12 Days of Christmas - the angels

The birth of Jesus included quite a few visitations by angels.
1. Joseph
Matthew 1:20-21
But after Joseph thought about this, an angel from the Lord came to him in a dream. The angel said, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to accept Mary to be your wife. The baby inside her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son. You will name him Jesus. Give him that name because he will save his people from their sins.”

2. Mary
Luke 1:28-31
The angel came to her and said, “Greetings! The Lord is with you; you are very special to him.” But Mary was very confused about what the angel said. She wondered, “What does this mean?” The angel said to her, “Don’t be afraid, Mary, because God is very pleased with you. Listen! You will become pregnant and have a baby boy. You will name him Jesus. He will be great. People will call him the Son of the Most High God, and the Lord God will make him king like his ancestor David. He will rule over the people of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.”

3. The shepherds.
Luke 2:9-12
An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord was shining around them. The shepherds were very afraid. The angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid. I have some very good news for you—news that will make everyone happy. Today your Savior was born in David’s town. He is the Messiah, the Lord.  This is how you will know him: You will find a baby wrapped in pieces of cloth and lying in a feeding box.”

The angels were God's messengers. In each instance:
1. God sent them.
2. They told people not to be afraid.
3. They told the good news about Jesus.

Matthew 28:18-20 says that we are now God's messengers.
All authority in heaven and on earth is given to me. So go and make followers of all people in the world. Baptise them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach them to obey everything that I have told you to do. You can be sure that I will be with you always. I will continue with you until the end of time.

These verses tell us:
1. God is sending us.
2. He is with us (so don't be afraid).
3. To spread the good news about Jesus (teach them everything he told us to do).

How can you be God's messenger?