Songs of Christmas: Hark!
Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 10 viewsNotes
Transcript
Intro/Welcome
Intro/Welcome
Hark!
Not a word we use a whole lot these days.
Maybe we should bring it back.
Hark means “listen up!” “Pay attention” “What I’m about to say is really important”
I can also mean “Look back!”
It begs the question then,
What are we harkening to?
What are we listening to?
Today we are looking at one of the most well known and beloved hymns of all time.
Hark, The Herald Angels Sing
written by Charles Wesley, brother of the famous Revivalist John Wesley of the 18th century.
He wrote this in 1739 nearly 40 years before American Independence
It came out of his quiet time with the Lord one morning.
And enjoyed immediate success.
It was the word-smithing of his friend George Whitefield some 20 years later that gave us the well known lines we have today.
So what is it that Charles Wesley would have us harken through this hymn?
The gospel of great joy for all people.
This hymn in particular, captures rich theology in powerfully poetic language.
Let’s spend some time harkening to the verses of this hymn.
The opening line was inspired from Luke 2:13-14 so we will begin there today.
You can go there in your bible.
You can also pull up the lyrics on our church center app.
My name
Glad you are joining us where ever we find you.
Welcome those joining online
Let me pray for our time.
150 days of prayer.
This is out 50th day of praying
The response has been fantastic.
more days to sign up.
Praying for:
A Place to Call Home
Spiritual Health and Vitality
Spiritual Awakening / Revival.
Let’s pray.
Pray
Pray
Lord.
Hymn.
Hymn.
The original opening line in this hymn was:
Hark how all the welkin rings Glory to the King of Kings.
Welkin literally means the “vault of heaven makes a long noise.” Thus, when heaven sends forth a loud pronouncement, the entire power of the King is revealed
It was George Whitefield, a friend of the Wesley’s that changed it to the line we sing today.
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
This is a reference to what we read in Luke 2:13-14
Now what’s happening here is an Angel of the Lord had appeared to these shepherds out in the fields.
The Angel tells the shepherds that they bring good news for all people.
10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”
“it is the good news of great joy for all people”
the Savior and Lord Jesus Christ has been born.
And then v. 13
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
‘a multitude of heavenly host praising God’
Hark! The welkin angels sing
the herald angels sing
to herald is to proclaim good news.
These are heralding angels.
Now this must have been overwhelming.
Imagine seeing a vision of heaven opening up and a multitude (beyond count) of Angelic beings praising.
Have you ever been a crowd of people in a sporting event? Or at a performance that erupts in cheering?
Watch video
Take that experience and multiply it by 10,000 and this is what these shepherds saw.
Well what is all the cheering about?
Let’s look how Charles Wesley poetically unpacks the good news of this verse.
“Glory to the new born King!”
What is the good news of great joy for all people
The gospel of great joy for all people.
Verse 1
Verse 1
Hark! The herald angels sing
Glory to the New born King
Peace on earth, and mercy mild, (Luke 2:14; 1:78)
God and sinners reconciled!" (2 Corinthians 5:18-21; Colossians 1:20-22)
It is peace here in our lives (on earth) by the mercy of the mild and humble Jesus
Peace made by the reconciliation of the cross.
God and sinners have been reconciled.
20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
Joyful, all ye nations rise, (Revelation 21:24; Haggai 2:6-7)
Join the triumph of the skies;
With the angelic host proclaim, (Luke 2:10-11; Matthew 1:4-6; Micah 5:2)
"Christ is born in Bethlehem!"
It is good news for all people — all nations rise!
Join this triumph, this praise, this cheering of God
Christ, the savior, the anointed one, the one promised long ago
Has come here on earth, in a place called Bethlehem!
2 But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.
Verse 2
Verse 2
Christ, by highest Heav’n adored; (Luke 2:9-14; Revelation 5:13; Hebrews 1:6, Phil 2:9-11)
Christ the everlasting Lord; (Revelation 22:12-13, Isa 9:6)
Who is this child?
the highest in heaven adored
He is the everlasting Lord, God himself.
Late in time, behold Him come, (Galatians 4:4, Romans 5:6, 1 Pet 1:20, Hebrews 1:1-2 )
Offspring of a virgin’s womb. (Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-38)
Born of a virgin, the miracle of the immaculate conception
God in the flesh.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see; (Hebrews 10:19-20. John 1:14)
Hail the incarnate Deity, (Col 2:9)
Pleased with us in flesh to dwell, (John 1:14; Romans 1:3; 8:3; Galatians 4:4; Philippians 2:7-8; Colossians 1:15; 1 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 1:3; 2:9-11; 1 John 4:2-3; 2 John 1:7; Revelation 22:16)
Jesus our Emmanuel (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23.)
The miracle of the incarnation.
The gospel of great joy for all peoples is that God came in the flesh to dwell with his people
He walked among us.
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God.
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Verse 3
Verse 3
Hail the heav'n born Prince of Peace! (Isaiah 9:6)
Hail the Sun of Righteousness! (Malachi 4:2)
Light and life to all He brings, (John 1:4, 10; 8:12, 11:25-26; 2 Timothy 1:10, Isa 9:1-2)
Ris’n with healing in His wings. (Malachi 4:2.)
What this Christ, this God in the Flesh brings is peace and righteousness
Light to reveal God and expose darkness
Life, real life, true life to all people
Healing of the nations
2 But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall.
Mild He lays His glory by, (Philippians 2:6-8; John 17:5, 24, Matt 11:29)
Born that man no more may die. (John 11:25-26, Heb 2:14-15)
Born to raise the sons of earth, (1 Corinthians 15:35-57, 2 Cor 4:14)
Born to give them second birth. (John 1:13; 3:3, 6; James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:3, 23; Titus 3:5, Gal 4:4-5)
The glory of the resurrection.
Jesus came to give us life, to be born again
made new, 2nd birth!
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
Hark!
Hark!
Hark! Hark! Hark!
listen to this gospel of great joy for all peoples.
This is for you, and for me
And for all who may be listening.
Read these lines, let them sink in
let them impact you.
They are for you.
Listen!
Listen!
There is so much noise out there today.
What are you listening to?
is it the gospel of great joy for all peoples?
this is why Jesus came!
It is why Christ was crucified!
Let us bask today in this glorious gospel.
let us tune our hearts to sing his praise.
He offers us light and life and reconciliation.
Let us praise him!
There are actually two more verses to this hymn.
I would encourage you to read through them, and really through this whole hymn and read the scripture references.
But here is the last verses.
Let us Thee, tho’ lost, regain
Thee, the Life, the Inner Man
Oh! to All Thyself impart
Form’d in each Believing Heart
Not only did God come to live as a man.
To live the life we were meant to live
to die the death we all earned
He brings us back and dwells within us.
will you listen to this gospel of great joy for all peoples
will you walk with the God who came not just in the person of Jesus, but is with you today by his spirit if you would believe?
the greatest present we can receive this Christmas is God’s presence with us.
Let’s Pray
Let’s Pray