The Angels' Song

The Angels’ Song

Luke 2:1-20

Merry Christmas!

Grace, Mercy, and Peace be unto you all this Christmas morning, in the name of Jesus whom we celebrate His birth!

This morning we are continuing our sermon series on the Christmas playlist—songs that center around the birth of Christ. This morning we are looking at the Angels’ song in Luke 2.

There is a lot of power in song. Brain research says that music can heal and soothe. Educators for a long time now have used song and rhymes to help their students memorize key information.

Yes, there is power in song and in music!

My good friend, Scott Fogo, who is the Executive Director of LEAH Schools of which Lutheran South Academy is a part of recently started one of our Heads of Schools meetings with a devotion about songs and music. He said that he has a great appreciation of music even though he himself is not musically talented. I could say the same thing about me! O, I can hum a tune in my mind with the best of them, but I could not carry tune to save my soul. Thank God Jesus does that!

Last night, eleven of us huddled together in our tiny house watching old family movies from 17 years ago when my oldest son Jonah just turned 4 and Eli was on the verge of turning 3. Watching those old videos made me realize that I’m a lot like my son Jonah who in those videos would play hard and then just stop what he was doing and pause and contemplate. He was probably thinking in his mind his next superhero move he wanted to show all of us. Yes, I’m a lot like Jonah, and like him, I just think and think and think.

For example, I love to walk. I love to be outside. And as I walk outside, I often look at my surroundings and think about what the soundtrack might sound like to highlight all that I am seeing and experiencing.

I wonder what the soundtrack of creation sounded like? Was it peaceful and soothing and tranquil as new life came into existence with God’s melodic voice saying “Let there be…” and it was so? Or, was it intense and loud and fast with all the changes taking place as God’s voice thundered things into existence?

What was the soundtrack like when the fall occurred? When Adam and Eve fell into temptation? When everything changed? Was it like a funeral dirge? Was it like a horror film?

What did it sound like when the Israelites fled Egypt during the Exodus? Was it music like you were being chased? Was it like the Chariots of Fire as they fled away in victory?

O, yes, there is power in music. Just look at the walls of Jericho. They came crashing down at the Lord’s command with music and marching.

And there is power in the Angels’ song.

Jesus had just been born. Jesus, the incarnate Son of God—God in the flesh—the promised Messiah—the King of Kings and Lord of Lords had just been born. There most certainly was joy being expressed through all of Heaven…

…and here on Earth came the announcement by the Angels.

The Angels—a multitude of heavenly host and God’s army—praised God singing, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” (Luke 2:14)

So, what is the power of their song?

The power of the Angels’ song—the Gloria in Excelsis—is found in their audience and in their message.

Isn’t it remarkable to whom the Angels sang their song? It’s quite paradoxical actually…but then again, Jesus is quite paradoxical, isn’t He?

· True and total God yet true and total man

· Almighty and infinite and eternal God taking on flesh and being born a man

· The King of Kings who wasn’t born in a palace but rather in a lowly stable

· The Good Shepherd who is also the sacrificial lamb

· The boy carpenter who fashioned items out of wood died by being nailed and fashioned to a wooden cross

· Pure, perfect, and innocent yet declared a sinner and crucified for us in our place

· Told at His baptism, “this is my Son with whom I am well pleased” yet forsaken by His Father on the cross so that we would never be forsaken

And so, it is fitting that the announcement of Jesus’ birth is not broadcast to kings or rulers or the religious elite or the wealthy socialites—No—the birth announcement is sung by Angels to lowly Shepherds…

…Yes, Shepherds…the unschooled, the poor, the dirty, the uncultured, the unclean, the religious outcasts…

In some cultures, shepherding was an act of punishment for being sentenced for committing a crime. In some cultures, a shepherd’s testimony would not be allowed in court.

So, why the shepherds? Because the message of Jesus is for all. Because Jesus re-connects us and restores our broken relationship with the Father. Because God uses weakness to show His strength. Because God uses the lowly to lift up high. Because God uses the ordinary to do the extraordinary. Because God uses the common to become the uncommon. Because God uses simple people like the shepherds and you and me to tell the world of His wonder!

The Angels sang their message of Jesus’ birth giving praise and glory and honor to God in the highest while announcing to the lowly shepherds that Jesus is here and He brings peace.

Jesus came to earth to reclaim the fallen creation and to rescue fallen man. He came for the sick and despised, the prodigal and the weak, the lost and the downtrodden. Jesus came for you and for me.

And, that is why a multitude of the Heavenly Host came forward—No…not a choir of Angels—but rather, a warrior army. Look at what was at stake—God in the flesh—He Himself came taking on human flesh to redeem a people for Himself and to redeem indeed the entire created order from the curse of sin.

Satan certainly would not have liked that. He would have heard first hand from God in the Garden that the Messiah—the Savior—would come to crush his head. Satan would have arrayed his forces to do battle against the Christ and against the army of God.

This is war. Spiritual war. A fight over souls. A fight over all that was and is and shall be.

And, so the paradox continues as the Heavenly Host—a warrior army of Angels prepared for battle—sing a message of peace.

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” (Luke 2:14)

Peace?

There had not been peace since Adam and Eve fell into sin and the entire created world fell under the curse of sin.

So, what is this peace?

The world would want us to believe that peace is armistice—no more fighting between nations. It would want us to believe that peace is tranquility between men and the freedom from strife and struggle and suffering. Even though we would welcome that kind of peace, that is not what the Angels sang about.

Yes, I will tell you what this peace is NOT…

…For over 2000 years we have understood that there is not peace between nations…that all men will get along. No. We are actually told in Matthew 24 from Jesus Himself, “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet.” (Matthew 24:6)

…And this peace that the Angels sing of is not an absence of struggle or suffering. No. Again, we are told from Jesus Himself in John 16:33 that “I have said these things to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

So, this peace that the Angels declare is what is fulfilled in Jesus the Christ, the Prince of Peace. This peace is found in Him and found through Him. This peace is all of the promises of God coming to fruition and completion…

…this is the peace that is Jesus crushing the head of the serpent—the peace of victory for us and the world

…this is the peace that is Jesus leading us out of the captivity of sin—the peace of redemption for us and the world

…this is the peace that is Jesus connecting Himself to us in His Incarnation—the peace of connection for us and the world

…and because of His Incarnation and taking on human flesh and becoming true man, this is the peace that is Jesus identifying with us with every temptation we face or suffering we experience—the peace knowing we are not alone for us and the world

…this is the peace that is Jesus weeping with us at the death of a loved one like He did at the death of Lazarus, His friend—the peace of the resurrection for us and the world as Jesus conquers the grave and brings new life

…this is the peace that is Jesus begging God the Father to forgive us because of our ignorance—the peace of atonement for us and the world

…this is the peace that is Jesus sending us the Counselor—the Holy Spirit—to journey a fallen yet redeemed life with us until Jesus the Christ comes again to take us to the place that He has prepared for us—the peace on earth for those with whom he is pleased

Remember those home videos I mentioned earlier? I guess I’m a lot like my other son, Eli, too. Those videos showed him at just before the age of 3 learning to swim. And, even though he had his arm floaties on, he needed to know he was jumping into the pool of water into my arms. This is the peace that is knowing we are jumping into the arms of a loving God. And just like in those videos I would pull my arms back and allow Eli to go under the water to force him to swim to me, I would reach out and pick him up out of the water when he could not do it on his own. This is the peacewhen our loving God picks us up in our time of struggle just as Jesus reached out and delivered a drowning Peter who began to struggle after having walked on water.

My friends, this is the peace of Christmas. Jesus has come. God is with us O Emmanuel. Victory is ours to share because of Jesus and all that He does and all that He fulfills.

Praise be to God for the gift of Jesus! Glory to God in the highest for this blessed gift of His Son!

And, it is this gift of Jesus that we can only ever experience true peace.

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” (Luke 2:14)

This song from the Angels is for you and me and all who put their trust in Jesus! Amen!