEDNESDAY
Yesterday we looked at the worship of the shepherds. Today let’s look at the worship of the angels. Remember, Jesus is worshipped as Lord of both heaven and earth.
Luke 2:8-14 8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
Angels, contrasted with the shepherds, are amazing spiritual beings. Angels are heavenly beings who stand in the presence of God (Lk. 1:19). Whatever the angel looked like, the shepherds were terrified. So the angel must have been pretty awesome looking. Verse 9 says that the glory of the Lord shown around them when the angel appeared. Then in verse 13 the text says a “host” appeared with the angel. The term “host” is usually a military term describing an army. This emphasizes the great power and strength of Jesus as the armies of even heaven show up at his birth. He is worshipped by the least and the greatest beings in creation.
This army of angelic beings doesn't show up to wage war or destroy, but to praise. Caesar’s army made a false peace (Pax Romana) through military might and oppression. The very fact that Mary and Joseph went to Bethlehem was a reminder of this oppression. The most likely reason Caesar called for the census was for taxation purposes. Jesus will bring peace to earth in a different way. His way of bringing peace is to give his life in loving sacrifice for even those who persecuted him. This brings a lasting peace between humanity and God. This is greater peace. The Pax Romana was a false peace and temporary. The peace God will give his elect (“those on whom his favor rests”) is true, eternal peace.
Tomorrow we will talk about the good news that causes great joy and the identity of the child.
Now let’s look at the angel’s praise. Like in Revelation, if we want to know how to worship God, we can take our cues from the beings who dwell in heaven. They say, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” This two-line praise emphasizes both God's glory in his space (heaven) and his work in our space (earth).
The highest heaven refers to God's supreme authority over all other spiritual beings and false gods. God is glorified in the highest heaven. There is no one higher than God so he is to be exalted and praised. Hearing this phrase today hits with less force than it did in the ancient world. Today, polytheism is less common and most people believe in a god or force out there in some mystical form. They aren’t comfortable identifying this god with the Christian God but they believe in a god nonetheless. In the ancient world, however, most people assumed there were many gods. Pretty much every culture had their gods and the Romans were no different. So to say that God alone is glorified in the highest heaven suggests that YAHWEH is far greater than the other “gods” like Zeus, Apollos, Artemis, etc. This would be quite the shocking statement to anyone outside of Israel in the Greco-Roman world.
The angels also declare peace on earth to “those on whom his favor rests.” This phrase can be overgeneralized to suggest a squishy “world peace” notion that is so commonly promoted around Christmas time. That’s not really what is in view here. Also, this phrase was unfortunately mistranslated in the King James Bible to read, “Good will toward men.” This translation suggests the angels are merely promoting the notion that humans should have good will towards one another. The more accurate translation, which the NIV includes, suggests the angels are pronouncing a blessing on the people of God. Those on whom God shows his favor (the elect people of God) will experience the blessing of peace on earth.
This peace is also not the absence of conflict. The peace in view here is likely the Hebrew concept of shalom. This peace is a more thorough peace, conceptualized as wholeness or completeness. Through Jesus our broken relationship with God has been restored. His peace doesn't stop there, however. He enables his followers to restore broken relationship with one another and creation as a whole. This peace is experienced now in part by the chosen people of God, and it will be fully realized in the new creation when Jesus returns.
Putting it all together, then, God is glorified in the highest heaven as is evident by the heavenly army worshipping him at the birth of Jesus. This Savior, Messiah, Lord will make peace between God and his elect and bring about a full peace in creation. This is cause for worship.
Reflection
Worship God today for his power as Lord of heaven. He commands armies of angels. He is God above all other false gods. He is above all rule, authority, power and dominion (Eph. 1:21).