The First Christmas Song
By
District Elder M.L. Maughmer, Jr.
Luke 2:8-14
Praise the Lord and Merry Christmas. In two days we will be celebrating Christmas the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. On tomorrow night children will try to spy wondering if reindeer really know how to fly, they will lay awake with milk and cookies for that jolly little fat man known as Santa Claus. Its Christmas time.
It’s this time of year that people’s hearts are filled with joy and cheer. Love is shown everywhere and people just are generally in a good and happy spirit. Celebrating with family and friends wishing that the feeling they feel would never end, but let us remember that Jesus is the reason for the season.
There is something about the Christmas season that everyone loves and that is the Christmas songs. Everyone loves Christmas songs and we may have our favorite one, but when we begin to hear the Christmas songs they put us in a special kind of mind-set. Christmas songs take us back in our minds to great memories and better times. It is said that music clams the savage beast and that’s true even in scripture, because when Saul would be oppressed by an evil spirit he would call for David to come and play the harp for him until the evil spirit was gone. Music has a calming element to it and that is especially true when it comes to Christmas songs. Just think about it for a moment how do you feel when you hear:
The 12 Days of Christmas
O Come all Ye Faithful
We wish you a Merry Christmas
The First Noel
Joy to the World
Hark the Herald Angels sing
Silent Night
Frosty the Snowman
Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer
Jingle Bells
How many of you love to hear Little Drummer Boy by Lou Rawls, I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas by Bing Crosby, The Christmas Song – Chestnuts roasting on an open fire by the crooner himself Nat King Cole, Everyone loves This Christmas by Donnie Hathaway. I even have my favorite Christmas song it is At Christmas Time by Luther Vandross. In that song he says At Christmas Time I hear the people laughing, smiling and being happy again. Merry Christmas to the world I wish happiness and love for every boy and every girl Cause the holiday makes me feel this way. Ooh, I wish that every day of the year could have the love that we feel on Christmas day. I like that song because of the way it makes me feel when I hear it. Christmas songs make you feel good.
Today I want to talk about the first Christmas song. The first Christmas song was not sung by a famous crooner or sweet songbird, it wasn’t sung by some hip-hop artist or legendary rock star, the first Christ song was sung by the heavenly host. The first Christmas song had a lead and a 3 part chorus to it. The first part was instructional, the 2nd part gave consolation, and the 3rd part gave hope.
Let me set the scene. Understand that it is night time. Now for those of us that are city folks we may not quite understand the implication that is meant by this because for us at night time street lights come on, homes and business have lights, and cars and trucks that travel the road have lights on them. So to fully grasp the scene of night we must go to the country where the only light is the glow from the moon and stars and maybe a camp fire that you have there is no other light and it is dark. This is what the shepherds experienced on that holy night. They were in the field keeping watch over their flocks. Contrary to popular belief it wasn’t Dec.25th as we suppose, because by studying we understand that the Jews people, the shepherds keep their flocks in the field from April to October because between the first part of Oct and the end of March it is utterly cold and during this period of time they kept the sheep in the what is known as the sheep house.
But here they are in the field and its night time when the angel of the Lord came upon them and the glory of the Lord shone about them and they were sore afraid, I believe they were frozen in total amazement at what they were seeing. One reason they were afraid is because when a person saw an angel it was thought that they were going to die and another reason they were sore afraid is because contrary to popular belief an angel is not a little baby in a diaper holding a cute little bow and arrow, but is a mighty and fierce warrior ready for battle. In the dark of night there appeared unto these shepherds this Heavenly warrior and around them a light brighter than the noon day sun. This angel although we are not given his name is the lead for the first Christmas song. The angel began to say “Fear not, for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you, ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger”. When suddenly these shepherds who were frozen in total amazement seen the veil that separates the unspiritual from the spiritual, the natural from the super natural be rent from top to bottom, they were now looking into the Kingdom of Heaven, just imagine the sight, when suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of heavenly host. That word “host” is a military term referring to a band of soldiers in the Greek language, which lets us know that they are not some little babies, but are a countless multitude of formidable, battle ready warriors of God. They are praising God with the fruit of their lips and they are saying “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men”. This was the 1st Christmas song every note was crisp, precise, and with clarity. They sang something that man could understand, something that would make men feel better if they would only try to understand what the heavenly host was saying. The angels were singing about Jesus who was born in a manger. They sung of Christ and the salvation which he come to work out. This song was the 1st Christmas song.
Let’s look at the song.
First there was the LEAD. The angel of the Lord came and said “Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” His job was to prepare the shepherds for worship. Thus is the purpose of the Praise Team is to help prepare the congregation for worship and lead them to the throne of God.
Then came the 3 parts of the chorus.
The 1st part is the INSTUCTIONAL PART. The Heavenly Choir said “Glory to God in the Highest. What does this mean? Here we have the heavenly host, those that are ever before the throne that cry Holy Holy Holy Lord God almighty which was and is and is to come, be glory, majesty, dominion, and power. These are the morning stars that sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy before the foundation of the world. They had seen God form the planets in the palms of His hands and cast them into the infitude of space and they hung there. They saw Him when He laid the foundations of the earth and when He said to the sea hitherto shalt thou come but no further and here shalt thou proud waves be stayed. They seen Him in all His glory, but this time they looked and seen God disrobe Himself of His glory, not His Deity, but His glory, wrap Himself in corruptible flesh as a little baby boy lying in a manger. They see God become man born to set men free, they saw God become a baby, the messiah, the one destined for Calvary. So they lifted up their voices to tell mankind to give them instruction to give Glory to God in the highest. For He is worthy to be praised. What is man that He is mindful of us? Who are we the He should bother with us. What have we done that we should have this glorious honor bestowed upon us? Absolutely nothing, but yet still God invades earth for us. He comes as a baby grows up to show us who He really is, gives His life as a final sacrifice so we may be free so that we may be who He intended us to be. Glory to God in the Highest that’s the angel’s song on that Holy Night the first Christmas song.
The 2nd part is the part of CONSOLATION. On Earth Peace they had never been able to say that before. They did not sing it before the foundation of the world. They did not sing it in the Garden of Eden because the glory of God was there, but ever since man fell wars have raged from the ends of the earth. There have been wars within as well as wars without, mans conscience has fought with him, Satan had tormented him with thoughts of sin, depression, anxiety, and loneliness kept man in a mental prison locked behind seemingly impenetrable bars, but when God disrobed Himself of His glory wrapped Himself in flesh and was born of a virgin, wrapped in swaddling clothes which was the white flag of peace and what a peace it is. It is peace like a river and righteousness like the waves of the sea. It’s the peace of God that passeth all understanding. It’s a peace that keeps our hearts and mind through Christ Jesus our Lord. Its peace a marvelous peace of at-one-ment between the sinner and the righteous judge. It’s this peace that the angels sang about on that Holy Night on earth peace is the angels first Christmas song.
The 3rd part is the part of Hope. It’s the end of the song, the Crescendo. They heavenly host said “Good will toward men” Now what does that means good will toward men. Well you have cursed God swearer yet He has not fulfilled His curse on you He has good will toward you. You have sinned high and hard against Him yet He said no hard words against you for He has good will toward you. You have broken His laws yet He shows mercy toward you He said “As I live saith the Lord, I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, but had rather that he should turn unto me and live” that’s good will toward men. When we were separated from Him, wrapped in this flesh which is enmity toward Him yet He said “Come let us reason together, though your sins be as scarlet I’ll make them as wool, though they be like crimson I’ll make them white as snow”. That’s good will toward men. If it had not been for good will toward men would He have given His only begotten son to redeem us back unto Himself? If you want to know what Good will toward man is just look at the manger?
This was the first Christmas song, sung by the Heavenly Host that gave mankind instruction to give Glory to God in the highest, it gave consolation to us that were lost in our trespasses and sins by letting us know that now peace the peace giver was here on earth. It gave hope because God has shown Good will toward man.
Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace, good will toward men.
In closing let me say that: On Christmas morning when we rise to see the gifts placed under the tree first never fail to give Glory to God in the Highest for He is the reason for the season. For Peace on earth let us labor to make peace. Make peace in your family, brother put the past behind and on earth peace sister let the hurt go and strive for peace. Church member don’t let the sun go down this day strive for peace for it’s the Christmas way. If thou hast anything on your conscience, anything that keeps you from having peace of mind, pray to God to give you peace for it is peace on earth, mind, and in oneself, peace with your fellow man, peace with God. Do not think you have celebrated Christmas Day until you are able to say “O God with the world, myself, and thee at peace will I be.”
That’s the way to keep Christmas.
MERRY CHRISTMAS
District Elder M.L. Maughmer, Jr
Sothern Ohio District
Assistant Pastor
O.G.C.O.G.I.C.
