When Angels Sat Down

The theme of When Angels Sat Down is taken from Day 61 in Footsteps in the Snow. That article focuses on two passages. The first is in Matthew 28: "An angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it" (v. 2). The second is in John 20: "And she (Mary) saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain (v. 12). Angels were present at the birth of Jesus. They ministered to Him after He was confronted by Satan in the wilderness and in the Garden of Gethsemane. Before going to the cross, Christ said He could call on more than twelve legions of angels (Matthew 26:53). But the Lord's work of salvation at Calvary was entirely His own: the angels could only stand in wonder as the Lord of life sacrificed His life for our redemption.

Angels, however, were present to announce His resurrection. And it is at the resurrection we see them doing something they were not created to do. They sat down. Angels are the ministers of God and constantly fulfil holy activities. So to see them sitting down is very interesting. In the simple acts of sitting down on the stone that was rolled away and in the place where Jesus had been lain in the tomb we have vivid reminders of the finished work of Christ and the glory of His resurrection.

This series of books was written to be read day by day or simply opened at any page to find a self-contained reflection on a Bible passage. In is intended that these bite-sized readings would stimulate daily Bible reading and encourage further study. The readings that appear on Sundays have a particular reference to worshipping the Lord in the light of His request that we remember His death (see Luke 22:19-20 and 1 Corinthians 11:23-26). It appears from Acts 20:7 to be a practice the early church adopted. From this place of worship, I believe we enter each new week in discipleship and service. By remembering Christ's love for us, we are inspired to serve Him and each other in love.

I hope that When Angels Sat Down will encourage its readers, like the angels, to pause and reflect on the power and majesty of the Person and work of Jesus.