Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

Twelve Songs of Christmas #5
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing appears in more hymn books than any other song written by Charles Wesley.  It has been edited in minor ways over the years, leading to the standard version that we have today (Wesley's original version was "Hark! How All The Welkin Rings").  John Wesley was famously against editing of any of his or Charles' hymns, leading to one of my very favorite quotes of his: "Many Gentlemen have done my Brother and me (though without naming us) the honour to reprint many of our hymns. Now they are perfectly welcome to do so, provided they print them just as they are. But I desire they would not attempt to mend them--for they really are not able."  He asked that when these hymns were changed, that the originals be left in the margins "that we may no longer be held responsible either for the nonsense or for the doggerel of other men" (The New Oxford Book of Carols 1992, page 328).

Never change any hymns by myself or my brother.  They are perfect as is.

Got it.

In the story of the Fall from the book of Genesis, God says to the snake, "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel" (Genesis 3:15).  This enmity surely rings true.  Most people do not like snakes.  Most snakes do not seem to like people.  People and snakes attack one another.
As we look at the arc of scripture, this enmity between people and snakes symbolizes the struggle between God and evil; God and Satan; God and sin.  Ultimately through Christ, people were given life and made righteous.

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned—

To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not charged against anyone’s account where there is no law. Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who is a pattern of the one to come.

But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! Nor can the gift of God be compared with the result of one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!

Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.

Romans 5:12-19

In verse 3 of Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, Charles Wesley celebrates Jesus as the second Adam who has made us righteous, and he calls on God to defeat evil.  He taps in to both the Genesis passage and the Romans passage in this verse:

Come, Desire of Nations, come; Fix in us thy humble home!
Rise, the Woman's conquering Seed, Bruise in us the Serpent's head!
Adam's likeness, Lord, efface: Stamp thy image in its place!
Second Adam, from above, Reinstate us in thy love!

While this verse is often not sung in churches today (Why do we always sing verses 1, 2, and 4?),  it holds the meaning to the entire song. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing is a song of thankfulness to the God who has defeated evil and made us righteous.

Hark! The herald angels sing: "Glory to the newborn King! Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled!"
Joyful all ye nations rise! Join the triumph of the skies! With angelic hosts, proclaim, "Christ is born in Bethlehem!"

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 the incarnate Deity,
Pleased as man with man to dwell: Jesus our Emmanuel

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 man no more may die,
Born to raise the sons of earth, born to give them second birth.

As we sing this song during the Christmas season, may we celebrate that the Fall was not the end.  May we celebrate Jesus' conquering of sin and death.  May we rejoice that Jesus was born to raise us and give us second birth.

God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen

Twelve Songs of Christmas #4
God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen

Each year, my high school marching band played an awesome rendition of God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen at the annual Snowflake Parade in Klamath Falls.  There was a great trombone part (great trombone parts were few and far between), so I didn't mind at all that we played the same song year in and year out. It was a good one.

Aside from our *awesome* marching band version, however, I have not always been a big fan of this song.  Musically the song is fine, but I am always thrown by Ye Olde English.  Many of the sentences are structured strangely, and the song moves at a fast clip, so I never really know what exactly I am singing while I am singing.

God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen is a song about, well, comfort and joy.  It acts as a reminder to those who may feel sorrow; who may feel like the weight of the world is on their shoulders; that the Messiah has been born.  Christ has come to conquer the forces of sin and death.
This sentiment is loud and clear in the opening verse:

God rest ye merry, gentlemen, let nothing you dismay,
remember Christ our Savior is born upon this day to save us all from Satan's power when we were gone astray.

Or, in other words,

May God make you joyful, do not be distressed.  Remember that Christ is born to save us from the power of sin and death.

In addition, in verse four, the angel tells the shepherds not to fear, and points them to the Messiah.  The song writer then editorializes the story a bit, and has the angel explain to the shepherds what exactly Christ's birth will accomplish:

"Fear not" then said the angel, "Let nothing you affright; this day is born a Savior of virtue, power, and might, so frequently to vanquish all the friends of Satan quite."

This baby will be so mighty and powerful that he will break the power of Satan in this world.

The song ends with a call to praise:

Now to the Lord sing praises, all you within this place, and with true love and brotherhood each other now embrace.
The holy tide of Christmas all others doth efface.

Find your joy in Christ's birth.  Embrace one another in Christian love, because the Savior of the World is born.  The power of Christ's birth is greater than other things in this world.

The God who was an ever-present help in trouble (Psalm 46) to the people throughout the Old Testament has now come into the world to conquer the powers of sin and death once and for all.  The power of Christ is greater than the other powers in this world, and the "holy tide" of Christ's coming is greater than the sorrows and troubles of this world.

Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus

Twelve Songs of Christmas
#3: Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus

During the season of Advent, we prepare for the coming of the celebration of Jesus at Christmas.  In doing so, we put ourselves in the place of the followers of God who were waiting for the coming Messiah.  There were many thoughts as to what kind of a Messiah was coming.  For the most part, it was thought that the coming Messiah would be king David's heir.  The Messiah would be one who would rescue Israel from their enemies.  In the Dead Sea Scrolls, there is writing about two Messiahs that are coming, one a priest and another a king.

As we read the New Testament, we find Jesus fulfilling the role of both Priest and King.

The people were looking for a Messiah to save them; to rescue them.  This hymn by Charles Wesley taps in to this sense of waiting and expectation that the people were feeling.

Come, thou long expected Jesus, born to set thy people free;

As a child, I don't remember celebrating the season of Advent.  Our church may have done so.  I remember special services on Christmas, and I remember Christmas Eve services, but I do not remember celebrating Advent, which is a shame.  Much of the miracle of Christmas is lost if the expectation is absent. Jesus did not appear in the midst of a joyous, at-ease people.  Jesus came to a people who were waiting for a savior from their enemies. In the midst of that expectation--a baby in a manger.

from our fears and sins release us, let us find our rest in thee.

A people overwhelmed with their sinfulness and fear is looking for rest.  Through this baby, they will find their rest.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).

Israel's strength and consolation, hope of all the earth thou art;

This Messiah that Israel is waiting for; this Messiah that gives strength and hope to God's people; this Messiah is not only hope for Israel, but is hope for the entire world!

dear desire of every nation, joy of every longing heart.

Not only is the coming Messiah going to be the king of the nations; he will be the King of every heart that yearns for him as well.

Born thy people to deliver, born a child and yet a King,

The King who will deliver his people came as a child.  "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us" (John 1:14).

born to reign in us forever, now thy gracious kingdom bring.
By thine own eternal spirit rule in all our hearts alone;

Wesley asks that this King who was coming to reign will rule in the hearts of his people.

by thine all sufficient merit, raise us to thy glorious throne.

Finally, the song ends with an expectation of Christ's return; a fitting end to a song about expectation.

The season of Advent is about expectation. We followers of Christ put ourselves in the place of those who were waiting, longing for a Messiah to save them. We remember this longing, and how it was met with the King of kings being born in a stable.  We long as well; we long for the coming kingdom.

Away in a Manger

Twelve Songs of Christmas
Song #2 -- Away in a Manger

I have always had a love/hate relationship with the song "Away in a Manger."  I love the melody.  I love the peacefulness of the song.  Mostly I love that everybody knows it, and if someone begins singing the song during the Christmas season, everybody else will join in.  All Christmas carols seem to bring a sense of community, and this song is no different.

What has always bothered me is the line "Little Lord Jesus, no crying he makes."  I've been around babies.  They cry.  All of them.  Find me one baby who does not cry.  You can't, because they all do it.

You might say, "But it's cute. It's peaceful. It's nice to imagine Jesus that way."  It may be cute, but it's lies.  I have two children.  They cry.  They cried the moment they were born, and they cried on and off for the entire time they were babies.

I brought this up during youth group when I was in high school.  My youth leaders responded, "No, Jesus didn't cry.  Jesus wouldn't have had anything to cry about.  He was God.  What would he have to cry about?"
Well, for one, he used to be in a warm, comfortable womb, and now he's lying in a manger.
For another, he's a baby, and babies cry.

As it turns out, I'm not the only one for whom this lyric was problematic.  At the 1999 Princeton Lectures on Youth, Church, and Culture, Cynthia L. Rigby said:
Think about Christmastime, when we sing in "Away in a Manger" these words: "...the little Lord Jesus, no crying he makes." No crying? Why do we say he doesn't cry? Perhaps because we know he is God, and God can't cry. On some level, we tend to reason to ourselves that, if Jesus is God, the whole baby thing must be kind of a disguise. He must have been not just an ordinary baby. . . he must have been a "superbaby." If we really believed in the incarnation, believing that Jesus is fully human as well as fully divine, we would instead sing: "The little Lord Jesus, much crying he makes."

You could argue that the song is merely talking about the night Jesus was born.  Sure, it is possible that Jesus did not cry on the night he was born. However, neither Matthew or Luke reference this.

You might think that I am examining this song too closely.  However, churches around the world sing this song each and every year, and I think it's important to know what exactly we are singing when we recite these words.  So let us take a minute or two to reflect on this beloved song.

Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,
The little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head,
The stars in the bright sky looked down where he lay,
The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.

Verse one is not terribly problematic.  Jesus was in a manger.  There was no guest room available for him.  He probably did lay down; quite possibly on hay.  Moving on.

The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes,
But little Lord Jesus no crying he makes.

The cows loudly moo and wake up the baby, but he doesn't cry.  That must be in the forgotten fifth gospel.

I love you, Lord Jesus; look down from the sky,
And stay by my side until morning is nigh.

Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask you to stay
Close by me for ever, and love me, I pray.

Midway through verse two and on into verse three, the song suddenly turns into a prayer that Jesus will guide us as we navigate life here on earth. 

Bless all the dear children in your tender care,
And fit us for heaven, to live with you there.

The song concludes with a call for Christ to bless all of his children, and a prayer that God will make us people who fit with the kingdom that God is preparing; a kingdom made up of every tribe, tongue, and nation.

If we examine this song as a prayer, it contains many elements in line with how Jesus taught his followers to pray.

This, then, is how you should pray:

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one (Matthew 6:9-13).

 

In this prayer, Jesus says that prayer should include

1. awe at God's awesome power,

2. submission to God's kingdom and will,

3. asking for God's help throughout our daily lives,

4. repentance, and 

5. forgiveness for others.

 

Similarly, Away in a Manger

1. praises God for the Christ that's been born (okay, the song simply describes the baby and the manger, but it's assumed that the song writer is thankful for this baby),

2. asks God for help and guidance in life,

3. asks for blessing for all peoples of the world, and

4. asks God to make us people who are fit for heaven

 

Looked at as a whole, Away in a Manger is a great song of praise to the God who came into the world as a baby, and continues to guide and mold us as we navigate this life today.  I will never be at peace with the image of a baby Jesus who never cries (BABIES CRY!).  However, the Jesus who continues to live today as Lord and Savior is truly worth worshipping.

Angels We Have Heard on High

Twelve Songs of Christmas
Song #1: Angels We Have Heard on High

Glory to God in the Highest!

Each year, many churches around the world sing the words "Gloria in Excelsis Deo," which means "Glory to God in the Highest!"  This phrase comes from the book of Luke 2:8-20:

In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!" When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

Shepherds, why this jubilee?

The shepherds were privy to the coming king!  The shepherds were told by the angel of the Lord that the Messiah was born, and they would find him in a manger.  The Messiah, the anointed one, the one who would bring salvation to God's people, was here!

What the gladsome tidings be which inspire your heavenly song?

What is this news that's making you sing Glory to God in the Highest?
This question is answered in the very next verse.  Come to Bethlehem and see Him whose birth the angels sing.  The baby is born!  The Messiah, the Savior, is here!

The shepherds are privy to the coming King, and knowing that God has brought the coming Messiah to the world causes those who see and experience to join in the angels song: "Gloria in Excelsis Deo!  Glory to God in the Highest!"  The true king of the world is born!  The kingdom of God is at hand!

And they couldn't keep it in. The passage ends with the declaration that "the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them."

"Angels We Have Heard on High" focuses first on the perspective of the angels singing, and then the shepherds' joy, and ends with a call for Mary and Joseph to join in the song.

See Him in a manger laid
Jesus Lord of heaven and earth;
Mary, Joseph, lend your aid,
With us sing our Savior’s birth.

The song begins with the angels.  It grows with the shepherds.  This song continues to grow as more discover the wonder that has occurred in the world.  The Christ, the Messiah, has come, and the appropriate response is to join in the heavenly song: Gloria in Excelsis Deo.

May this song continue to grow this Christmas season as we celebrate what we have seen and experienced: the Messiah has come into the world! God's kingdom is at hand!