When the Angels Are Absent

Meditations for Ragamuffins

October 27, 2023

When the Angels Are Absent 

And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

Matthew 3:17 

Because Jesus is fully divine, the Word made flesh, he can forgive our sins.  Because Jesus is fully human, the author of Hebrews could proclaim, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.” (Hebrews 4:15). I am comforted to know that Jesus experienced the same self-doubts that I do.

There were times when Jesus must have wondered if it really was the Holy Spirit who led him to the River Jordan to be baptized and then led him into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. I suspect there were times when he got tired of the hostility heaped onto him by the Pharisees, and when he grew weary of his disciples who just couldn’t connect the dots of his ministry. Even so, we don’t have to wonder how he handled those times of doubt: “But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” (Luke 5:16).

During those times of prayer, I believe Jesus’ Heavenly Father was gracious to speak again those most comforting of all words, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.” I believe there were other times when, as in his wilderness temptation experience, God’s “angels came and took care of Jesus” (Matthew 4:11). I also believe there were times when heaven was silent, and the angels were absent.

It was during these silent and absent times that Jesus’ faith was forged into unbreakable iron. This is the faith that allowed Jesus to reconcile two seemingly irreconcilable truths he experienced on the cross.

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46)

“Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.”(Luke 23:46)

During those silent times in the wilderness, Jesus may not have heard again the voice of God, but he never forgot what he did hear that day in the River Jordan, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.”

My Takeaway: By the way, a voice from heaven said the same words (Matthew 3:17) to you when you were baptized. In your moments of weakness, recall those words and allow the Holy Spirit to forge strong your faith.

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2023 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.