Part 3 of 35 The angel's message
In the town of Nazareth lived a young woman named Mary, who was engaged to marry a man named Joseph. God sent the angel Gabriel to her. "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God," the angel said. "Behold, you will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High… His kingdom will never end!" (Luke 1:30–33).
Mary asked how this could be, and the angel told her the child would come from the Holy Spirit, "for no word from God will ever fail." Mary answered: "I am the Lord's servant. May it happen to me according to your word" (Luke 1:34–38).
An angel also spoke to Joseph in a dream: "You are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21). He would be called Immanuel, which means "God with us" (Matthew 1:23).
Imagined The statue
A shining angel stands high above the city with open wings, as if about to bring good news.
Real world Angels in our world
Angel statues stand in many cities. The Angel of the North, a steel sculpture by Antony Gormley put up near Gateshead in England in 1998, is 20 meters tall, with wings 54 meters wide, almost as wide as a jumbo jet's.
Art In this artwork
The illustration shows a tall marble column with a golden angel with open wings on top.
Look closer
- Find the angel's wings.
- What is the angel standing on?
Think about it
- How do you think Mary felt when she heard the angel's news?
- What does the name Immanuel, "God with us", tell us about Jesus?
- What good news would you like to bring someone?
Key words
- Angel
- A messenger from God.
- Immanuel
- A name that means "God with us".
- Servant
- Someone who serves and obeys another.
Sources
Bible quotations are from the Berean Standard Bible, which is in the public domain. The other facts on this page come from these sources:
- The Bible, Gospel of Luke
- The Bible, Gospel of Matthew
- Gateshead Council, "The Angel of the North"
