Sermon Tone Analysis

Songs of Christmas

3 goals in mind

to understand the carols that you hear this time of the year

to help understand these hymns thru the lens of the Bible

to let the scriptures illuminate our sing in praises to God

originally there were 10 stanzas 4 lines each. it was published in 1739 was written by Charles Wesley

A curious mixture of exclamation, exhortation, and theological reflection.

the music that these words was penned to is quit comical since Mendelssohn wrote that the tune would “never do to sacred words”.

in 1856 William Cummings adapted the tune to Wesleys text

originally it began with, “Hark, how all the welkin [heaven/sky] rings.”

In 1753, George Whitefield altered that line to “Hark!

The herald angels sing,” and his first line and title have been used ever since.”

welkin = totality of the inhabited universe giving glory to God

“Hark the Herald Angels Sing”

the beginning of this song is begging us to ask, what did they sing?

What could have been so great to cause the heavens and the angels to sing?

“Glory to the newborn king” = glory to God in the highest

Rev.

Is Jesus King of your life this morning?

Is he king of your heart, is he king of your mind, is he king of your life?

He he reigning and ruling ever ounce of you being.

Who are you obeying the king of kings and Lord of Lords are you obeying the flesh, the world, yourself?

the prophesied king came in the one we know as Jesus and he came for me and for you to bring

“peace on earth and mercy mild” - Jesus coming to earth is a message of peace and not war

Peter came preaching...

peace with what and to who?

peace with what and to who?

Eph.

2:

specifically in the hymn he is referring to the reconciliation of man to God.

What a wonderful reason for the heavens to be rejoicing for the king has come to reconcile the world thru himself.

and so the hymn now turns and exhorts us to respond just like the heavens responded.

“joyful all ye nations rise” - our response to this kind of message ought to be for us to stand up in joyous awe and praise to God. we should give God praise, glory, adoration.

The joy the happiness and excitement that these words should raise up in our hearts

Next time your reading thru Paul’s letters make note of how many times Paul will be writing some deep theological truth and then out of nowhere it seems if he lets loose with a doxology

He can’t help but praise God.

What about us?

Do you we allow biblical truths to cause us to praise God like the heavens?

or have we become to callous to these beautiful truths?

Or are we not picking up God’s Word daily and allowing these truths to penetrate our hearts and minds

Christ = The Messiah = salvation was born in Bethlehem, just where God said he would 100’s of years earlier in Micah

Who is this we are prasing and giving glory to God for?

Christ = the Messiah = anointed one = salvation - the one who is worshipped by the greatest created beings in the world

Jesus is his human name Christ is his title

everlasting Lord of the universe

Jesus is the Christ whether you believe and obey or not. the question is will you enjoy the benefits of the Christ?

Will you or have you let Jesus release you from captivity? the captivity of sin and death?

Only through the blood of Jesus is that possible

Wi

“veiled in flesh the Godhead see; hail the incarnate deity”

,

He is God he is deity, what other so called deity ever did that?

“pleased as man with men to dwell, Jesus our Emmanuel”

Pleased? even though he had to die?

Heb.

12:2

Because God is with us, because he took on flesh

Gal

Join me as we sing about Christ the anointed one, the everlasting Lord, the word that became flesh, Emmanuel God with us.

“Hail the heavenly born prince of peace”

hail = attracting attention to - shining the spotlight on Jesus

where the Messiah is described (among other things) as the Prince of Peace; and he's saying when you hail Jesus– when you acclaim Jesus, when you honor Jesus, acclaim him– acclaim Jesus the Messiah as the Prince of Peace who was prophesied by Isaiah.

“risen with healing wings”

Mal

he brings light and life to all things

,

“mildly he lays His glory by” -

Why did he do that?

“born that men no more may die”

In other words, Jesus was born to remove the curse brought by Adam's sin and ours.

What was that curse?

Paul says, “...the wages of sin is death”, so He was born to remove the curse brought by Adam's sin and ours.

The wages of sin: death...so “that man no more may die.”

“born to raise the sons of earth”

Rom.

6:4

Col. 2:2

"born to give them the second birth”

What are we busy doing ? the angels were busying themselves with praising God.

What about you are you busying yourself with praising God, and praising God should be a priority for each one of us everyday.

the message of redemption thru Jesus christ is all about Him and His glory.

God get all the glory.

we couldn’t save ourselves so God sent His son in to the world to do it for us.

Are our lives giving glory to God each day

verse 14: “Peace on earth among men with whom He is pleased.”

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 by believing, confessing, repenting of their sins and being baptized for the forgiveness of sins.