There are few things that the Bible explicitly says the angels rejoice over. One is when God created the earth (Job 38:6-7). The other is a sinner repenting (Luke 15:10). There are other places in the Bible where the angels say things (usually with loud voices) that would seem to indicate that they’re rejoicing such as Luke 2 at the announcement of Jesus’ birth and a few places in Revelation. These seem to be fairly disconnected events that cause the angels joy but I think they are all for basically the same thing and that one thing is pretty incredible.

“Through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.” (Eph 3:10)

Lisa and I were talking about this verse the other day and as we unpacked it, it blew our minds. There are some important implications here. Paul says that God’s work in and through the Church is to show the angels his wisdom. Don’t let that pass by too quickly. Consider a few other things in conjunction with this: Man is a little lower than the angels (Psalm 8:4-5). Some of the angels fell but God didn’t redeem them even though he did redeem fallen man (1 Peter 1:12). God’s strength is shown in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9).

So now put that  all together under the umbrella of Ephesians 3:10. God chose to not redeem fallen angels but he did redeem fallen man and he did that to show the angels his magnificence. God demonstrates his strength and power in weakness. This is why Jesus didn’t become a human king or ruler, but a carpenter from Nazareth who was executed on a cross. God exalts the humble and humbles the proud. God saves people for his own glory to show the angels, fallen and not, His power. They never experience his mercy and grace.

So when the angels rejoice over one saved sinner it isn’t because people are so precious, it is because the angels are once again blown away by God’s wisdom and power and grace. They don’t celebrate so much over us as they do over God. Our salvation is God showing the angels how he exalts the humble because we’re lower than they are but we experience the grace and mercy they don’t receive.