Angels: Winds of the Word - Introduction
When you think about Christmas and angels, what first comes to mind? A song lyric? A movie scene? A nativity set at Grandma’s house? Take a few minutes to share your memories with each other. How do they inform our imaginations around angels and their role in the life of faith?
Read Genesis 18:1-5 and 19:1-3. Two of the ‘men’ from Gen 18 are called ‘angels’ in Gen 19. How do these visitors function as messengers & ministers of God’s care to Abraham and his family? Compared to the residents of Sodom (Gen 19:5), how do Abraham and Lot respond to the angelic visitations?
Read Hebrews 13:2. Abraham’s story in Genesis 18 likely informs this instruction to care for ‘strangers’ or foreigners. Do you think most Christians take this command seriously? Why or why not?
Read Genesis 16:7-13. How does this story relate to Abraham’s story in Genesis 18? In the sermon today, Robb said the “Angel of the LORD” shows us God’s complexity. How do these stories demonstrate the complexities of God’s presence with his people?
Read John 1:1, 14; and Hebrews 1:5-8. Why is the incarnation of Jesus more important & glorious than the angelic visitations of the Old Testament? In what ways should we relate to Jesus differently than angels?
Christmas can be a difficult time for many people. Take some time to pray for one another this Advent season, and to worship Jesus together as a group.