Angels Were Eyewitnesses To Christ’s Crucifixion

Do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels?
–Matthew 26:53

The Bible tells us that the angels were eyewitnesses to Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. In his article “Christmas As the Angels Saw It,” Colin Smith imagines, “What must the angels have thought as they witnessed his death on the cross? What must they have thought as they heard him be accused? And what must they have thought when they who had worshiped him in heaven saw the mocking worship of the people who put a reed in his hand and said, ‘Hail, king of the Jews’? And what must have gone through the minds of angels as they saw someone taking a briar of thorns and weaving it together: ‘Surely they will not put that on his head?’ And what must the angels have thought of our human race when they saw the Son of God nailed to a cross?”

The Bible tells us what the angels were doing at that very moment. Matthew 26:53 says the angels were standing on the precipice of Heaven, awaiting the order from God to deliver His Son. But that order never came. Jesus said in Matthew 26:53 to His accusers, “Do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels?” But Jesus never made that request, because He understood His purpose for coming. Jesus said, “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). Christ came to make the only acceptable sacrifice for our sins, and the angels witnessed the whole episode.

But it did not stop there. Three days later, the angels were also eyewitnesses to Christ’s resurrection from the dead. On that Easter Sunday morning, a violent earthquake occurred. And at that moment, an angel came and rolled the stone away. The angel sat upon that stone, and the women came to find the Lord. Just picture that angel, sitting on that stone, with his arms probably crossed as if to say, “So much for the power of the grave!” The women inquired where the Lord was, then the angel said, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said” (Matthew 28:5-6).

Weeks later, when the Lord in His resurrected body was about to ascend into Heaven, the Bible says the angels were not only in Heaven watching the event, but two angels were also on earth watching the event. As Jesus ascended into Heaven, the crowd was gazing into the sky. And those angels said to the crowd, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11).

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Today’s devotion is excerpted from “Angels Who Have Seen On High ” by Dr. Robert Jeffress, 2009.

Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.