Longing to Look Into These Things

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Those heavenly hosts seen in the Bethlehem skies at the birth of Christ 'what did they really understand about it all?' Speaking of salvation Peter said 'Even angels long to look into these things.' (1.1:12). The Greek word suggests great spirits 'bending over' to see. The picture is of angels gazing over the manger amazed, wondering what their Lord and King was doing there.

My thoughts have been with the Christmas angels. They belonged to heaven and were there when the Son of God left and they accompanied Him. What was heaven like when He had gone? They saw Him open the door and step out into the sinful murk of a world scented with hate and greed. Scripture describes Christ's nativity in terms of unmatched sacrifice, of God's loss. His loss would be heaven's loss also.

But speaking of angels, in Scripture God never sent an angel with a Gospel proclamation. The closest was the Annunciation. Gabriel the archangel declared Mary would have a son and His name would be Jesus, 'because he will save his people from their sins.' Matt.1:21.

Nevertheless, wouldn't they do the job of evangelism better than us, being such impressive personalities, '˜greater in power and might' than any mortal? (Psalm 103:20, 2 Peter 1:11). If Gabriel led a host of dread celestial powers to descend on our cities wouldn't he soon compel the world to receive the Gospel? Five hundred times they are mentioned in Scripture, often as bringing messages. So couldn't they come with the Gospel?

The answer is no '“ for very good reasons which we will look at further along, but the fact is that God has always called earthlings to spread the word, not heavenly intelligences. 'The LORD announced the Word and great was the company of those who proclaimed it. In front are the singers, after them the musicians. With them are the maidens playing tambourines. Praise God in the great congregation. There is the little tribe of Benjamin leading them, there the great throng of Judah's princes and of Zebulun and Naphtali.' Proclaimers. Those are the servants God depends upon. I like the wide variety but equality of the proclamation, from young girls with tambourines to princes. It certainly implies that carrying the Word is a responsibility to be taken very seriously.

Now it is Christmas and that day itself spells out even more clearly, in global, even cosmic language, that the Word is for the whole world. What a word it is! God the Son breaking into human affairs! It eclipses all news, and is something to be talked about, everywhere for ever.

GOD'S STRANGE STRATEGY

But in the 'great company of those who proclaimed' there was no angel. We can soon see why. To begin with, how could angels understand sin and salvation? God makes His angels spirits and His spirits a flames of fire. They are great intelligences, but forgiveness and the awesome mystery of the death of Christ are concepts beyond intellectual comprehension. 'What are these wounds on your body? The wounds I was given at the house of my friends.' Zech. 13:6. Heaven is populated by myriads who would ask that. They watched but uncomprehending that frightful Friday afternoon two millennia ago. They saw the surrender of their glorious King. 'I have not been rebellious, I have not drawn back. I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting'. They still '˜desire to look into those things', to know why the Son of God plunged into such appalling circumstances. Satan loved it all, but even in his twisted mind he would be suspicious of God's strange strategy.

Suffering is the great problem on earth. In glory the problem was Christ's suffering. On earth the crucifixion was the worst example, but that is the one record of suffering we CAN understand. We know why, and the answer is 'Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures'. His suffering was redemptive. We are troubled by the world of trouble but His sufferings bring a shout of wondering praise.

It takes more than an angel's intellect to comprehend the mystery of Christ's heart agony, physical pain, blood sweat and tears. It is God's sublime wisdom far beyond our human philosophies. 'We speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which none of the princes of this world knew or they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.' That wisdom is not summed up in a mathematical equation. The issue is grovelling sin and prevailing love, human animalism and Divine passion. To have sinned and be forgiven - that is the only way to understand the story that began in Bethlehem and led to Golgotha.

Angels can sin. They are free-will beings like ourselves, for God does not make puppets and dolls. Some once fell, including Lucifer the Wicked One. But they were cast out, and no dark angel is left in that realm to foster another rebellion. It could only happen once. That crisis of seduction hatched by the awesome Prince of Darkness took place according to the foreknowledge of God and is deposited in the portfolio of His wisdom. Angels can't be tempted that way again, and neither can the flesh and world pressurise them. Within the partial shade of the Throne they are kept holy, isolated from all contamination, gazing on God's face, every allurement obliterated like shadows in summer sunshine. Angels are blessed but not by saving grace. Forgiveness is outside their range of experience. They remain sent to minister to those who inherit salvation as they proclaim it. Heb.1:14.