OK, I know it's not Christmas yet, despite what retail outlets would have us believe, but this is a piece of music whose message is relevant every day of every year.
This carol, with O Come All Ye Faithful, shares the top place in my list of favourite hymns. It was written by Charles Wesley (1739) with music by Mendelssohn (1855). A great hymn writer teaming up with a great composer! Wikipedia quotes a source placing it in the four greatest Anglican Hymns.
I've loved this hymn since I can't remember when. Probably 4 or 5. For many years I never understood the key Christian messages in the words. Kings, Princes, Angels, Heaven were the words I liked. And that's the point Dr Ligon Duncan makes in his sermon on Hark the Herald Angels Sing. We need to understand the meaning behind the carols we sing at Christmas.
He makes two further important points:
- we want these carols to serve as a window onto the biblical story.
- we want the Scripture itself to illumine our singing of these carols, our using of these carols as praise to sing to God.
Ligon gives a line-by-line explanation of the carol with links to the many scripture verses that back up the lyrics. Well worth reading!
Some of the words I find easier to understand than others. Here are some that I've stumbled over with snippets from Ligon's sermon explaining what they really mean...:
- Christ, by highest heaven adored…
- ...this Messiah is worshipped by the greatest created beings in the world. He's saying, ‘Think of it! This babe in a manger in Bethlehem has been adored by the greatest created beings that exist. They worship Him: Christ, the everlasting Lord.’ What's he saying? That this Messiah is no mere earthly king; rather, He is the incarnate eternal Lord of the universe...
- Late in time behold Him come…
- He's not saying that Jesus was late showing up; he's not saying that He missed His schedule. He's saying that now, after many hundreds of years of His people's waiting, at the right time, the time of God's appointment,
- Veiled in flesh the Godhead see…
- ...he means that in Him, in Jesus Christ, you behold the Godhead: the fullness of deity in bodily form.
- Hail the incarnate Deity…
- ...when you greet Him, when you hail Him, when you honor Him, when you acclaim Him, when you acknowledge Him; when you do so, own Him as God in the flesh...
- Pleased as man with men to dwell….
- ...Christ in His mercy has been pleased–that is, He has chosen of His own will–to dwell with us, like us, in a fallen world, as a human being...
- Mild He lays His glory by…
- He emptied Himself and made Himself of no reputation” on our behalf…
- Born to raise the sons of earth…
- He was born to raise us to newness of life, as Romans 6 says.
- Born to give them second birth
- ...Jesus was born that we might be born again, that we might be regenerated, that we might be renewed and transformed.
His final word comes from Luke 14... "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
III. Peace on earth among men with whom He is pleased.
Thirdly and finally, notice that very interesting phrase at the end of verse 14: “Peace on earth among men with whom He is pleased.” Now, many of you will remember the King James: “Peace on earth, good will towards men.” But many of you will have other translations in front of you, and they all will say something a little bit different. Some of them will say something like this: “Peace towards those upon whom God's favor rests.” And some will say: “Peace towards men of good will.” And some will say: “Peace towards men with whom God is well pleased.”
It's difficult to know exactly how to translate the phrase, but you see what all of those modern translations are getting at: this is not a generic announcement. This is an announcement for people who believe the message. It is not that there is peace for everyone. No. Those who are indifferent to this announcement, those who are indifferent to this Christ, to this Savior, there is no peace and joy for them.
This peace is only for those on whom God's favor rests, for those who have rested and trusted in Jesus Christ alone for salvation as He is offered in the gospel. And so don't go through this Christmas season, with all its sentiment and all its memories, without embracing the only One who can give you peace on this earth and forevermore: Jesus, the Christ.
And here is my favourite rendering of this beautiful carol. Arranged by David Downes whose musical career began by trying to play tunes he'd heard at a Catholic Mass.and sung meaningfully by three ladies, at least one of which is a Christian.
Here are the original words Wesley wrote (taken from Wikipedia)...
"Hymn for Christmas-Day"
(Charles Wesley, 1739)
HARK how all the Welkin rings
"Glory to the King of Kings,
"Peace on Earth, and Mercy mild,
"GOD and Sinners reconcil'd!
Joyful all ye Nations rise,
Join the Triumph of the Skies,
Universal Nature say
"CHRIST the LORD is born to Day!
CHRIST, by highest Heav'n ador'd,
CHRIST, the Everlasting Lord,
Late in Time behold him come,
Offspring of a Virgin's Womb.
Veil'd in Flesh, the Godhead see,
Hail th' Incarnate Deity!
Pleas'd as Man with Men t' appear
JESUS, our Immanuel here!
Hail the Heav'nly Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and Life to All he brings,
Ris'n 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.
Come, Desire of Nations, come,
Fix in Us thy humble Home,
Rise, the Woman's Conqu'ring Seed,
Bruise in Us the Serpent's Head.
Now display thy saving Pow'r,
Ruin'd Nature now restore,
Now in Mystic Union join
Thine to Ours, and Ours to Thine.
Adam's Likeness, LORD, efface,
Stamp thy Image in its Place,
Second Adam from above,
Reinstate us in thy Love.
Let us Thee, tho' lost, regain,
Thee, the Life, the Inner Man:
O! to All Thyself impart,
Form'd in each Believing Heart.
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