Have you
ever really stopped and thought about the lyrics of our Christmas songs? I
mean, really thought about them. I know we’ve sung them a million times. They
are as familiar to us at this time of the year as turkey dinner, mistletoe and
holiday shopping.
This
year, I started thinking about our Christmas story and our Christmas songs.
I read a
blog once that talked about Christmas songs being too happy. There is no
conflict in Christmas songs, they rallied. It's all happiness and peace and love.
But here’s
the deal. Christmas songs are the beginning victory songs. A baby is born and victory
is coming. It hasn’t been won yet, but the end is in sight. The victor has
arrived. And that, in and of itself, is cause for celebration.
This year, for
some reason, Charles Wesley’s Hark the Herald Angels Sing has captured my
attention. Have you looked at the lyrics? Here’s a copy of them:
Hark!
the herald angels sing,
"Glory
to the new born King,
peace
on earth, and mercy mild,
God
and sinners reconciled!"
Joyful,
all ye nations rise,
join
the triumph of the skies;
with
th' angelic host proclaim,
"Christ
is born in Bethlehem!"
Hark!
the herald angels sing,
"Glory
to the new born King!"
Can’t you just see it?
Multitudes of angels proclaiming glory to Jesus and declaring that peace on
earth has come and God is reconciled to man. Sunday in church, the preacher,
Mike Dillard, asked us to consider the term “peace on earth.” This phrase does
not mean peace between men, but peace between God and man. Peace between men
isn’t going to happen until Jesus comes back and sets the world right. But
Jesus’ birth, perfect life, and death on the cross allows for the relationship between
God and man, the relationship that was broken because of our sin, to be
reconciled. There can be peace between God and man.
And because of this, we can joyfully sing, "Glory to the newborn King!"
Christ,
by highest heaven adored;
Christ,
the everlasting Lord;
late
in time behold him come,
offspring
of a virgin's womb.
Veiled
in flesh the Godhead see;
hail
th' incarnate Deity,
pleased
with us in flesh to dwell,
Jesus,
our Emmanuel.
Hark!
the herald angels sing,
"Glory
to the new born King!"
This Christ, who was from the
beginning, who was with God and who is God, he veiled himself in flesh and came
to earth. He was born of a virgin. He was fully God and fully man. For some
reason, a glorious mystery, he chose to dwell among us. Not to save us from the
oppressive government of the time, but to save us from our sins. To give life
to dead ones. He is Emmanuel. He is God with us.
And because of this, we can proclaim, "Glory to the newborn King!"
Hail
the heaven-born Prince of Peace!
Hail
the Sun of Righteousness!
Light
and life to all he brings,
risen
with healing in his wings.
Mild
he lays his glory by,
born
that we no more may die,
born
to raise us from the earth,
born
to give us second birth.
Hark!
the herald angels sing,
"Glory
to the new born King!"
I think this
verse pretty much says it all. This baby who came, the one that the angels
proclaimed, he is the Prince of Peace…not the peace that the world gives, but
the peace that only comes from the Father (John 14:27). This peace that passes
understanding (Philippians 4:7). But he is also the Sun (some versions say Son) of Righteousness.
He is righteous, pure, holy…all that we hope to be but fall terribly short of
on our own. Yet it is through this Sun of Righteousness that light and life comes. He says, “I am the
light of the world” (John 8:12) He says, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No
one comes to the Father but through me” (John 14:6)
"Mild, he
lays his glory by". “He who being the very nature,
God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but
made himself nothing, taking the very form of a servant, being made in human
likeness” (Philippians 2:5-7)
"Born that
man no more may die…" He came to give life and and give it abundantly (John 10:10).
"Born to
raise the sons of earth. Born to give them second birth." Through the humbling
of himself, through his sacrifice, through the fact that he freely gave his
life as a ransom for many, we never have to face the second death. We never
have to pay the ultimate punishment. It has been paid in full. We are no longer
dead in our trespasses, but alive in Christ (Romans 6:11). We are new creations.
The old is gone, the new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17).
And because
of this, once we choose to follow Jesus, we, like the angels, cry, “Glory to
the newborn King!”
lyrics from http://www.hymnsite.com/lyrics/umh240.sht
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