Have you ever wondered what Christmas looked like from the angels’ perspective? We’re so familiar with the earthly side of the story—Mary and Joseph, the shepherds, the manger—but what about the heavenly side? Before the angels appeared to the shepherds, before their song rang out in the fields, they had already seen Christ in all His glory. They knew who He was in heaven before they saw Him in the humblest place on earth: a manger.

The Angels Saw Christ in Heaven

Before the first Christmas night, the angels worshipped Christ as the eternal Son of God. They had seen Him in His heavenly glory, seated at the right hand of the Father. They knew Him not as a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes, but as the King of kings, surrounded by unimaginable splendor. Day and night, they cried out, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!” (Isaiah 6:3).

Can you imagine what it must have been like for the angels to see Christ leave the throne of heaven? To watch Him step down from His place of honor, power, and majesty, to come to earth? It’s almost unthinkable. The angels knew what He was giving up. They knew the glory He was setting aside. And yet, they also knew why He was doing it—to redeem a broken world, to save people like you and me. I can only imagine the awe and wonder they must have felt as they watched this unfold.

The Angels Saw Christ in a Manger

Then came the moment the angels saw something they had never seen before—Christ, not as the King of heaven, but as a helpless baby in a manger. Think about that for a second. The One they worshipped as the eternal Son of God was now wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a feeding trough.

It was such a contrast, such a mystery. Heaven’s King had entered the world in the humblest way possible. The angels must have marveled at this display of love and humility. And yet, they didn’t keep quiet about it. They burst onto the scene, appearing to the shepherds in the fields and declaring, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” (Luke 2:14).

Their song wasn’t just a celebration of a birth; it was a proclamation of God’s plan of salvation. The angels knew who this baby was, and they knew what He had come to do. From heaven to the manger, the angels saw it all, and their response was worship.

A Different Perspective This Christmas

As we begin this Christmas season, I want to challenge us to see it from the angels’ perspective. Don’t let the familiar story of Christmas become routine. Think about the wonder of it—the eternal King of heaven choosing to be born in a manger for us. Let’s join the angels in worship and declare with them, “Glory to God in the highest!”

Next time, we’ll continue this series and explore more of what the angels saw that first Christmas night. But for now, let’s pause and stand in awe of Christ—the King who came down.