Angels And Gospels

Εἰ δὲ ἐν ἀνθρὼποις εἰσὶν οἱ τετιμημένοι διακονίᾳ τῇ τῶν εὐαγγελιστῶν, καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ Ἰησοῦς εὐαγγελίζεται ἀγαθὰ, καὶ πτωχοῖς εὐαγγελίζεται, οὐκ ἔδει τοὺς πεποιημένους ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ πνεύματα ἀγγέλους, καὶ τοὺς ὄντας πυρὸς φλόγα λειτουργοὺς τοῦ τῶν ὅλων Πατρὸς, ἐστερῆσθαι τοῦ καὶ αὐτοὺς εἶναι εὐαγγελιστάς. Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἄγγελος, ἐπιστὰς τοῖς ποιμέσι φησὶ, δόξαν ποιήσας περιλάμπειν αὐτούς· Μὴ φοβεῖσθε, ἰδου γὰρ εὐαγγελίζομαι ὑμῖν χαρὰν μεγάλην, ἤτις ἔσται πατνὶ τῷ λαῷ, ὅτι ἐτέχθη ὑμῖν σήμερον Σωτὴρ, ὅς ἐστι Χριστὸς Κύριος ἐν πόλει Δαυῗδ· ὅτε καὶ μηδέπω ἀνθρώπων συνιέτων τὸ τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου μυστήριον οἱ κρείττονες αὐτῶν, οὐρανὸς τυγχάνοντες στρατεία Θεοῦ, αἰνοῦντες τὸν Θεὸν λέγουσι· Δόξα ἐν ὑψίστοις Θεῷ, καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς εἰρήνη ἐν ἀνθρώποις εὐδοκία. Καὶ ταῦτα εἰπόντες ἀπέρχοντι ἀπὸ τῶν ποιμένων εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν οἱ ἄγγελοι καταλιπόντες ἡμῖν νοεῖν, πῶς ἡ εὐαγγελισθεῖσα ἡμῖν διὰ τῆς γενέσεως Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ χαρὰ, δόξα ἐστὶν ἐν ὑψίστοις Θεῷ· τῶν ταπεινωθέντων εἰς χοῦν ἐπιστρεφόντων εἰς τὴν ἀνάπαυσιν αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐν ὑψίστοις διὰ Χριστοῦ μελλόντων δοξάζειν τὸν Θεόν. Ἀλλὰ καὶ θαυμάζουσιν οἱ ἄγελοι τὴν ἐπὶ γῆς ἐσομένην διὰ Ἰησοῦν εἰρήνην, τοῦ πολεμικοῦ χωρίου, εἰς ὅ ἐκπεσὼν ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ὁ Ἐωσφόρος πρωϊ ἀνατέλλων, ὑπὸ Ἰησοῦ συντρίβεται. Ὠριγένης, Εἰς Τὸ Κατὰ Ἰωαννην Εὐαγγελιον, Βιβλίον Πρῶτον Source: Migne PG 14 45

And if among men some were honoured with the ministering of the Gospel, and Jesus evangelized good things, and He evangelized the poor, it does not appear fitting that the angelic spirits made by God, being fiery flaming servants 1 of the Father of all things, should be deprived of this glory. For this reason, in the presence of the shepherds the angel stood and with glory shining everywhere, said, 'Do not fear, behold, I speak good news to you of great joy which shall come to all people, because born for you today is a Savior, He who is Lord Christ, in the city of David.' 2 And when the mystery of the Gospel was not yet in the understanding of man, the greatest of the celestial host of God praised God, saying, 'Glory to God on high and peace on earth to men of good will.' 3 And having said these words the angels left the shepherds for heaven, leaving us to think that the good news for us of the joy of the birth of Christ Jesus is glory to God on high because there has been a turning toward those humiliated in the dust for the sake of their respite, and in the heights there is glory to God because of the coming of Christ. And even the angels wonder at the coming of peace on earth by Jesus, for it is the place of war, into which Lucifer fell from heaven, he who rising in the morning 4 is by Jesus crushed down. Origen, Commentary On the Gospel of Saint John, Book 1 1 Ps 103.4 2 Lk 2.10-11 3 Lk 2.11 4 Isa 14.12