2006 Songs of Christmas Series –
“Hark! Who Goes There?”
Luke 2:13-14
Sermon preached at Curwensville Presbyterian Church – December 17, 2006
Prayer Introduction: This morning we are looking at the great Christmas song, written by Charles Wesley, “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.” Charles Wesley wrote over 6,000 hymns; and if he were to have a “Greatest Hits” CD, this one would be near the top of the list. He wrote it almost 300 years ago, and it is still one of our favorite songs to sing. Beat that Britney Spears, Madonna, or [for some of you] Bing Crosby.
Originally, this hymn had 10 verses; but I don’t think you would tolerate a 10-point sermon – and our hymnal only contains the 3 most well-known verses – so we will focus on these.
I invite you to open your hymnal to #31 and if you have your Bible, turn to Luke 2:13-14. Before we read, let’s pray…We pray now for the preacher in the pulpit. He is not worthy, but by your grace he is able. And so it is through Jesus Christ that we pray – Amen!
Scripture Introduction: “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” points us to the well-known words of Luke 2:13-14. Hear God’s Word and then see how this Christmas song pictures it. READ Luke 2:13-14.
I. Hark! – First Stanza/Verse
I have been amazed, in studying the Christmas songs for this sermon series, how often I didn’t even understand the title – sometimes the first word. For a long time, I thought the title meant that the angels were singing “Hark!” and I couldn’t figure out why they would sing “Hark!” I later came to understand that the word, “Hark” means, “listen;” so that the song begins, “Listen! The angels are singing.” (and) Listen to what they are singing.
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing. There has been more than one child who has asked, “Who was Herald?” Actually, Charles Wesley originally wrote, “Hark! How All the Welkin Rings” Fortunately, his friend George Whitefield, the famous evangelist suggested he change it, since nobody knows what “the welkin” is. In case you’re curious, the Welkin means “the heavens.”
So we don’t sing of Herald, the angel, but of the Herald angel – which is the messenger angel. The first half of this first stanza/verse describes the angel messenger and the message [Luke 2:13-14]; while the second half of the verse exhorts us on how to respond to the messenger and message.
First, “Hark! [Listen] The herald angels sing, [and what do they sing] ‘Glory to the newborn King. Peace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled!’”
In the song, “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus” we looked at the wonderful line, “Born a child and yet a King.” This little infant child, born in a stable and laid in the feeding trough, is the King of kings. That is why the Wise Men brought the gift of Gold – recognizing the baby Messiah as King. The gift of frankincense and myrrh recognized Jesus as priest and prophet (but alas that’s another sermon).
Notice that last phrase, “God and sinners reconciled.” You know what reconciling is? It is the bringing together of two opposing parties. I work with married couples to bring about reconciling – bringing the husband and wife together when they have been divided. I also work to bring about reconciliation between friends or family members who have been estranged from one another over some issue.
Jesus was born to reconcile us sinners to God. In our sin, we became enemies of the holy God. The people on this planet, who don’t have Jesus as their Savior and Lord, are still enemies of God. They know nothing but the wrath of God. It is why they frequently say, “God hates me” or “Where is God” or “If God is supposed to be a loving God, why does he let these bad things happen.”
The Christian knows that we are to blame. We were the ones who fell into sin and rebelled against God. We know that God would be perfectly right to damn us all to hell – to allow nothing but bad things to happen to us; but instead of bringing his righteous wrath, he brought reconciliation through the birth, perfect life, death and resurrection of His Son. He didn’t bring judgment and condemnation. He brought “Peace on earth, and mercy mild, [the gospel truth] God and sinners reconciled!”
The second half of this verse/stanza gives us the right response to this wonderful gospel message, “Joyful, all ye nations rise, join the triumph of the skies; with the angelic host proclaim, ‘Christ is born in Bethlehem.’”
The response of those who have been reconciled is joy – “Joyful, all ye nations rise.” One of the ways you can tell when you are dealing with someone who doesn’t know Christ is that they don’t have joy. There are people in this world who know pleasure and happiness, but they don’t know the deep joy that comes only in being made right with God through Jesus Christ. [We will look more at how to have true joy at the 7:00pm Christmas Eve service, when we look at the song, “Joy to the World.”]
Notice that we don’t sing of our joy, alone. We join with the angelic host. There’s a cute story told about a five-year-old girl singing this song at her house and instead of, “with the angelic host proclaim,” she sang, “with the jelly toast proclaim.”
At first, we listened to the angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King.” But now we join with them in singing this. That’s what we are doing in the refrain at the end of each stanza – we join with the angels, joyfully proclaiming glory to the newborn King.
II. The Incarnate Christ – Second Stanza/Verse
Beginning in the second verse/stanza, we sing of what makes this baby so special. “Christ, by highest heaven adored, Christ the everlasting Lord!” Not only is he the King, he is also the Christ. Growing up, I always thought Christ was Jesus’ last name. People didn’t have last names back then. They were known by their first name and then their profession, or by their parents, by their hometown, or by their title.
Someone might say, “I am James, Andrew’s son.” Which became, James Anderson.
Someone might say, “I am Bill, the black smith.” Which became Bill Smith.
Jesus is not only “Joseph’s son” he is also “God’s Son;” and he is also known by his official title – the Christ. Christ is the Greek word for Messiah – which is a Hebrew word. In English, Messiah and Christ mean, “Anointed One.” We usually just put the two words Jesus Christ together, but it is more correct to say, “Jesus the Christ.”
This is the Christ, the Messiah, the Anointed One – who is adored throughout the heavens, because he is the everlasting Lord.
Is He your Lord? There are many people who love to sing of the baby Jesus. They even like to sing of him being their Savior, who reconciles them to God, but they fail to acknowledge him as Lord. Is Jesus, the Christ, your Savior AND Lord? Are you surrendering your life to his lordship or are you trying to control your own life?
We hear people say, all the time, “Nobody has the right to tell me what to do.” However, Christians boldly say, “God absolutely has the right to tell me what to do, especially through the gospel ministry of the Christ’s Church.” We want God to tell us what to believe and do, as He has revealed it in His Word – the Bible; remembering the Word who became flesh.
“Veiled in flesh the Godhead see; hail the incarnate Deity, pleased in flesh with us to dwell, Jesus, our Emmanuel.” This is, perhaps, my favorite part of this song; because it is such an incredible Christmas description of Jesus.
Jesus is fully God. Jesus is fully divine. The Son of God, the second person of the Triune God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) has always existed. The Gospel of John says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning… The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (John 1:1-2, 14).
Jesus is God, in the flesh. Jesus is God in a bod – God in a human body. Jesus is God, “veiled in flesh.” Jesus was “pleased in flesh with us to dwell.” Originally (before the days of political correctness) this was more poetically written: “pleased as man with men to dwell” and better expressed how God Almighty – in Jesus – became just like one of us.
When we looked at the song, “Away in a Manger,” we meditated on the “humiliation of Jesus” – that God would humble himself to go away from heaven and be born; moreover, to be born in such a lowly condition; moreover, to grow up in a human body, facing all of the trials and temptations that we face; moreover, to be crucified, dead and buried.
God was “pleased to do this” for us – and yet people say, “God hates me.” O that they would know of God’s love in Jesus the Christ. O that they would know Jesus (did you notice that this is the only time we sing his name in this song – the name Jesus means “God is salvation”). O that the lost would know Him as “Emmanuel” which means “God with us.” O that they would be able to sing with us and with the angels, “Glory to the newborn King!”
III. Hail Storm – Third Verse/Stanza
The third verse/stanza “hails” (or acclaims) the newborn King as the fulfillment of two Old Testament prophecies. “Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace!” You know Isaiah 9:6 – “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Yes! Jesus is the fulfillment of that prophecy – He is the heaven-born Prince of Peace!
“Hail the sun of righteousness! Light and life to all He brings, risen with healing in His wings.” Malachi 4:2a says, “But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings.” Yes! Jesus is this promised Son of Righteousness who sets us free. He brings healing and he brings “light and life” – as we read in Psalm 27:1 – “The LORD is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid?”
Is Jesus your light and life? Has Jesus healed your broken heart, your fallen soul? Has Jesus set you free from bondage to sin and Satan? Has Jesus set you free to live in joyful obedience to Him?
“Late in time behold Him come, offspring of the virgin’s womb.” “Late in time” – this isn’t saying that Jesus was late in coming, that he had missed the earlier flight out of Pittsburgh. This is saying that he has come after the long wait.
This season of Advent is a season of expectant waiting. The word, “Advent” means, “coming,” and today – right now, in 2006 – we expectantly await Jesus’ second coming, while celebrating His first coming. Jesus has already come. Christmas has come, but we know that He has promised to come again.
“Mild He lays His glory by” Philippians 2:7-8 says, “[Jesus] made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross!”
Jesus laid aside his glory, humbled himself. Why? The final three phrases tell us, with the repetition of the word, “Born.” “Born that we no more may die, Born to raise us from the earth (originally, ‘Born to raise the sons of earth’), Born to give us second birth.” Jesus was born in order to die, so that we would not have to die. That is the wonderfully good news that we share in a Christian funeral service. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.”
Jesus was born so that we would not die. Sure, this fallen, earthly body, will die; but the soul of those who are in Christ will not die – but will immediately enter into heaven; and, at the Christ’s second coming, the soul will receive a resurrected body – that will never die.
Has Jesus given you a second birth? Have you been “born again”? Has Jesus regenerated your heart? Have you been renewed and transformed? What are you waiting for? Let your heart respond to his call right now.
Acknowledge that you are a sinner who needs to be reconciled. Confess that Jesus is the Christ – trusting in Him for your salvation and surrendering your life to Him as Lord. Sing with us and with the angels, “Glory to the newborn King!”
MAY THE TRUTH SET YOU FREE – AMEN!