St. Michael and All Angels September 28-29, 2024
“Angels!!” Hebrews 1:14
Rev. John R. Larson Ascension Lutheran Church Littleton, Colorado
Here’s my story. On Wednesday morning, May 4 in 2022, I left Phoenix, Arizona at 3:00 in the morning. I wanted to be back in Denver before the sun went down that evening. I had been in Phoenix visiting my parents, as well as our son and his family and three of my siblings.
I was making good progress on my travels, but then about 30 miles west of the New Mexico border my trip came to a sudden stop. A 24-foot Ryder truck, pulling a car, going westbound on Interstate 40 crossed the median and struck my Honda Accord that was traveling at 78 miles an hour going eastbound on I-40. My car was crushed on all sides except where I was sitting, and my car was pushed back into the underpass on I-40.
When I opened my eyes, I felt my arms and my legs. Surprisingly, I had all of them. As I watched the moving truck come at me, I thought I was going to wake up in heaven. To my disappointment I was still in the desert of Arizona.
But what happened next has left an impact on me that I will never forget. I saw a man, wearing a red shirt approach the window of my car. He asked if I was ok. I thought I was. And then he said something that brought complete peace to my mind and soul. He told me that he would stay with me until the paramedics and ambulance arrived. Any anxiety that I had was gone. I felt calm in my body. In all of that chaos I had peace.
Who was this guy in the red shirt? I’m hoping he wasn’t a Nebraska Cornhusker fan!! When I read the State Patrol report it was a lady who said she was first on the scene and that she had called 911. I don’t remember her. I think God sent one of his angels that Wednesday morning. To me, in my need, I believe God sent an angel.
Today, September 29, the Christian Church designated a day to recognize the importance of angels in the life of God’s people. Our text is from Hebrews 1:14, “Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit eternal life?” Later in that same book we read that interesting passage, “Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.” (Hebrews 13:2)
It is probably a sin that we don’t talk about angels more than we do. Is there ever a huge event in Scripture where angels are not present? When Abraham and Sarah are told about having a son, Isaac, even though they couldn’t bear children, it was an angel who told them the shocking news. When Abraham was going to kill this child of the promise, it was an angel who intervened.
The life of Jesus is an account of angels on just about every page. The angel of announcement, Gabriel, came to Mary and then to Joseph, to tell the news of the virgin birth. It was an angel who spoke to the shepherds on the night when Jesus was born who said, “Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:10-11 KJV) And, then, there wasn’t just one angel but thousands of them who filled the sky. “A multitude of the heavenly host” began singing, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” (Luke 2:14 KJV)
When Jesus was tempted by an evil angel, the devil, for 40 days in the desert, it was angels who came and strengthened Him. When Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane on a Thursday evening, praying with intense emotion before the assault of Good Friday, we read, “An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him.” (Luke 22:43). Angels, one, two, startled the women as they came to the empty tomb. “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; He has risen.” (Luke 24:5-6) And then at His ascension, as He was rising into the clouds, two angels came and asked the disciples, “Why do you stand here looking into the sky?” (Acts 1:11)
If you don’t believe in angels, you have much to erase in the Bible. But the doctrine of angels doesn’t begin and end with angels. They don’t exist for themselves. In the last chapter in the book of Revelation, we read this, “I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me. But he said to me, ‘Do not do it. I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers the prophets and of all who keep the words of this book. Worship God!’” (Revelation 22:8-9)
You probably know that all angels were created good. But some angels chose a path of rebellion and arrogance. Our reading from Revelation speaks about that first fall into sin, before the sin of Adam and Eve, “And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down – that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.” (Revelation 12:7-9)
The name “Angel” means “Messenger”. The true angels, the good angels, have a message, and that message is all about Jesus. St. Michael and All Angels is not about angels. It is a day about who the angels speak about, who they direct people to. It is a day about their purpose.
Angels serve you. Two years ago I believe that God sent me an angel. I have read about others who have experienced even more intense and amazing accounts about God’s intervention in their life by sending them an angel. Why does He do it? He does it out of love. Maybe you have experienced something you can’t explain and in that event you know that God was present. God made you the most important person in the world at that moment.
Do you know the account of Isaiah and when he was commissioned into God’s service? He saw God on His throne. He said that the temple where God was sitting shook. The whole place was filled with smoke. And Isaiah is watching angels flying around the temple of God. “Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying.” (Isaiah 6:2) And Isaiah knew he shouldn’t be there. This was too much for him. He was a sinner. He had a foul tongue. He was ashamed of being in God’s presence. What does God do? He sends an angel to bring a message of cleansing and redemption. “Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, ‘See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.’” (Isaiah 6:6-8) The angel was God’s messenger of forgiveness to that man. In response to the triune God’s question, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” Isaiah spoke with a confident word of faith and purpose, “Here I am. Send me!” (See Isaiah 6:8)
Angels, God’s angels serve you, whether you know it or not, whether they knock on the window of your car, or they remain hidden. Our reading from Hebrews says that very thing, “Are not angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?” If you have made the Morning Prayer or the Evening Prayer of Martin Luther your prayer, you have asked God for this, “Let your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me.”
Today is one of God’s good days. We are not here to worship angels. We are here to worship the God who created angels to be His messenger to us. We are here to worship the God who allows angels to serve us and bless our lives. We are here to worship our God who thinks of situations where His love, at just the right time, becomes part of our life.
In your hymnal (LSB) please turn to hymn 740, “I am Jesus’ Little Lamb”, we will sing verse 3:
Who so happy as I am, even now the Shepherd’s lamb?
And when my short life is ended, by his angel host attended,
He shall fold me to His breast, there within His arms to rest.
Amen!!
