Word of Salvation – Vol.12 No.49 – December 1966

 

The Song Of The Angels

 

Sermon by Rev. K. Kramer on Luke 2:13,14

Scripture Reading: Luke 2:1-20

Psalter Hymnal: 351, 349, 353, 200:1,2

 

Beloved Congregation in our Lord Jesus Christ,

Of course we hope to sing our Christmas carols today.  What shall we sing?   And what do we mean by it?   And when shall we sing?   No, don’t say that it is of no use to consider these questions, or that by putting these questions much of the joy of Christmas is taken away or that if we first have to realize what we shall sing and why, then there is no room any more for a spontaneous singing of our Christmas carols.  For what does our text say?

That the angels were singing and praising God.  But be sure they knew what they were singing and why they did so.  And even the time that they were singing had been taken into consideration by them.  Be sure of that, for they were the angels of the Lord, commanded to serve Him with all their mind.  So by their singing they have made it clear to us in what way we should sing our Christmas carols today.

We therefore listen this morning to the message of our text about the song of the angels in the fields of Ephrata, and we want to consider when they were singing, and why they did so, and what they sang.

“And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host!”

In this way the question is answered, brothers and sisters: when the angels sang their Christmas song.  Immediately after the message that Jesus was born, a lot of angels came down from heaven, singing and praising God,

It clearly appears that there was no time between the message of Jesus’ birth and the song of the angels.  Before the shepherds could realize what had happened, before they were in the position to talk about it, a multitude of heavenly host started singing.  Maybe you are wondering whether this is so important.

Well, I think so, for we are struck by the fact that they did not sing immediately after Jesus’ birth, but after the message about His birth.

Through of all what happened that night Jesus was the pivot on which everything turned, the angels did not praise and glorify God before the message of Jesus’ coming upon earth was preached.

Why?   Why did they keep silent when the little Jesus was laid in the manger?   Why did they start singing just after the Christmas message?

We should not forget, brothers and sisters, angels are ministering spirits sent forth to serve.  They are the performers of the will of God.  They do not themselves decide what they shall do, or when they should do it.  Angels, they only play the second fiddle.  They are the servants of the Lord.  That is why behind their keeping silent when Jesus was born and behind their singing just after the Christmas message was preached, lies the will of God by which we are clearly told when it is that we should sing our Christmas carols.

However, you will understand this does not imply that the birth of Jesus could not have been a reason for the angels to sing.  Thinking this we go too far.  The birth of Jesus and the good news of great joy belong together, which means that we are right by saying that the angels were not allowed to sing before both events had occurred.  First Jesus’ birth, after that the message, and next the singing angels.  Such is the order.  First the manger, after that the shepherds and next the song of adoration.

It is remarkable, brothers and sisters how easily we are willing to start singing at Christmas.  Very often we do so without giving any thought to it.  We sing and that is it.  But whether it is right not to take into account the order the angels followed, is still in question.  Being told by the story of our text that the angels did not sing before the message of Christmas was preached, I believe we have to reckon with it.  And in addition, let us not forget that the angels were but servants, sent out and commanded by the Lord to sing this or that, and at this or that moment.  They had to sing.  They were forced to it.  But we, no we do not sing today because we have to, do we?

Why it is that we want to sing today?  Because we are filled with gratitude for the full riches of grace bestowed upon us in the Child of Bethlehem.  Why it is that we want to sing today?   Because we know ourselves to be saved from sin and death by the little child in the manger!   Our song is a song of adoration and thanksgiving, a song of joy to the glory and honour of God and the Lamb!

So it ought to be anyway.  Singing Christmas carols, by which we do not mean anything, is of no use in the sight of God.  We can’t sing today out of custom.  If our Christmas singing is not in harmony with the conviction of our heart, that the little child in the manger is our Redeemer, then indeed it is better not to sing at all, What really matters at Christmas is that our singing is the expression of what is really found in our heart, the sure knowledge that the child of Bethlehem has been given to us unto a complete remission of all our sins.  Singing our Christmas carols is making profession of faith. It is proclaiming with great joy our redemption!

But once more, how easily do we sing our Christmas songs, sometimes without realising what we are doing!   How little is our Christmas song a confession of faith indeed!

Look at the angels, brothers and sisters, and learn from them when it is that you should sing your Christmas carols.  First the manger, after that the message and next your Christmas song.  First pay full attention to the Child in the manger, and after that listen to the Christmas message and next sing your Christmas carols.  First look up to God Who brought you a Saviour, and after that, surrender to the message of Christmas, and next open your mouth and sing of your Redeemer and His wondrous love to you.  First examine yourself whether you truly believe that the Son of God became man for you, and after that whether you really have put your trust in what the Bible tells you about the significance of Jesus coming upon earth and next, sing your Christmas songs to the glory of God!   Then shout forth the praise of the Lord, for He has wrought salvation indeed, He did marvellous things, Who shall not extol Thee, Holy King of Kings?!

In the second place we want to consider why the angels were singing.

Well, this question seems easy to answer.  Of course, we may say, it was because Jesus was born.  What else could have been the reason of their singing!   But do we realize that they have seen in the manger much more than only a little child?   Jesus’ birth in itself did not have anything glorious.  Rather the opposite.  His birth in itself was surely not a reason for the angels to start singing.  The circumstances in which he was born were deplorable, weren’t they?   A stable – because there was no place for him in the inn.  A manger because his parents were not in the position to offer him better accommodation.  As to this, the angels could have organized a collection for Joseph and Mary among the visitors of Bethlehem.  No, Jesus’ birth in itself did not stimulate them to start singing; that is for sure!   But what did they see in the manger?   That from now on everything in the world would turn out all right; that in the night of Bethlehem the victory of God’s grace was realized, that that very night the foundation of the new Jerusalem was laid.  In a word, they were sure that that night the seed of the serpent was overcome by the seed of the woman; that is why they were singing their Christmas carols.

That they were thinking of struggle and victory indeed, appears from our text which speaks of a multitude of hosts.  They appeared like soldiers.

We may often have quite a different idea about these angels – tender figures, kind and prepared to help – the Bible presents them as uniformed soldiers, ready for combat.  In the East such an army was something terrifying.  Nothing could stand against it.  They destroyed everything.  And it was like that that the angels came to the shepherds: Heroes from heaven.  That is why at Christmas we should not immediately think of peace on earth, peace among the nations and so on.  No, I do not say that it does not have anything to do with it, but at Christmas first of all something else is in question.  Why did they sing of peace on earth?   Because they were convinced of the victory of the little Child in the manger over sin and hell and death.  At the end of a long fight they were sure, peace would come, peace with God in the hearts of men.  No, Christmas is not the feast of peace between the East and the West.  By the coming of these angels Christmas has been put in a battle-setting indeed, but a spiritual one, with at the end eternal peace, a peace which surpasses all understanding.  What is the meaning of Christmas according to these messengers from heaven: that the battle had been started, the battle between God and the devil, the battle between the will of God and everything that is sinful.  From now on, the angels said, it will be a matter of struggle in the world; the Kingdom of God is coming now, with eternal peace at the end.  From now on there will be anxiety in the world, it will be a struggle of life and death, for Jesus, the Son of God has been born.  Who did not come to bring peace on earth but a sword, to set a man against his father and a daughter against her mother and a man’s foes will be those of his own household.  But Jesus and the Kingdom of heaven shall be victorious and peace with God shall be the result!  We too, brothers and sisters like to sing at Christmas of peace on earth, don’t we?   But do we realize what kind of peace the angels were singing about?   Why is it that we like to sing of peace on earth?   No, not in the first place because we would like to see peace among the nations, not in the first place because we are longing for a peaceful cooperation between the nations.  No, we do not want to forget that at Christmas we can but sing as soldiers of the cross of Jesus.  And if we do not like this, we cut a poor figure before the Lord, by yet singing our Christmas songs.  We should not forget that we are expected to sing our Christmas carols being continuously in the attack.  We are to sing our songs with drawn sword, prepared if necessary, to sacrifice ourselves for the Child of the manger, our Saviour and our King.

That implies that he who is a bad soldier in the Kingdom of God, is also a bad singer at Christmas.  And that he who is not a soldier at all, cannot sing today.  The angels sang their Christmas carols because they were sure about the victory of the love of God over a sinful world.  And that is why the Church can but sing its Christmas carols out of true faith, out of its sure knowledge that the grace of God is all victorious; only he can sing his Christmas carols today in whose life Jesus, the Child of Bethlehem gained the victory already.  The Christmas song that will please God is the song of him who is quite sure about having peace with God through Jesus Christ, our Lord!

Therefore, sing today with a believing heart.  Praise the Lord and glorify His name by true faith.  Believe that Jesus was born to save you, that indeed He came upon earth to take upon Himself your sins, that He has reconciled you to God, indeed and give therefore praise to God. Sing your Christmas carols today out of thankfulness, because you believe to have received in the manger an all sufficient Redeemer!

In the third place we want to consider what the angels were singing.

Well, “Glory to God in the highest and peace on earth among men with whom He is pleased.”  The angels, I told you already, have seen God’s glory in the coming of Christ on earth; they have seen that the Lord Himself started that night His fight against the devil and His whole dominion, and that this battle would be accomplished successfully.  They have seen that the coming of Christ and the work of redemption would be crowned with complete victory.  That is why they said: Glory to God, glory to God, in the stable of Bethlehem, glory to God on the way from Bethlehem to Golgotha, glory to God from Golgotha to the end of all ages.  Glory to God for ever and ever, from everlasting to everlasting.  His Name be praised eternally in heaven and upon earth.  Glory, glory to God in the highest!

What then shall we sing today?  The praise of the Lord, the glory of His Name, that should be the theme of our Christmas singing, and nothing else!

“And on earth peace among men with whom He is well pleased.”

That means, brothers and sisters, election!   Among men with whom the Lord is well pleased!   Election, indeed!   But that does not matter, does it?   All that happened in Bethlehem is election.  It started already when the angel Gabriel went to Mary.  Why just Mary?  That the shepherds were visited by singing angels is also a matter of election.  For why just those shepherds?

No, don’t say that by the word election the joy of Christmas is taken away a bit.  There is no other Christmas feast than the feast of election, for the message of Christmas speaks of people with whom the Lord is well pleased!

But if Christmas is only for the elect, how then shall I know that it is for me also?  Does the word election not destroy the basis of our Christmas joy completely?   Did the first angel after Jesus birth not say this joy would come to all the people?  Why turn even this joyful message into a dogmatic argument?

Please, stop, brothers and sisters, putting such unwise questions.  Listen to the Bible and consider what the angels were singing: peace on earth among men with whom the Lord is pleased, and, you know, they sang this hymn in the fields of Ephrata where shepherds were keeping watch over their flock.  Do you really think they had long discussions with these shepherds about election that night?   What does our text say?  They were only singing and praising God to convince the shepherds of God’s wonderful deeds.  They were singing their Christmas song to move these shepherds to believe that that night a Saviour was born to them!

So who were the men with whom the Lord was well pleased?   Those shepherds of course!   Apparently the Lord wanted the song of peace on earth to be heard first of all by those who did not have any understanding of election.  Those who did not have much knowledge about dogmatics and so on, they were accepted by God as the audience of the song of Christmas, which speaks of election indeed, God’s good pleasure appeared to be first of all with them who did not count in the sight of the world, because they were very simple men, but who after the Christmas message left everything behind and went to Bethlehem to adore the little child in the manger.  God’s good pleasure appeared to be with those who completely surrendered to the joyful message of Christmas that a Saviour was born to them.  Who are the people, brothers and sisters, with whom the Lord is well pleased?

Those who truly believe the preaching of the Gospel about Jesus Christ the Saviour of sinners!   Those who are willing to sacrifice everything for the glory of the New born King.

And considering that in the night of Bethlehem the Lord was pleased with those who gave evidence of their love to Jesus I am sure that even today the song of Christmas can but be sung by the simple of heart, who love the Lord uprightly and who show this.

What shall we sing today?   The song of peace on earth according to God’s pleasure!   And why is it that we shall sing?   Because, knowing ourselves and realizing that we cannot stand before the Lord in ourselves we yet are sure of our being saved by Christ.  In a word, because we truly love the Lord, because He has first loved us.

Lord, Thou knowest everything.  Thou knowest that I love thee, and that is why I sing my Christmas carols today, to the glory of Thy Name, to give praise and honour, adoration and thanksgiving to Thee, for Thou hast done marvellous things!

Amen.