Scripture
“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 Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, 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, and on earth peace, good will toward men. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And 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 all 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.”
LUKE 2:8-20 (KJV/Linus from Peanuts Version)
Quotes/Color
“Enemy-occupied territory–that is what this world is. Christianity is the story of how the rightful king has landed, you might say landed in disguise, and is calling us to take part in a great campaign of sabotage.”
C.S. Lewis
“Our Lord died and rose not only for all of us, but also for each of us.”
Antonin Scalia
Song: The First Nowell (start at 4:30)
Context
My favorite Christmas Song of all time is the choral/orchestral arrangement of The First Nowell, arranged by Mack Wilberg, bar none. Sorry Mariah.
No song more clearly embodies Christmas than this one. I strongly STRONGLY recommend listening to it (link attached above). We sang this song annually in our “Christmas at Baylor” event in my time with the Baylor Men’s Choir – it always stole the show.
The reason I love it so dearly is for a couple of reasons:
- It explains the gospel of Jesus Christ, pure and simple. Particularly in the third verse. Really listen to the words, they are excellent.
- More than just the words, it is musically unparalleled. While the lyrics are great, they can only communicate so much… The orchestra, choir and the arrangement take the song to new heights and lead you to feel and know the story of Jesus in a way that words alone can’t achieve.
The men lead off the first verse, strong but reverent:
The First Nowell, the angels did say
Was to certain poor shepherd in fields as they lay
In fields where they lay keeping their sheep
On a cold winter’s night that was so deep
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born is the King of Israel!
“Can you believe it! The Savior has come – He is born in Israel!”
Then the men pass their anticipation of the Savior’s birth to the women as they lead the second verse gently. All the while, the orchestra swells in a melancholy way in the background. (“Why melancholy? The King has come!”)
They looked up and saw a star
Sining in the East beyond them far
And to the earth it gave great light
And so it continued both day and night
Noel, Noel (x6)
Born in the King of Israel!
And as soon as the ladies finish the second verse, the orchestra swells with incredible strength. Playing a fill so melancholy, but also so warm. Building in power! Building in anticipation! With each and every note! Until! Both men and women join in singing verse 3…
Then let us all, with one accord sing praises to our Heavenly Lord
That hath made heav’n and earth of naught,
And with His blood mankind hath bought
Noel, Noel,
Noel, Noel,
Born is the King of Israel!
And suddenly, as both the men and the women come together in celebration and anticipation, we are reminded why the song is both melancholy and warm.
The Warmth – Christ has come!
The Melancholy – He didn’t just arrive… He was sent. With a purpose and mission in mind. To put us in right standing before God. And it would come at a high price – his life.
No song better encapsulates both our great need for Christ’s arrival and our great joy in His love for us. There’s a melancholy and a warmth. The melancholy represents our great need for Christ. The warmth represents the incredible sacrificial love we are covered with in His coming.
Application
Verse 3 is the application for the season of Christmas…
Let us all, with one accord sing praises to our Heavenly Lord
That hath made heav’n and earth of naught,
And with His blood mankind hath bought
Gather together and exchange presents and wear matching PJ’s and enjoy the warmth of family and community together. But more than anything, come together in one accord and thank God for sending us His Son.
Why Christ Came…
Christ looked down from heaven and saw your (you, personally) best efforts to live a life that would satisfy God’s holy standard. And when He did this, He was deeply saddened to see that even your best effort was not enough to satisfy a perfectly holy God. So, loving us so deeply that He could not stand us to be separated from God, He moved in compassion towards us and was sent as a baby on a “sabotage mission” to save you. And He did! If you trust Him as your Savior.
Jesus left the halls of heaven for the barn stalls of Bethlehem with you and I in mind. And that is worth celebrating.
Something to Chew On:
- The Greatest Christmas Song of All Time (sorry Mariah): The First Nowell – start at 4:30 🙂
GreatValue Proverb:
“The gospel is this: We are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared believe, yet at the very same time we are more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope.” – Tim Keller