Raising Lazarus

The First Nöel

we’ve all heard the song haven’t we?

“The First Noel the angels did say

was to certain poor shepherds in fields where they lay”

Did you know this is a very old song?

It was first sung outside churches, somewhere around the 13th or 14th centuries in Cornwall - that’s south east England. And now, all over the world.

But am I the only one who has sung this song, upteen times (once for every year I’ve been alive)

Who has never had the slightest idea what that first sentence means?

“The First Nöel the angels did say was to certain poor shepherds in fields where they lay.”

And then we say “noel” a bunch more times… Noel Noel Noel Noel, born is the king of Israel.

And Why No “L” … why not No “P”…? Bad joke.

But… well what’s a nöel to start with?

Well many smart people will say it comes from the French word for Christmas.

so taking that for the meaning it would be, “the first christmas the angels did say, was to certain poor shepherds in fields where they lay…”

So does it mean that the angels are saying the story of the first christmas? Which the shepherds witnessed?

Perhaps this is the case, though—I can’t remember the passage where angels recount the story, but maybe.

There’s another option though. You see, this is an old song, and it comes from around the same time that Geoffrey Chaucer was writing. Do you know Chaucer? Canterbury Tales?

And he used this word Nowell in the common way it was used when our carol was written—in the Franklin’s Tale.

And he didn’t use it to mean Christmas or birthday, but instead it was a cry of joy and delight and …. excitement. Perhaps at great news, or festive occasion, or in the context he used it, … of great beauty as it walks into the room. Let’s see if it fits:

“the first cry of great joy the angels did say, was to certain poor shepherds in fields where they lay” Possible?

I think we would need to check the account in Luke’s gospel to see if the angels give such a cry.

open your Bibles to Luke chapter 2, and verse 13 and 14

Joseph and Mary have just wrapped their beautiful baby boy in cloths and lain him in a manger, while shepherds are in a field watching their sheep and an angel appears:

Luke 2:13–14 “Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.””

Sounds like a Nowell to me! The angels go on to make many Noel’s, but the first one the angels did say was to certain poor shepherds in fields where they lay.

The Carol will go on sing it’s own Noel: “born is the king of Israel!”

and then… make many mistakes in the timeline of events along the way.

We’re going to look at one or two of this mild mistakes, before consulting Hebrews 1 to see what it gets very very right.

What it gets wrong…

First a couple of things it gets wrong. For one, Jesus was most likely born in September - so not in Israel’s winter, but Israel’s Autumn … temps around 30 degrees C in Isreal that time of year.

but the song says, “On a cold winters night that was so deep”

(Now for reasons why we know this, feel free to ask me after—but it has to do with what we know about when John the Baptist was born, and the fact of the shepherds being out in the fields in the first place.)

But then the next mistake it makes is in what the song says in the very next stanza: Shepherds watching their sheep…

“They looked up and saw a star…”

Who is they? Is it the shepherds? How do they know? We’re never told the shepherds saw the star that the Magi saw (the wise men), but then we go on to the next verse we’re told the magi are looking up at the same star… poetic licence I guess,

But then, another mistake, it says that it was three wise men (magi) who came to Jesus… but if you read Matthew 2 you’ll find we’re never told how many they were. Only three gifts.

okay now that I’ve satisfied my deep desire to get things right!\

What it gets right!

what is the song good for? Well it draws our attention to something that really is worth celebrating.

Something really worthy of raising our Noel.

It all comes together in the last stanza:

“Then let us all with one accord Sing praises to our heavenly Lord That hath made Heaven and earth of naught And with his blood mankind hath bought

Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel! Born is the king of Israel.”

This is a thoroughly biblical verse of the song, that doesn’t just tell us king Jesus was born, but why the king was born Why he is worthy of our worship. For He created all things … and with his blood, he bought us—he ransomed us and gave us life.

And We can see just about every idea present in Hebrews 1. Turn with me there now.

See if you can catch all these themes in these three short verses.

Hebrews 1:1–3 NIV

In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.

So there we have the first idea: in these last days God has spoken to us by his Son whom he appointed the heir of all things. It’s this one who sits at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.

What sort of title do you give to the one who is the heir of all things? Who sits enthroned in the heavenly places?

Isn’t this the KING?

And how is this King described?

He is described as the Son—more than a prophet, but the very Son of God. Have you wondered about God? What he is like, or whether he exists at all?

Look at the way the Son is described: He is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being.

If this is true, then if you look at Jesus, whom do you see? … You see God himself.

The God who made all things — see it there? The Son is he “through whom also he made the universe”… who is “sustaining all things by his powerful word.”

There is something important this teaches us. About Jesus.

You see, Some people think Jesus is God’s first creation—Or that Jesus was simply a very good teacher.

But look what it says, the universe was made through him, and through his Word, the Son sustains all things.

It means, Jesus pre-existed his birth. God the Son is God. He is the exact representation of the being of God. He IS the radiance of God’s glory.

God is One. And eternally exists in three persons: Father, Son and Spirit.

If you’ve read Genesis what does it say? In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And how did he create those things? ...

He Spoke. God spoke creation into being. He said “Let there be light” and his very Word brought forth light.

Now what does this passage reveal? It reveals that the Word of God through whom God created is not a what, but a who—it is God the Son.

God spoke at creation, and God spoke from afar through the prophets… But God came near to speak again.

In these last days God has spoken by the same Word through whom he made the Universe.

God has come near and he has spoken “Life” — that is what Christmas is all about.

The creator God coming near in the Son, only to die a criminal’s death on a cross of wood he created.

Think about what that means for the next part.

“Sustaining all things by the his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down”

I’m reminded of another song … we sometimes sing.

See Him there upon the cross

Now no longer breathing

Dust that formed the watching crowds

Takes the blood of Jesus

It’s preposterous!

That the Creature—we created of dust—would mock and attempt the murder of the eternal Creator, in taking his blood.

And yet, it was in this act… that Christ defeated sin once and for all.

There is nothing left to do!

“After he had provided purification for sins…” what did he do? He sat down.

It’s the picture of a King, defeating the enemies of the nation and then sitting, enthroned to rule.

Our Response?

How do we respond? Here is a start:

Noel Noel Noel Noel! We raise our Noels and join with the Angels:

Born is the King of Israel!

We can respond by praising his name, because … he is worthy of our praise.

But there’s another way we need to respond.

… and that is by placing our faith in the Son. In what he’s done to bring peace.

My hope is that as we sing this song, we wouldn’t get distracted by the poetic mistakes, but would be moved by the love of God.

The love of a creator God who would lower himself to enter our world as a child, and yet be in that moment and every next moment sustaining the very world he entered by the word of his power.

That’s the baby that was born.

And This God was actively sustaining the world he created even as that world tried to destroy him—and today, even as we say together “God is Dead”

This God seeks reconciliation and peace and bought it at the price of his death on a cross.

Would you respond today?

Would you say with me sorry for my sin, thank you for paying the debt I owe, now please live as my King.

If that’s you, from now on you can sing it like you mean it: Noel Noel Noel Noel: Born is the King of Israel!