To be found in Christ is to be found in the One who the angels and archangels and all the company of Heaven praise evermore in their glorious song.
I confine my words here to the Revelation text as I was assigned epistle helps for the month of September but notice how, unlike the rest of the “ordinary time” propers, the epistle for the feast day is intentionally consistent with the theme. The Old Testament and Epistle are, in fact, the readings most overtly connected to the feast. The Gospel and Psalm are, of course, great options for thinking about “angels in general,” but the preacher who wants to mention Michael or catechize the commemoration can find fodder in Daniel or Revelation.
There are lots of folks who like angels. You likely know people like my own grandmother who was enamored with the idea that angels were watching over her since childhood, to the degree that she memorialized this love with statues, framed needlepoints, and poetry hung in her home, angels in media from Raphael paintings to Precious Moments, from contemplation to kitsch. Christian devotion finds the most beauty and comfort in what God’s Word says about angels, because the scriptures are filled with promises not only about the existence and presence of angels, but about their functions, their power, their own devotion to our Lord, and their commitment to discharge their office by ministering to His people. Consider the following:
- God gives angels to watch over us as children (Matthew 18:10).
- God gives angels to watch over us as adults (Psalm 91:11-12).
- Angels are “psychopompoi” - they bear the soul to rest (Luke 16:22).
- Angels are commanded to serve us (Hebrews 1:14).
- Christ in His session at the right hand of God ranks far above all angels (Ephesians 1:19-20; Hebrews 1:3-4).
- Angels fight and conquer spiritual foes (Revelation 12:7 and following); they continue to defend God’s people in victorious spiritual warfare.
All of this leads us to a traditional conclusion about angels which ought best to be woven through (or serve as the central focus!) of a sermon delivering the Gospel of our Lord on the feast of St. Michael and All Angels: Angels honor mankind (Psalm 8; Hebrews 1:14), and for one reason only, namely because Christ became man to redeem man. To be found in Christ is to be found in the One who the angels and archangels and all the company of Heaven praise evermore in their glorious song.
To be found in Christ is to be found in the One who the angels and archangels and all the company of Heaven praise evermore in their glorious song.
Pitfalls for the preacher on a feast day include extending announcement time explaining the change in paraments or readings, burning pulpit time rehearsing the history of the commemoration, outlining all the times Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael are mentioned in the scriptures or apocrypha, offering a history lecture and/or generally apologizing for celebrating a feast. If you feel you need to teach, put a half-sheet together to fold into the bulletin or do a one-off Bible study and feel done with it. Do not sacrifice the time and energy necessary to get to the goods. It is still all about Jesus’ person and work for your people and for the world!
Preachers may also feel as if a feast day which honors a saint (even if it is the archangel Michael!) seems just a little too Roman Catholic for their taste or their parishioners. This is a great opportunity to teach. Michael was never officially “canonized by the Church” (a manmade rite that reaches back to the high Middle Ages). Rather, acknowledging him as one of the holy ones is a custom of the early Church, a practice of our mothers and fathers in the faith. And frankly, when the Church has a feast, we should celebrate it (you would not cancel Christmas would you?)! Especially when these days come up on a Sunday, then we ought to join with the whole Church on earth and celebrate together.
Further cautions related to the texts: Daniel and Revelation are those spooky, apocalyptic books with weird symbolism and odd language. The unwitting theologian deciding to rely on commentaries can nosedive into great perversions of interpretation unless they are able to discern the panoply of (particularly American) premillennial dispensationalist thought published online and for sale. The context of this Revelation text apocalyptically narrates the fall of the evil angels (Revelation 12:4), the incarnation and ascension of our Lord (Revelation 12:5), and the time of the New Testament Church (Revelation 12:6, 13-17), with the dragon, the ancient serpent, Satan, the Devil, the accuser as the adversary whom Michael and his angel’s battle. A poor sermon gives Satan (or any creature for that matter, including Michael!) too much time and too much credit. A great sermon delivers Jesus, dead, risen, and FOR YOU!
On to an outline for a sermon that plays with the name “Michael,” which is the Hebrew rhetorical question, “Who is like God?”
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Who is like God? An interesting question...
- People are like God (created in His image; Genesis 1:26-27).
- Angels are like God (spirit, good, not like humans, powerful; Matthew 22:30; Genesis 19).
- Michael, one of the few named angels, carries this question with him: Who is like God?
- The rhetorical question leads us to say “nobody.” God is unique, God is one, the only object of worship in other words.
- Nevertheless, the question has been used in other ways.
- The first question posed in all scripture came from an evil angel, the serpent (Gen 3:1: “Did God really say...?).
- Being “like God” was the perverse promise of the serpent (Genesis 3:5).
- Eve’s and Adam’s eyes were opened; knowing good and evil, and knowing they were NOT like God.
- Who is like God?
- Sinful man is not!
- The old Tempter is not. He is the foe of all the righteous, and his judgment is sure.
- Michael is more than a match for our time of trouble; the time we live in now (the New Testament Church; Daniel 12:1-3).
- The text of Revelation picks this up. He is more than a match for our adversary, the old evil foe (Revelation 12:7).
- Can you imagine the serpent, the dragon, Satan, seeing Michael coming at him?
- “One little word can fell him.” In this context, that one little word is the rhetorical question: “Who is like God?” Satan is not!
So, who is like God? Jesus is.
- The preacher can do worse than rehearse the deity of Christ via Colossians 1:15-20 and Hebrews 1, to name a couple.
- This same Jesus is the Christ whose authority assures the defeat of Satan (Revelation 12:10-12).
- What Jesus does, He does for his accused brothers (Revelation 12:10).
- Christ’s victory is wrought in His willingness to be accused; all the way to sentence and execution!
- Solidarity with his brothers and sisters.
- Here we can cite baptism, temptation, passion, crucifixion, and victory.
- What Christ does, He does for his accused brothers. He is accused for his brothers.
Therefore, who is like God? You are!
- If Christ becomes like you, then you are like Christ!
- All who are in Christ are counted as righteous in God’s Son.
- Christ conquered the Adversary, and in that victory all who are in Christ have conquered him too (Revelation 12:11).
- Praise God for His angels (Hebrews 1:14; Revelation 12:7) and above all for the victory you share in Christ (Romans 8:37-39).
