The Bible calls angels God's messengers and servants. At the first Christmas, Gabriel told Mary, "Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee" (Luke 1:28). Hebrews asks, "Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?" (Hebrews 1:14). Yet angels point away from themselves: "worship God" (Revelation 22:9).
Angels are everywhere at Christmas: on top of the tree, on cards, in the church pageant with tinsel halos. The real angels of Scripture are even more remarkable. The word angel means messenger, and the King James Version mentions angels nearly three hundred times, from Genesis to Revelation. They announce births, rescue prisoners, strengthen the weary and worship God day and night. Yet the Bible is careful about them, too. Angels are created servants, not people who have died, and they never want to be worshipped. These twelve King James verses follow angels through the Christmas story, through moments when God sent them to help His people, and into heaven's worship. They are a good fit for an Advent reading, a Christmas card, or a child's question about guardian angels. For the full nativity story, see Bible verses about Christmas, and for God's care over you, see Bible verses about protection.
The angels of the Christmas story
1. Luke 1:19
"And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings."
Gabriel and Michael are the only two of God's holy angels named in the 66 books of the Protestant Bible. Here he introduces himself to the priest Zacharias: I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God. He had appeared centuries earlier to Daniel (Daniel 8:16; 9:21). Notice what he says he was sent to do: to shew thee these glad tidings. The first words spoken in the Christmas story in Luke come from a messenger who stands before God and brings good news. That is still what the season is about.
2. Luke 1:28
"And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women."
Six months after visiting Zacharias, Gabriel went to a young woman in Nazareth. His greeting was Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee. Mary was troubled by it (Luke 1:29), and Gabriel's next words were "Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God" (Luke 1:30). Favour here is grace, a gift and not a reward. The angel came to an ordinary home in an unimportant town, which is a reminder that God's messages often arrive in ordinary places.
3. Matthew 2:13
"And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him."
Matthew's Christmas story centers on Joseph, and an angel speaks to him in dreams again and again (Matthew 1:20; 2:13; 2:19). This time the message is urgent: Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt. Joseph obeyed that same night (Matthew 2:14). Angels do not only bring joyful announcements; they also bring warnings and protection. The Christ child was kept safe because a father listened and acted quickly on God's word.
4. Luke 1:13
"But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John."
Zacharias and Elisabeth were old, and they had prayed for a child for years. While he served in the temple, an angel stood by the altar of incense and said, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard. Their son would be John the Baptist. Fear not is the angels' most common opening line in the Christmas story (Luke 1:30; 2:10). When God's messenger shows up, the first thing he usually does is calm fear, because the news is good.
Angels sent to help God's people
5. Hebrews 1:14
"Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?"
The first chapter of Hebrews shows that Jesus is greater than the angels, then ends with this question: Are they not all ministering spirits? To minister is to serve. Angels are sent for them who shall be heirs of salvation, that is, for believers. Scripture does not give us details about how often this happens or what it looks like, and it is wise not to go beyond what it says. But it is a real comfort: God's servants are at work on behalf of His people.
6. Acts 12:7
"And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands."
King Herod had killed the apostle James and arrested Peter, planning to execute him after Passover. Peter was chained between two soldiers when the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison. The angel told him to get up, And his chains fell off from his hands. Peter thought he was dreaming (Acts 12:9) until he found himself in the street. Meanwhile the church was praying for him (Acts 12:5). God can open doors that no one else can.
7. Judges 6:12
"And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour."
Gideon was threshing wheat by a winepress, hiding his grain from Midianite raiders (Judges 6:11), when the angel of the LORD said, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour. Gideon did not feel mighty. He answered that his family was poor and he was the least in my father's house (Judges 6:15). God's messenger saw what God would make of him, not what he felt about himself. That is good news for anyone who feels small and afraid.
8. Matthew 4:11
"Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him."
After forty days of fasting and temptation in the wilderness, Jesus was hungry and alone. When the devil finally left, angels came and ministered unto him. Jesus, the Son of God, was cared for by angels in His weakness. Luke records the same thing in Gethsemane (Luke 22:43). The God who strengthened His Son after a hard season knows when we are spent, too, and He sends help, through angels, through His Spirit and through His people.
What angels are, and what they are not
9. Psalms 103:20
"Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word."
Psalm 103 ends by calling all of heaven to praise: Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength. Angels are powerful, but their power is used to do his commandments. They listen for God's voice and obey it. That is what makes them good. The psalm moves from angels to all God's works and then back to the writer's own heart: Bless the LORD, O my soul (Psalm 103:22). We join the angels whenever we worship.
10. Psalms 148:2
"Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts."
Psalm 148 is a symphony of praise that starts in the highest heavens and works its way down to the earth. Angels come first: Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts. Hosts means armies, the vast company of heaven. The psalm then explains why all creation should praise God: for he commanded, and they were created (Psalm 148:5). Angels are not little gods. They are created beings, and their highest joy is to praise their Maker.
11. Revelation 22:9
"Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God."
Near the end of Revelation, the apostle John was so overwhelmed that he fell down to worship the angel who had shown him these visions (Revelation 22:8). The angel stopped him at once: See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant. Then he gave the right direction: worship God. John had made the same mistake before (Revelation 19:10). It is a clear line for anyone drawn to angel devotion: honor God's messengers by worshipping the One who sent them.
12. Mark 12:25
"For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels which are in heaven."
Some religious leaders who denied the resurrection tried to trap Jesus with a question about marriage in the afterlife. He answered that the risen neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels which are in heaven. Notice the word as. Jesus did not say people become angels when they die. Believers are raised as themselves, made new, and they share the angels' deathless life with God (Luke 20:36). It is a gentle correction to a common Christmas-card idea.
A short prayer
Lord of hosts, thank You for the angels who serve You, and for the good news they announced at the first Christmas. Thank You that Your ministering spirits are sent to help Your people. When I am afraid, let me hear Your word to me: fear not. When I feel small, remind me that You are with me. Keep me from worshipping anything or anyone but You. Let me join the angels in praising You, today and forever. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Go deeper: a SOAP study prompt
Pick one verse above and write: - Scripture: copy the verse by hand. - Observation: what does it say? Who is speaking, to whom? - Application: what does it mean for you today? - Prayer: turn it into a two-line prayer.
New to this method? See our Bible study guide or pick a Bible reading plan.
Print our free Christmas Bible verse printables · Color the angels with our free Christian Christmas coloring pages · Learn Christmas verses by heart with the Scripture Memory Cards
Frequently asked questions
What does the Bible say about angels at Christmas?
Gabriel announced the births of John the Baptist and Jesus (Luke 1), an angel spoke to Joseph in dreams (Matthew 1-2), and an angel told shepherds near Bethlehem, "Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people" (Luke 2:10). Then came "a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying" (Luke 2:13). See Bible verses about Christmas Day.
Does everyone have a guardian angel?
The Bible says God sends angels to protect His people: "For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways" (Psalm 91:11). Jesus also said of children, "in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 18:10). Scripture does not say clearly that each person has one assigned angel, so Christians hold different views. What is certain is that God Himself is watching over you.
Do people become angels when they die?
No. The Bible presents angels and humans as different kinds of beings. Jesus said the resurrected are "as the angels" (Mark 12:25), not that they turn into angels. Hebrews even says Christ "took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham" (Hebrews 2:16). Believers who die are with the Lord and will be raised as themselves. See Bible verses about heaven.
Can angels appear as ordinary people today?
Scripture records angels who looked like men (Genesis 18:2), and Hebrews encourages hospitality with this reason: "Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares" (Hebrews 13:2). The Bible does not teach us to look for angels or seek messages from them. Its focus is on loving God and our neighbor, and it warns against "worshipping of angels" (Colossians 2:18).
Sources: All Scripture quotations are from the King James Version (KJV), public domain in the United States. References were checked against the KJV text from bible-api.com.
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