Year B. 4th Term. 10th Lesson. Bible buddies - The angels

Scripture: for teacher background:  Luke 1:11-20, 26-31   2:8-15  Matthew 1:18-24 and 2:13,19, 20

Making contact:

  Discuss angels. Are people angels? Do we become angels when we die? Has anyone ever seen an angel?

 Exploration:

Today we are going to learn about buddies of Jesus called angels. 

We know much more about angels because when Jesus was born, some angels came to earth. They had appeared before to other people sometimes, but let’s look at what happened before the first Christmas, long ago.

At this time, the first person to see an angel before Jesus came was Zechariah while he was in the temple, in the holy place burning the incense. 

The people were all waiting outside and he took a very long time to come out. 

When he came out he couldn’t speak.

 It wasn’t from shock at seeing the angel, but disbelief. 

The angel told him that he and his old wife, Elizabeth were going to have a baby. When the baby was born, he could speak again. 

The baby was John the Baptist, Jesus’ cousin who, when he was grown up, preached about repenting and getting ready for Jesus. This angel had a name; he was the angel Gabriel.

Gabriel next went to visit a young girl called Mary. She had been chosen by God to be the mother of Jesus. Gabriel appeared to her to tell her this news. He first said, “Peace” and then he said, “Don’t be afraid.” 

Then he told her about the baby Jesus.

An angel also came to Joseph in a dream. He was engaged to Mary. He would have broken off the engagement when he found out that Mary was pregnant, but the angel explained to him that the baby was the Messiah, God’s Son, and he must marry Mary and look after her and name the baby “Jesus.”

Later after Jesus was born, the angel came to Joseph again and warned him. He told him to escape to Egypt because King Herod was trying to find baby Jesus and kill him. 

After the king died the angel came to Joseph in another dream and told him it was safe to go back to his own country, Israel.

The next story in the Bible about angels was the visit to the shepherds. All these people were very ordinary people. The shepherds were in the fields at night. 

They might have been dozing even, when God’s glory shone all around them. 

First there was just one angel. We are not told if it was Gabriel or not. He told the shepherds about the wonderful news that their Saviour was born that day in Bethlehem. 

He said they would find the baby in a strange place – an animal food trough – a manger and he was wrapped in strips of cloth.

Next a great army of angels appeared and sang beautiful praise songs to God. 

When the angels went back into heaven, the shepherds went into the town to look for the baby and found him with Mary and Joseph in a stable. 

Everything was just as the angel said.

Application

The wonderful Christmas story gives us many clues about angels and there are other places in the Bible where we learn about them. 

Here are many other Bible verses, which the older children might like to read:

Angels are God’s messengers. Luke 1:26-31

They sing praise to God around His throne all the time. Rev 7:11

There are cherub angels. Genesis 3:24

There are seraphs with 6 wings. Isaiah 6:2

They can be visible or invisible. 2 Kings 6:17

There are many of them. Rev 5:11

There is an angel choir as big as an army. Luke 2:13

They are strengtheners. Luke 22:43

They are helpers. Matthew 4:11

They are rescuers and guardians for obedient people. Psalm 34:7

God puts His angels in charge over us to protect us wherever we go. Psalm 91:11

Gabriel is a special angel. Daniel 8:16       and Luke 1:19, 26

Michael is like a general. He is Israel’s guardian angel. Jude 9, Daniel 10:20

Gabriel and Michael are archangels 1 Thess 4:16

Angels do not die. Luke 20:36

They are all he and not she. (All the verses say “he”)

We don’t become angels when we die. Philippians 3:21 and 1 Corin 15:49

They don’t want us to worship them. Revelation 19:9,10

Some people have had angels staying with them and they didn’t know it. Hebrews 13:2

They are very strong. An angel rolled the stone away after Jesus had risen. Matthew 28:2 

Children have guardian angels. Matthew 18:10

Adults also have an angel. Acts 12:7-15

Angels rejoice when one sinner says sorry. Luke 15:10

If you do not have time to cover all these aspects just choose a few - be sure to teach the children that we DO NOT become angels when we die.

Some people comfort the families who have a child die by telling them the child is now an angel.

This is not true.

As teach them that angels are not little babies with wings - they are huge and mighty.

Also teach them not to pray to angels but only to pray to Jesus who will command His angels to help us. 

Challenge to Mission

 There are 2 things we can do.

We can pray for people, that God will send them angels to protect them.

Sometimes we must be like the angels and go and help people.

 Consolidation

There is a worksheet. The children can make angels to hang on their Christmas tree.

Memory Verse

“God will put His angels in charge of you to protect you wherever you go.”

Psalm 91:11