King of kings and Lord of lords: "Who Are Angels?" (Part 5)

Ministering Spirits

 “Then an angel from heaven appeared and strengthened him” (Luke 22:43). 

          God created angels to serve in numerous capacities to come to the aid of His children and do Kingdom business. Part of their work involves ministering to those who love and serve the Lord. When we think of ministry, we sometimes limit it to the work that a pastor does behind a pulpit by preaching a sermon to the congregation. Although this is a small part of it, and God can have an angel to help the pastor out when needed, the ministry of angels is so much more. Ministering angels, in most biblical instances, meant that they attended to the spiritual and sometimes physical needs of God’s faithful workers and people while being servants themselves. The Bible says, “Therefore, angels are only servants — spirits sent to care for people who will inherit salvation” (Hebrews 1:14). They are God’s helpers who are there to assist us in our times of need. Yet, it is important to remember that they serve God just as we do; therefore, they are never to be worshiped as God but respected as His ministry of help.   

After Jesus had been tempted by the devil, following his forty days of fasting, the angels came to His aid and attended to His needs. The Bible says, “And at once the Spirit sent him into the wilderness where he was tempted by Satan for forty days. He was out among the wild animals, and angels took care of him” (Mark 1:12-13).  The Bible does not tell exactly what type of care that the angels gave Him, but one can possibly imagine that He may have received food as the Prophet Elijah did, water as the Children of Israel had in the wilderness, and an encouraging message from the Father regarding the ministry and trials He was soon to endure. Jesus, being in human form, would have greatly benefited by having heavenly support to replenish Him after He had just defeated the enemy in a showdown while being weak from not eating for such a long period of time.

            The angels came to Jesus on another occasion when He was in the Garden of Gethsemane right before His arrest. Jesus was under intense pressure to the point that His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. The weight of the world was upon His shoulders, and He needed an angel to minister to Him during this most stressful time. The Bible says, “Then an angel from heaven appeared and strengthened him” (Luke 22:43). Jesus was about to face his ultimate mission, which was to be crucified on a cross for the sins of the world. His ministry on earth was nearing its end, and He needed the Father like no other time before. God let Him know that He was thereby sending His messenger to comfort Him. The time was soon to come when Jesus would feel separated from His Father as He hung on the cross dying. Therefore, the Father’s ministering angel of comfort came to His aid as all of Heaven was aware of the events that were about to unfold.   

            After Jesus’ death and resurrection, ministering angels came to deliver the Good News that He had risen. They had rolled the stone away from His tomb, and our Risen Savior was no longer there. The Bible says, “The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you" (Mathew28:5-7). You can probably imagine their excitement to tell those who had come to the tomb that Jesus was not dead but was alive. The angels were the first ones to minister the Good News of our Savior’s defeat over Satan, and they boldly shared the news so that Jesus’ followers would be encouraged. They ministered a message of hope, life, and salvation. This was the greatest message that could have ever been ministered to mankind then and is still powerful today.

            Whenever we think of angels, let’s always remember that the angels of the Lord minister to those who need Him. When we pray and ask God for help in dealing with any situation, just as Jesus did, His angels are dispatched to minister to our very concerns even if it comes in only words of encouragement from the Father. We may not see them, but they are no less there to carry out all missions that God has for them to do on earth. His love is forever with us, and His ministering angels assist in showing us the love that the Father has for all who believe.