(Open with Tim Hawkins – “Do You Hear What I Hear” from YouTube)
It is a bit of a strange song, don’t you think? Now… the difference for me… between this week and last week is… I like this song… even though it’s a little strange.
Spencer was telling me that this song was actually written as a plea for peace during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962.
Husband and wife team Noel Regney and Gloria Shayne wrote this because they wanted to write an allegorical song to soothe people’s souls.
The song retells the Nativity story through the eyes of a little lamb, but its deeper message is a call to prayer against war, urging people to listen for a divine message of hope in the midst of global threats.
This songwriting couple also wanted to write this song as a way to emphasize how important it is to spread the message. The night wind told the lamb, the lamb told the shepherd boy, the shepherd boy told the king, and the king told the people.
So when you hear the song like this… it’s not as messed up as Tim Hawkins makes it out to be… even though I think his take is hilarious.
But what can we learn from it? Well… I’m sure there are more than what I have chosen to hit on. But there are four things that I think this song can teach us today.
I think what God often does, is… takes something that was intended for one particular purpose and uses it for something that we never even thought of.
This is what I think this classic Christmas song can teach us… as we wrap up this series, “What Did I Just Sing – Christmas Edition”.
What I want to do is take four different lines from the song and see what biblical truth we can draw from it. Here we go. The first line.
1. Said the night wind to the little lamb.
Sometimes, God whispers truth in unlikely places.
Now this is a pretty poetic thing to say really. The night wind, says to a little lamb. But it’s actually a lot deeper than that if you think about.
Romans 8:19 says… For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed.
The Christmas story in Luke 2 tells us the heavens erupted with angels. Psalm 19 says creation declares the glory of God.
Christmas isn’t just about a baby in a manger.
It’s about all of creation celebrating the arrival of the Creator Himself.
And the “night wind” and the “little lamb” remind us of something very important that we don’t often think about.
Sometimes God speaks in places that we aren’t necessarily thinking He would speak. I love how God chose to announce the birth of His son first.
It wasn’t in palaces. It wasn’t to kings first. It wasn’t to the powerful. God chose to reveal the birth of His son, to a bunch of shepherds on a hillside.
He revealed it to the humble. To the quiet. To the ones that the rest of society thought wasn’t worthy of anything important. They were considered the lowest rung on the ladder.
Yet… in a way that only God could do… He chose to reveal the birth of His Son… through a host of angels appearing in the sky to some shepherds in the field.
Maybe God has been speaking to you in the “night wind”—in the stillness, the discomfort, the unanswered questions… and you haven’t recognized His voice yet.
The question isn’t “Is God speaking?”
The question is “Are we paying attention?”
Max Lucado in his book, “A Gentle Thunder” writes about this very topic. He writes…
Once there was a man who dared God to speak.
Burn the bush like you did for Moses, God. And I will follow.
Collapse the walls like you did for Joshua, God. And I will fight.
Still the waves like you did on Galilee, God. And I will listen.
And so the man sat by a bush, near a wall, close to the sea and waited for God to speak.
And God heard the man, so God answered.
He sent fire, not for a bush, but for a church.
He brought down a wall, not of brick, but of sin.
He stilled the storm, not of the sea, but of a soul.
And God waited for man to respond.
And he waited. . .
And he waited. . .
And waited.
But because the man was looking at bushes, not hearts; bricks and not lives, seas and not souls, he decided that God had done nothing.
Finally he looked to God and asked, ‘Have you lost your power?’
And God looked at him and said, ‘Have you lost your hearing?’
Listen… most of the time God is not going to speak to you in an audible voice. I’ve never heard the audible voice of God myself.
He’s probably not going to light up the sky with angels for a big announcement for you. He’s probably not going to have a lamb talk to you.
But if you will read His word and listen. If you will pray and wait. If you will seek wise counsel and gain wisdom. I think you will hear God in ways that you never have before.
There’s an awesome story from the Old Testament in 1 Kings 19… the prophet Elijah was afraid. He was running for his life. Other prophets had been killed by their own people and now he knows if they have their way, he will be next.
And so Elijah is terrified. And here is what happens…
The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”
Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.
For some reason, we all want the big sign from God. We want the absolute proof that this is God speaking to us or showing us what to do.
But I think there are times when we just have to do what the Psalmist tells us to do in Chapter 46 and the first part of verse 10.
Be still, and know that I am God;
If the truth be told… that’s the biggest problem. We don’t slow down enough to be still and know that He is God and that He wants to speak to His Children.
Said the night wind to the little lamb… this reminds us that sometimes, God speaks to us in unusual places.
The next phrase that I want us to look at is this.
2. A star, a star dancing in the night
Even today, God still leads if we’re willing to follow
The song says, “A star, a star dancing in the night.”
That’s a beautiful phrase… but it’s also incredibly intentional.
Stars don’t shout. Stars don’t explain themselves.
They simply shine… and invite you to move.
That’s exactly how God often leads.
Scripture tells us that both the shepherds and the Magi saw a supernatural light… but what’s fascinating is that neither group had the full picture.
The shepherds didn’t know how a manger would lead to a Messiah. The Magi didn’t know how a star would lead to a Savior.
Yet both groups took steps of obedience before they had answers.
That might be one of the most overlooked messages of the first Christmas: Nothing about that night made sense… but they obeyed anyway.
The Magi possibly traveled 900 miles… on camels… through dangerous terrain, political tension, and personal expense, all because of a star they couldn’t explain.
They didn’t get a map. They didn’t get a timeline. They didn’t even get a guarantee. They just followed the light they were given.
Joseph obeyed an angelic dream that put his reputation, future, and plans at risk.
Mary said, “Let it be to me according to Your word,” before she had any idea how much that “yes” would cost her.
God didn’t give them the full journey… He gave them the next step. And church, that’s often how God still works.
We want God to light up the entire road.
God says, “I’ll give you just enough light for the next step.”
Psalm 119:105 doesn’t say, “Your word is a spotlight for my entire future.”
It says, Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.
A lamp doesn’t show miles ahead. It shows where to place your foot next.
Maybe right now God has placed a “dancing star” in your life.
Not a booming voice from heaven… but a nudge you can’t shake.
A conviction that won’t leave you alone. A door opening that scares you. A door closing that disappoints you. A calling that feels bigger than you.
And like the shepherds… Like the Magi… Like Joseph… Like Mary…
You may not fully understand it.
But here’s the promise of Christmas:
If you follow the light God gives you, it will always lead you to Jesus. The star didn’t lead the Magi to comfort. It led them to Jesus.
And the same is still true today. So the question isn’t, “Do I understand?” The question is, “Will I follow?”
This reminds me of a story about a young man who was driving One cold, snowy Minnesota night, and he got lost on the way home.
The snow was blowing so fast and piling up so high, he couldn't see any street signs.
He had no gps and his cell phone was dead… he thought he might be stranded so he pulled over to the side of the road.
Then breaking through the flurries, he saw the headlights of a plow truck in his rearview mirror.
Thanking his lucky stars, he turned in and followed the truck, hopeful that it would lead him back somewhere he recognized.
He followed that truck for what felt like hours. Every time it turned left, he’d turn left. The truck would swing to the right, and he was right on his tail.
After a while, he saw brake lights from the plow, followed by four-way flashers. The plow had stopped, and the driver got out and approached his car.
He rolled down the window to talk to him. And the driver said…
"Why are you following me, kid?"
"Well sir, my dad told me if I was ever lost in a snowstorm, I should wait for a plow truck and then follow it."
"Well," said the plow driver. "I just finished clearing the Walmart parking lot. Want to follow me over to Best Buy??"
Listen… And that’s what following God can feel like sometimes.
You’re doing exactly what you were told to do.
You’re following the light you can see.
You’re trusting the guidance you’ve been given.
But you don’t always know where it’s headed yet.
You just know this: Standing still isn’t an option…
and following is better than being lost. God doesn’t always show us the destination. He just clears enough road for the next stretch.
And if you keep following… even when it feels like you’re circling a parking lot… eventually, you’ll realize He’s been keeping you moving, protecting you, and preparing the way the whole time.
Because sometimes faith isn’t about knowing where you’re going… it’s about trusting Who you’re following. Sometimes the miracle isn’t the star in the sky… it’s the obedience that takes the first step in the dark.
The third line I want us to consider from this song is this…
3. Said the shepherd boy to the mighty king.
Sometimes, God will elevate the voice of the humble to speak truth to those in power.
This line in the song is brilliant and often overlooked.
As we said before… during the time of Jesus’ birth, shepherds were nobodies. Kings were the most powerful people on earth.
And yet in the song, the shepherd boy speaks to the king.
This is a great line that reveals a truth of the gospel and that is that the Gospel flips earthly power upside down.
Christmas is the moment when: The King of kings is born in a feeding trough. The greatest message ever spoken is delivered to shepherds. The most powerful man in the region (Herod) is threatened by a baby.
And the shepherd boy in the song asks the king:
“Do you know what I know?” This is the heart of evangelism.
This is the mission of the church.
We carry a message even kings need to hear. You may feel unqualified… You may feel unimportant… You may feel like a “shepherd boy”…
But when you carry the news of Jesus, you carry a message more powerful than any throne.
Imagine for just a moment There’s a little airport down South… one terminal, two gates, and a vending machine that never works.
A guy named Earl works maintenance. John Deere hat. Broom in his hand. Knows more about airplanes than he looks like he should.
A big-name celebrity flies in… SUVs, security, sunglasses indoors…you know the scene.
Earl notices fuel dripping under the plane and says to the guard,
“Hey, y’all might wanna check that.”
The guard says, “Sir, step back.”
So Earl hollers to the celebrity,
“Hey! Your plane’s leakin’ gas!”
The celebrity pulls down his sunglasses and says,
“Do you know who I am?”
Earl says,
“No sir… but I know what’s about to catch on fire.”
Here’s the point: Earl might not have seemed all that important of a person… but the information he had sure was.
And God often speaks that way. Through humble people. Quiet voices. Faithful servants. Don’t ever think, you can’t accomplish what God wants from you.
You have the most important information that world has ever been given. It’s the good news of Jesus Christ, that saves people from their sins and gives them a new life here… until He calls us home.
Share it with the lowly and with the mighty! And here is the final line from the song that I want to talk about.
4. A child, a child, shivers in the night, He will bring us goodness and light
Jesus came to bring peace that the world couldn’t give.
The song ends with the king proclaiming that the child will bring goodness and light. That is the core theological message of Christmas.
You see… Jesus didn’t just come to save the world… He came to change your world.
John 1:9 — The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.
Isaiah 9:6 — tells us “The Prince of Peace” has come.
Luke 2:10 — “Good news of great joy for all people.”
Do you hear the progression in the song?
• Creation hears the message… the night wind, the little lamb
• Humble shepherds witness the message.
• Kings receive the message.
• The world is invited to respond to the message.
The story starts small… and ends with the whole world invited to worship.
The peace the world was longing for in 1962 during the Cuban Missile Crisis… the peace our world is longing for in this moment…
can never be supplied by governments, treaties, or leaders.
It comes only from the Child in the manger.
He is goodness in a world of brokenness.
He is light in a world that feels dark.
This is the Gospel: God stepped into our chaos so He could bring His peace. God entered our darkness so He could shine His light.
God became a baby so He could become our Savior.
The world needs this message. Your family needs this message.
Your heart needs this message.
And so the song ends with a king calling his people to respond.
And that leads us to one final question…
“Do YOU Hear What I Hear?” It’s not just the title of a song.
It’s the invitation of heaven. Do you hear what God is saying to you through Christmas?
I don’t know… but… Maybe He’s whispering in the “night wind” of your circumstances… calling you to slow down and listen for His voice.
Maybe He’s showing you a “dancing star”… a new direction, a calling, a step of obedience. You may not understand it, but you know it’s Him.
Maybe He’s urging you to be like that shepherd boy… to share the message with someone who needs hope, even if it feels intimidating or out of your comfort zone.
Or maybe today, you need to come to Jesus yourself.
The One who brings goodness and light.
The One who brings peace.
The One who brings salvation.
As we sing a song of invitation today, would you pray about what God would want from you today? Let’s pray!
