December 22 | Advent Devotional

From Kim Williams
First Congregational Church
Hebrews 1:1–14

Who is he to come in here like he owns the place?

How often has that phrase come up? I know I’ve said it at some of my favorite restaurants as they’re changing ownership and my favorite items are no longer available, and I’ve definitely heard it when friends who have been in a position for ages are suddenly reporting to a superior who has less real world experience, is younger, and is now a pay grade above them.

Imagine this scene: God, who is timeless, and who isn’t stuck in a linear timeline like we are, is with the Angels, who have been there, and have been serving faithfully for every conversation with prophets, every revelation relayed to humankind. They’re the old guard. The tenured staff. God sits down one day in the weekly production meeting and says “Okay, so I need an angel to send to find this young girl named Mary. What does your week look like, Gabriel? See me afterward, we’ve got some exciting changes coming.”

Can you imagine the water cooler discussions if this happened in one of our earthly conference rooms? The tension of wondering who will be getting fired would be extreme.

The next bit though would send any of us over the edge — especially if we were next in line for a promotion. God’s big news is a birth announcement! Not only will this child be born a human, but because he’s God’s own son, he will be superior to the angels. The angels will worship him, even!

Thank goodness Angels are better at receiving such news than people. It’s right there in their job description, “Are not all angels spirits in the divine service, sent to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?”

God, we are thankful for your angels, who have a clear understanding of their purpose, and with grace, accept the call to serve your son. Thank you for sending Jesus to us; we needed — and still need — him to be better able to navigate similar, sudden changes in our own lives.

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