“Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people he favors!'” (CSB – Read the chapter)

This is the final Friday of the season of Advent which means this is our final song of the season. I have been especially drawn this year back to the traditional Christmas carols when I have listened to Christmas music. There’s certainly an element of nostalgia there. Hearing and singing songs that remind me of good times in the past is heartwarming. I suspect you’re not so different from me in that regard. But the other reason I have been drawn back to those old songs in recent years is that I have become more and more aware of just how great are the truths those old songs proclaim. Many of those old carols make declarations and observations about Jesus that are deep and profound. By packaging such truths in wildly repeatedly forms, they have served as vehicles to help a culture that is awash in secularism to not lose sight entirely of what the season is really all about. Let’s talk for a few minutes this morning about Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.

Songs are rarely just songs. They are vehicles for sending messages. The best and most popular songs do that in ways that are compelling or convicting or inspiring or even a combination of all of those. As our culture has drifted away from deep thinking and a commitment to learning great truths, our songs often reflect this lack. This is especially true when it comes to our sacred songs. Many modern and popular worship songs, while wonderful from a musical standpoint, often have lyrics that are shallow at best. They may be built around the core of a single good idea, but it doesn’t get fleshed out very much, and there’s often a lot of repetition.

That’s not entirely true across the board, though. We are living today in a time of renaissance for hymn writing. This rebirth of interest in worship songs that are not just sound musically, but which have lyrics that are designed and intended to lead worshipers into a thought provoking exploration of deep and rich theological truths has been led by husband and wife team, Keith and Kristyn Getty. The pair started out writing great modern hymns, but have gradually grown to lead an entire worship movement that is bringing a richness and depth back to worship services, especially in the West, that had been lost for a time.

The whole movement is leaning forward while building on the foundation of worship songs of the past that were rarely just songs. They were vehicles for teaching rich and deep theological truths in ways that were memorable and engaging. In fact, the songs that have persisted down through the generations are the ones that have done this best. One of these is the familiar Christmas carol, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.

The carol was originally written as a hymn for Christmas day by the great Methodist hymn writer Charles Wesley in 1739. The great evangelist, George Whitfield adapted the first verse into the form we know today a few years later. Almost a century after that, in 1855, William Cummings adapted part of a cantata by Felix Mendelssohn to fit the lyrics, and the carol as we know it today was born.

My guess is that you’ve heard the song before, and could probably even sing the first verse without need of the lyrics. It is one of those that has been ingrained in our cultural memory by repetition. We hear it so often, in fact, that we don’t often really consider what is being expressed. On this final Songs of the Season Friday, let’s take a minute and do just that, because these lyrics are pretty powerful.

The first verse of the carol invites singers to join in the praise of the angel chorus. You can hear echoes of Luke 2:13-14 as you sing. “Hark! The herald angels sing, ‘Glory to the newborn King; peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled!'” That was the message of the angels as they proclaimed the news of Jesus’ birth to the shepherds on the outskirts of Bethlehem. The rest of the verse invites all the world to join in their song of praise. “Joyful, all ye nations, rise, join the triumph of the skies; With the angelic host proclaim, ‘Christ is born in Bethlehem!'” What an entirely fitting message to start a song about Jesus’ birth.

The next verse shifts to reflect some on just who this newborn King really is. He is the second person of the Godhead, the everlasting Lord, and the one adored by the highest heavens. And yet, He took on flesh and was born of a virgin at the fullness of time in one of the most spectacular miracles God ever performed. Hum along as you read the words: “Christ, by highest Heav’n adored; Christ the everlasting Lord; late in time, behold Him come, offspring of a virgin’s womb. Veiled in flesh the Godhead see. Hail the incarnate Deity. Pleased as man with men to dwell, Jesus our Emmanuel.” Jesus is indeed God with us.

Knowing and understanding more who Jesus is, the third verse invites us to praise Him both for His glory, but also for His humility. It also takes us into a reflection on His mission. He came to lay down His life in order to pay the price for our sins. But He didn’t stay dead. On the third day, Christ rose again. With echoes of Jesus’ words to Nicodemus in John 3:16, it reminds us of the second birth we have in Christ that brings us everlasting life so that we don’t have to fear death any longer. “Hail the heav’nly Prince of Peace! Hail the Sun of Righteousness. Light and life to all He brings, ris’n with healing in His wings. Mild He lays His glory by, born that man no more may die. Born to raise the sons of earth; born to give them second birth.”

For all of my life until yesterday, those were the only three verses of the carol as far as I knew. Then, just yesterday, I accidentally discovered that there is a fourth verse. And this fourth verse is the most theologically rich of the carol. After reflecting on who Jesus is and offering Him praise in light of that, the fourth verse is an invitation to Him to come and do His work in us. Specifically, it is an invitation for Him to come and restore us from sin’s corruption. It calls for Him to remove the impact of Adam’s curse and restore in us His perfect love. It does all of this using language and imagery of God’s original promise to bring restoration after sin’s corruption in Genesis 3:15.

Perhaps it is because I’ve just discovered it, but this may be my favorite verse. With the melody ringing in your ears, check out these final words that Wesley wrote: “Come, Desire of nations, come. Fix in us Thy humble home. Rise, the woman’s conqu’ring Seed, bruise in us the serpent’s head. Adam’s likeness now efface. Stamp Thine image in its place. Second Adam from above, reinstate us in Thy love.”

Now, just to be sure you really got the power of that prayer that is worth incorporating into your daily prayer rhythm, read it one more time. I’ve never heard a version of the song that includes that verse, but they all should. That’s some powerful theology right there. As we draw nearer and nearer the grand celebration of Christmas, may these words bring you into a mindset that is ready to receive your King.

And now, because a Songs of the Season Friday wouldn’t be complete without a chance to hear a good recording of the song, here is a version from Keith and Kristyn Getty. It looks like it may have been recorded at the Grand Ole Opry. This particular version has an Irish feeling – only fitting given that the Getty’s are Irish – complete with some sizzlingly hot fiddling and even a bit of Irish dancing at the end. Enjoy!