Hark The Herald Angels Sing - [Luke 2:26-38]

The Biblical Roots of a Christmas Hymn

Now, I know that it's difficult for some to fully engage the mind in the morning, but there's going to come a little bit of a time after I do the introduction that I'm going to have you do a little bit of searching, like a treasure search for biblical truth with inside of a song.

And I think it's good every once in a while to kind of think about the songs that we sing. And music is so important when it comes to worship. And we know that it's important that it is part of the worship service and part of our lives as Christians.

I believe that Christians are singing people. I had a pastor, and we used to kid him. And one time, we gave him a little trophy. And on that little trophy, we put the Joyful Noise Award because he even, from the pulpit, would say that he could not carry a tune in a bucket.

That's how he would put it. And he just couldn't get the tune, but he would be one that would uphold the scripture to make a joyful noise unto the Lord. And no matter how well we can sing, no matter how well we can carry a note, I don't know about you, but since the time of being reborn, of being regenerated by God, the tongue is loosened and the heart is freed to be able to sing praises to the Lord.

And music is such an important part of a believer's life. So what I want to do this morning is I want to first introduce this by taking a look at Luke chapter 2. If you go there in your Bibles to Luke chapter 2, I want to read the account of where I believe that Charles Wesley would have gotten his idea for this, at least the beginning part of this hymn that he wrote.

He wrote this hymn in about 1739, I believe it was. He, of course, was a man that God had saved in Great Britain and England, contemporary of Whitefield, and wrote 6 ,000 plus hymns, songs, poems that were put to music.

Just think of that, 6 ,000 hymns. Think about reading 6 ,000 poems or songs in a lifetime. But the Lord, as with so many that wrote so many songs, moving their hearts with what they had read or what they had experienced by the grace of God in their lives.

And I think if we would look in Luke chapter 2, I'd like to begin reading. This is, of course, the taxation is called for. And in verse 4, Luke chapter 2 and verse 4, I'm reading from the King James.

There's a car parked right along the building here that's all covered with snow because the snow slid down. So if anybody's got their car there, please move it. Or else it might get damaged from the ice and snow.

The snow comes off the roof.

So if your car is parked there, you might want to move it away from the church building over here. Luke chapter 2 and in verse 4, and Joseph also went up from Galilee out of the city of Nazareth into Judea unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be taxed with Mary, his espoused wife, being great with child.

And so it was that while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them. And the glory of the Lord shone round about them.

And they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, fear not. For behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.

And this shall be a sign unto you. You shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of heavenly hosts, praising God and saying, glory to God in the highest.

And on earth, peace, goodwill toward men. Hark, the herald angels sing. I'm going to go on and read. But I think that's where it comes from, these angels appearing and proclaiming the birth of Christ, this wonder of wonders, God coming.

And Wesley, no doubt reading this and thinking about the first coming of Christ our Savior, penned the words in the hymn that we're going to look at. That's this Christmas song that he wrote for Christmas Day.

But I'm going to finish reading this passage here down to a certain point. I'm going to read again verse 13 and down. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of heavenly hosts, praising God and saying, glory to God in the highest.

And on earth, peace, goodwill toward men. Verse 15, and it came to pass as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, well, let's go out and make a video. Let's go out and put some buttons together.

I mean, we could sell this, put some banners and posters. I mean, we can make some money. Isn't it just so sad, the commercialization of the things of God today? And I don't know about you, but sometimes I love Christian bookstores, being able to go and get what you need to get.

But you've got to take the good with the bad with everything. And sometimes, doesn't it just break your heart, the t-shirts or the things that are put forward today for Christians, for spiritual, for the life in the church today?

And I think it's just so we have to be pretty careful, don't we? We really just need to be careful of what we do with the things of God. And I believe that we should tread, in a way, in the fear of the Lord when it comes to the word of God and when it comes to doctrine, when it comes to biblical truth.

It ought to be something that so grips us and so affects our lives. And we're not going to sell it. We're not going to commercialize it. We're not going to belittle the truth of the word of God because of what we think might please us or might be a way to reach the world in a way so that we can be like the world.

I think the word of God is pretty clear that if we're going to reach the world, if we're going to be effective witnesses for Jesus Christ, we're going to have to stand as a stark opposition. We're going to have to go up the river the other way.

Not in a bad way, but in a way that we are a winsome people, but we have to proclaim the truth in love. And sometimes we know that that truth can hurt. But they didn't do that. When they heard this and when they had seen this proclamation, this declaration from the angels, the shepherd said one to another, verse 15, let us now go even unto Bethlehem and see this thing which has come to pass, which the Lord has made known unto us.

And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the babe lying in a manger. When they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

But Mary kept these things and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen as it was told unto them. Let's pray.

Our Father in heaven, it is our desire as we come and gather this morning in this class that we might be able to learn something from you. The shepherds were so amazed. And they were so much in wonder at what you had shown them through the visitation of the angel and then the multitude of hosts, proclaiming this good tidings, letting it be known to them what it is that you desired for them to know concerning the birth of Christ, the coming of the Messiah, the coming of the Savior of the world.

For your word says, unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And they heard it. And they saw this. And it affected their lives. And they did something about it.

And their lives were changed. They were gripped by the truth. They did not carry the truth about with them and manipulate it. It manipulated them and changed them so much and affected them that their hearts were warmed.

And they needed to go and proclaim and herald and broadcast what they had heard and seen. Help us to be faithful witnesses also, Lord, this week and in this season as we worship you, as we adore you, as we lift our hearts in praise and wonder even today.

But even this week, as we have opportunities to get together with friends and family, help us to open our mouths and to speak those things which we know concerning Christ, concerning the salvation which is in Jesus alone.

And this morning, particularly in this class, I pray, oh God, that you would teach us something that maybe we have not seen before or really considered. And it may be deeply impressive upon our hearts and minds.

We pray and ask this for the glory of Christ in his precious name. Amen. So what I'd like to do this morning is to take a look at this song, Hark the Herald Angels Sing, written by Wesley. And I'm going to read it through.

And then I'm going to take a break here. And I'm going to give you an opportunity to find biblical truth in this song. And what's interesting, Naomi was taking in her last semester at college, a course in hymnology and worship, was it Naomi?

Hymnology and worship, where they would look at songs and compare them and see why is this song good or profitable and why is this one not so good? And a lot of it, of course, has to do with the truth that's being declared through that song.

And it's so important to us because we're going to sing this song. No doubt you already have sung this song this year and songs like it. You're going to hear it, I believe, is Brother Brian in here? I believe you're going to hear this from the trumpet this morning, right?

You're going to play in the medley that you have of songs. And you know, I've said this before and you've heard it, that sometimes we can just go through the motions and it can be very mechanical. But the words are there and they gripped Wesley.

And his heart was so moved that he penned these words. And no doubt, he didn't make this up. It comes from scripture. And I'm going to give you the challenge to see how much you can find in these verses that are here.

I can see pens going here and there. Somebody's getting a jump on it. But I want to read this. 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 triumphs of the skies. With angelic hosts proclaim, Christ is born in Bethlehem. Hark, the herald angels sing. Glory to the newborn king. And the second line, 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 men to dwell, Jesus our Emmanuel.

I'll just skip the refrain. Nonetheless, hail the heaven-born prince of peace. Hail the son 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 shall may die. Born to raise the sons of earth. Born to give them second birth. Hark, the herald angels sing. Glory to the newborn king. Some of you, it might be difficult to engage this morning.

Some had coffee, some did not. But give it your best shot. And I'll give you about 10 minutes. I want you to see what you can find in here as far as biblical truth. If you need, you're going to need something to write with.

Even if you just underline the words so that you can see. See how many things that you underline that deal with biblical truth, biblical doctrine. There are quite a number of them. I'll give you a little hint for those of you that try to hit the goal.

In just my quick run through, I know that there are 30 plus. So let's see what you hit, see what you find. I'll give you about 10 minutes. And then we'll discuss these. Because I don't know how it's going to come across.

But we can turn it on if it's, if we don't catch anything, we can just skip it. But we'll see how it goes, OK? You can turn me back on when I get up there. I'll give you another minute. I know some of you are probably thinking there's, you know, is there like a, if you get the most, do you get a Geneva Bible or something?

Or a new card? No, nothing being given out this morning other than hopefully you'll find some treasure there. And I just spoke to somebody this week and was speaking to them about Christianity and the things of the Lord.

And they said, you know, sometimes somebody says something or a phrase or even a word just at times can come home to you. And it just changes your life. And I believe that's why it's so important to be around biblical truth and teaching of the truth of the word of God.

Because it is the word of God which becomes the lamp under our feet and the light under our path. And it is the word of God that can so stir us when it comes and we understand it in our minds. But then when God impresses it upon our hearts, it is life changing.

And something as simple as just looking at, it's not the song itself, but it's what's behind this song. It is steeped in the word of God. It is full. Now, I understand that there could be some of you looking through and say, whoa, wait a minute.

You know, there's things in here that aren't correct either. I mean, right off the bat at the beginning, someone might say, well, I've looked at the scriptures. I've studied something about angels. And I don't see anything in the Bible about them singing.

They don't sing. Well, that's true. They proclaim, though. They do say. They do declare what God, they are angeles, this messenger. They tell people what God wants them to know. But we're not going to go there.

We're not going to dissect and pull it apart. We're going to look. We're going to glean. We're going to try to get something out of this that would help us. And hopefully, when the class is over, we'll say, wow, I didn't realize that I can't sing this song the same ever again.

There is just so much in there that I should be looking at, considering as I'm singing it with my vocal cords, unto the glory of the Lord, this is what I'm singing. And it's just wonderful. And it's amazing.

OK, how many had 1 to 10? 1 to 10, OK. 10 to 20? All right, I see a couple of hands. 20 to 30? OK, a hand. Anybody over 30? All right, it takes a long time to get there. All right. Well, I'm not quite sure.

I told Pastor Steve when I went through this, I'm not quite sure how we're going to do this. I told Naomi on the way in. It's one of those classes where I just kind of shoot from the hip here and see how this goes.

But I think what we'll do is I'm going to hear from you. I'm going to let you tell me what it is that you found as we go through. Maybe I'll read one or two lines. And you can let me know what you found there.

We'll start off from the beginning. Hark, or listen, the herald angels proclaim. We'll just say that, that they're saying. And that's what we saw in Luke chapter 2, where it says that there was a multitude, verse 13, of the heavenly hosts praising God and saying, concerning the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Hark, the herald angels sing. Glory to the newborn King. Did anybody find anything there? Lewis, hand up right out of the gate. Where is he that is born King of the Jews? Has the right to rule because of his birth.

I'm just repeating it for those who might not be able to hear. Right, from the line of David, having the right to rule. Herod hears these wise men come and say, where is he that is born King of the Jews?

Shivers up and down his spine. So much so that Herod, because he wants to worship this child, right, and how he puts it, he kind of frames it. He says, go find out where he is and tell me where he is so that I can come and worship him.

That wasn't what he wanted. He wanted him to be discovered so he could put him to death because he wanted to be in that position of authority and ruling. So born King of the Jews, this line, this idea that is throughout scripture, that through the line of David, that promise would come, he who would rule over all nations.

And through, as we see even back all the way to Abraham, and through his seed shall all the nations of the world be blessed. OK, how about anything else in those? Yes, Anitra, right, he'll reign over that house and his kingdom will have no end.

What is, I mean, not only will he be born king and he has that right to do so, but we worship a king. The king of what? All kings. What does that mean, Jesus being, as it says in Revelation, I believe it's 17, 14, the king of kings?

Handel wrote about that, right? Messiah? What does it mean to be the king of kings? There's no higher. He's the king over all kings. He has supreme, ultimate authority over all and being created, yes.

So we have the kingship. That's Bible truth. That's a Bible doctrine that we could look at and totally expand. Charlie? Right, made higher than the angels. Amen. I was talking to Naomi on the way in, thinking about being king.

And when the world thinks about a king or the president, if the president of the United States, President Bush, were to come to Massachusetts, they block off all the highways. And we have the motorcade.

And we have the dignitaries come out, all the politicians and all the uppity-ups of society that would come together and be able to be around him. And there is pomp and parade. And there is this focus.

And everything is well done. And I'm not discrediting or saying that any of that is bad. But that's how the world would do it. But when God sends his son to be the king, think about this. And you all know this.

You've heard in the scriptures about Christ coming and in his birth. It's lowly. It's in the manger, swaddling clothes. There's nobody of pomp, nobody of circumstance around him. But even at the manger scene, yes.

And at the time, who is it that is told this story or this great news in Luke chapter 2? It's shepherds. And in looking at shepherds, I remember considering and studying, as far as their place in society, it was lowly.

It was so lowly that, and they were of such poor reputation that most shepherds, their testimony was not upheld or would not be taken in a court of law because they could not be trusted. So we have shepherds that are on the scene.

But then even after that, we have the aged. We have a couple of older folks in the scriptures that tells us, as we go on in the story, we have Simeon. And we have Anna in the temple when they bring him eight days later to do what should be done unto him.

And it's not the youth. It's not the color. It's not the throne. And it's not the purple robes. It's God's Son coming humbly to save mankind. And it's totally different than the way man thinks. But God's ways are above our ways.

And we see that as we read this account, that man would not go this route. We would want it to be so much bigger in fireworks and display. But God has his Son coming. And all through, even in his life, we see that he is humble and that he is lowly and that he is not seeking for his own, but he's seeking to promote his Father's will.

Reconciliation Between God and Sinners

OK, anything else in those? We've got to go on. We've got 30 lines. And we've made two. How about three and four? Peace on earth and mercy mild. God and sinners reconciled. What do we got there, Steve?

Amen. All right. Anything else there? Yes, Fred. I mean, there is something about a common mercy and grace of God to allow everybody to breathe his air, to drink his fluids, to wear his clothes, to live in his houses, to walk upon his earth, and for everyone to be sustained by the hand of God.

But when it comes to this peace that you have with God and the peace of God can only come through the cross of Jesus Christ, through a relationship with God, when something else that takes place here that God does in one of these two lines that I read, but it is not with all.

It is certainly only with his very own. What is it that I'm looking for in line four? What has to take place? What's the biblical doctrine? Come on, somebody raise their hand. Somebody tell me. Naomi, say it louder.

Reconciliation. Reconciliation. That sounds like a big word, but it's a biblical doctrine. In the Greek, it means to effect a change. It means to reconcile. It means to bring together, to bring about some type of change.

What change has to be taking place? What is in the line that tells you there are opposites? What are the two words in that line where there's two opposing sides? One is who? God, and who is the other?

Sinners. God and sinners. Holy God, sinful man. Perfect God, imperfect man. God, who is so holy that he cannot look upon sin, and man who, like Job says, drinks sin like water. Takes it in. And it controls him, and he's passionate about it.

And God is passionate about holiness, and perfection, and purity. And there is this, as Romans 8 says, there's an enmity. There is a warfare. It says, even while we were yet what? Sinners. Christ died for us in Romans 5.

And it also says, while we were his enemies, the enemies of God. Not that God has done anything. He is the same. He has never changed. He's always holy, but man is at warfare with God. And we are the one who are at enmity or at warfare.

There is a hostility. There is a wall between God and sinners. And something must take place. There's nothing man can do. There's nothing you and I can do. It's not like we can work up some type of gift that we can give to God to be acceptable.

There's no work of righteousness that we can do that would be acceptable before the Lord. And God, that what reconciliation is, is God initiating a change in that relationship. This is something that God initiates.

Sinful man is the object of God's reconciliation. Second Corinthians 5, it says that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself. God's doing the reconciliation. And that reconciliation comes through the work of God, through the work of Jesus Christ upon the cross, and God changing the situation to where he makes his enemies his friends.

And we become the friends of God when God saves our souls. And it's this bringing together. Now, you could just stop there and you can say, whew, that's great. We went out to a restaurant last night. I think some of you might know what restaurant this is.

If you have high blood pressure and you don't like a lot of noise, you don't go to this restaurant. But we went there for my son's Noah's birthday tomorrow. He's a quarter of a century old today. Quarter of a century old today, I tell him that, because it makes it sound a whole lot worse.

This makes me sound a whole lot better from where I am, too, because I'm over twice that. And when it's somebody's birthday, you have to get up off your seat and you have to sit on this saddle. And then they get everybody in the whole area going.

And they say, give it a big Texas hoo-ha or whatever. And everybody gets excited about that. You're not even in the party and you get excited about it and you do that. I wonder why sometimes it's so difficult for the people of God to get excited about the things of God.

When it comes to God reconciling sinners, I'm not saying that you should be standing up and shouting and running up and down the chairs or up and down the aisles or whatever. But inside, could we not just go, hoo-ha.

God is so good to us. We could have been left in that situation unreconciled, running away from God, with this warfare still there and the judgment of God fall upon us. But God reconciles us through Jesus Christ.

God and sinners reconcile. Boy, we've got to go on. Joyful all ye nations, rise. Join the triumph of the skies with angelic hosts proclaim, Christ is born in Bethlehem. Anything there? Anybody see anything there?

All right, universal worship, yes. I mean, God commands all men everywhere to what? To repent. And that would be in Acts chapter 7, verse 13. We ought to repent. 1 John chapter 3, God commands everybody to believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ.

And in Psalm 67, verse 4, let the nations be glad. We're to worship. We ought to be worshipers of God. Steve? Prince of Peace, in that time and where there is no more war, and he will be worshiped. And he is.

Do you realize that you were created to be worshipers of God? In Revelation 4, it says that we are and were created for his pleasure. And we are to be a people who are to be worshiping the Lord and giving him homage and adoration and praise.

How about line 8? Christ is born in Bethlehem. Bruce? Micah 5 .2. Micah 5 .2. Amen. It says in that verse, hundreds of years before the birth of Christ, what is that when we think of Bible truth? What is it?

Begins with a P. Prophecy. Hundreds of years before, the place of his birth was announced. And we see it as we read in the New Testament, he's born in Bethlehem. That's, as they say in California, pretty amazing.

I mean, that's wonderful. God doing that. Think of a Bible prophecy of the seed of a woman, Genesis chapter 3, verse 15. Of the tribe of Judah, Genesis 49 .10. Heir of the throne of David, Isaiah 9 .7.

The place of his birth, Micah 5 .2. Born of a virgin, Isaiah 7 .14. He'd be a prophet, Deuteronomy 18 .15. Priest, Psalm 110, verse 4. Rejected by the Jews, Isaiah 53. His triumphant entry, Zechariah 9 .9.

Betrayed by a friend, Psalm 41, verse 9. Sold for 30 pieces of silver, Zechariah 11, verse 12. Falsely accused, silent when accused, smitten and spit upon, crucified, his hands and feet pierced. Praise for his enemies, his side is pierced.

The soldiers cast lots for his coat. Not a bone in his body would be broken. He'd be buried with the rich. He would be resurrected and he would ascend into heaven. And that is only about 20 out of 300 prophecies concerning the first coming of Jesus Christ.

And they all took place. And we see it here, as Wesley put it in the song so wonderfully, Christ, the Messiah, the anointed one, born in Bethlehem. Okay, we gotta go on to the second grouping. Christ by highest heaven adored, Christ the everlasting Lord.

What did it say in your verse, Bruce? About from, right, from everlasting and from old. What is this speaking of here? The eternality of our God. Jesus didn't just come on the scene when he was born. Some think that's the beginning of Christ.

Always and ever was before the Father, as it says in the scripture. Anything else in those lines? Christ the everlasting, what about that last word? Some people don't like that word. The lordship of Christ.

We don't make him Lord. Acts chapter two, verse 36 or verse 38 says that same Christ which you crucified, God has made him both Lord and Christ. The lordship of Christ. He's to rule over us. And if Christ is not ruling over your life, and if he is not master, and if he is not supreme, and if he is not your king, then you do not have the savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, because you can't parse him out.

You can't say, I'll have the mess, my savior, but I will not take and bow my knee to him. You must come into that relationship where you bow the knee and Christ is Lord over all. Late in time, behold him come.

Ooh, here comes a good one. Verse 14, offspring of a virgin's womb. What do we have there? The virgin birth. And we see that in Matthew chapter one, if you'd like to turn there. In Matthew chapter one and in verse 18, now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise when his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph or engaged to be married to Joseph before they came together or before they had relations.

She was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Joseph was gonna put her away secretly, but the angel comes to him in verse 20 and says, fear not, take unto thee Mary thy wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

Verse 21, and she shall bring forth a son and thou shall call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done that it might be fulfilled, which was spoken to the Lord by the prophet saying, behold, a virgin shall be with child and shall bring forth a son and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted as God with us.

Isaiah 7 .14, that's the quote there, the virgin birth. What is so unique about that? It is just the fact, right? I mean, typically, humanly speaking, we must have a man and woman having relations and the baby to be conceived and brought forth.

Bruce? Correct, yeah. You have that idea of the sin being passed down through the fatherly line, but here we have God, the Holy Spirit, overshadowing, coming upon her and this wonderful event takes place and the son of God is conceived and born.

His name shall be called Jesus and he will be the one that will save his people from their sins, great. Verse 15, veiled in flesh, the Godhead see, hail the incarnate deity. Look at the words that are there.

It's just, as some would say, it's just pregnant with words, these phrases. John 1 .1, in the beginning was the word, the word was with God and the word was God, right? And the word became flesh and dwelt among men, verse 14.

Steve, was your hand up or? 1 Corinthians 2 .9, the wonderful counselor, the everlasting father, the prince of peace, right? Amen, Isaiah 9 .6. Great, deity, God, veiled in flesh, God coming, God incarnate, God clothing himself with flesh and pleased as man with men to dwell, Jesus, our Emmanuel.

I read in Matthew 1 .21, shall bring forth a son and he will call his name Jesus. Yahweh saves, for he shall save his people from their sins, Jesus, the name of Christ. And then we have this word, Emmanuel.

Isn't that rich? Isn't that wonderful? And the Bible tells us right in the scripture in Matthew 1 .23, his name shall be called Emmanuel which being interpreted is God with us. I wrote a note in my margin and it says, Jesus is the word made flesh living among us.

By his essence and attributes, God is to be feared. By creation, God is above us. By the law of God, it appears that God is against us. By the coming of Jesus, we have God with us. That's wonderful. God purposing to come and dwell among us and to do something about the state that we can't get ourselves out of, the state of lostness.

And he comes and he sends his son to save us. Well, I gotta really wrap this up quick. I'm gonna open it up just in the last section. Anybody find anything there in any line? Verses 21 to 30. Yes, Pat.

Philippians 2, mildly lays his glory by, right? He humbles himself, he leaves that relationship eternally with the father and the presence of the father takes on flesh. That has a big word for it, doesn't it?

Doctrinal word for it. Pastor Steve, you went to seminary. What's that word? Kenosis, see? It's, I would have prompted you. What else do we see here? Prince of Peace. Royal title, right? Anitra, amen.

And it's, you know, it's the birth of Christ and in it, through it, so that we may not die. Jesus says to Martha and Mary, on the resurrection of life, he that believeth on me, if you die, yet shall you live.

And what's this whole idea of dying? Behind this must be, there's a judgment upon sin. And the wages of sin is death. And so that is kind of implied here, that there is something due us, death, because of the sin, born to raise the sons of earth.