“In many and various ways” God has communicated with mankind. He spoke through the prophets. He speaks through His creation. And He sends Angels who bear His message to mankind. The word “angel” actually means “messenger.” In that sense, all those who carry God’s message and proclaim it to others are “angels.” God has sent many such angels - both the bodiless ones from Heaven, and the human ones who are His servants - to the human race to reveal the truth. But now, in “these last days,” it says in Hebrews, He has spoken to us by His Son, who is the “brightness of His glory,” and the “express image of His person” and upholds “all things by the word of HIs power.”

We hear “Angels” mentioned several times in today’s scripture readings. Most times, it’s the bodiless powers of heaven that are referred to, like Archangels Michael and Gabriel. The passage from Hebrews compares Christ to the angels, and makes the point that He is greater than the angels. He is superior to them, because the Father says to Him “You are my son, this day have I begotten you.” The angels are great, but Christ is greater.

In fact, throughout history people have tried to argue that the Lord is a created being - either an angel or something like an angel. The Apostle is demonstrating that this isn’t the teaching of the Old Testament Scriptures, which clearly show the Messiah to be on a completely different level. The angels may be “sons of God,” but Christ is the Son of God.

At the same time, we hear today from Isaiah’s prophecy, which refers to Christ as “the Angel of Great Counsel.” (Other versions of Scripture, translated from the Hebrew Bible, say something like “wonderful counselor,” but the Greek Old Testament (Septuagint) says “Angel of Great Counsel.” Christ the Word of God even appeared to people before His human birth in the form of an Angel, as in the Book of Daniel.

Yet Christ is called an “angel” in a unique way. He is the Word of the Father. When God speaks, it is always through His Word. There is no other being that has that role. And while the angels are created beings that serve God as HIs messengers, Christ the Word of God is Uncreated. He has no beginning in time. He existed always, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit. The angels, which are part of his creation, worship and serve Him, along with the Father and the Holy Spirit.

We hear about Angels again in the Gospel, when angels appear to the Shepherds in the field. The shepherds are afraid at first, which reminds us that angels don’t appear like little naked babies flying around with harps in their hand. They are terrifying, brilliantly shining, and powerful. But they are definitely good. And they tell the shepherds not be afraid, but to rejoice. They send the shepherds to find and worship the Child in the manger, in the cave.

Here we see a striking contrast. Angels are not born, they were simply created by God as they are. And they’re definitely not born in caves. And they certainly don’t lie on straw in mangers. But Jesus Christ, the eternal Word of God does. That’s because even though He’s the “Angel of Great Counsel,” the Divine Messenger of all Divine messengers, He also becomes a human being. And not just a human being - a poor, humble human being, and ultimately a homeless man.

In other words, He takes on the most incredibly humble state out of love for us. And in fact, this is the form in which He delivers the Message to us. Or rather, this is His message: that God the Holy Trinity so loves us, that one person of the Trinity - the Son and Word of God - comes down into the mud where we live, comes down into our world and our crazy, broken situation, comes down to our level where we can speak eye to eye, where we can touch, feel, hear His voice, and where He can give us everything He has, including His life itself.

Even in the manger, the child Christ shows us that He comes to feed us with Himself - the manger is the feeding trough for the animals. That is an image of how the Lord will give us His precious Body and Blood as our life-giving food.

And once we have His life in us, then we become like He is. We take on His life. We become by grace what He is by nature, and our lives are transformed. And that should mean His message moves through us to others.

An Angel couldn’t have delivered this message. Only the Word of God Himself could. And it’s a message that never gets old, that never gets less incredible. It is The Message, and it is our hope, our life, our salvation.

May this message dwell richly in us. And through us, His unworthy servants, may it be brought to every nook and cranny of this world, and every human heart, that the light of truth and love might shine in all places, overcoming the darkness. Amen.