Day 16 - 25 Days of Christmas

Hark, the Herald Angels Sing

(Charles Wesley, alt, 1707-1788)

Hark the herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!
Peace on earth and mercy mild
God and sinners reconciled"
Joyful, all ye nations rise
Join the triumph of the skies
With the angelic host proclaim:
"Christ is born in Bethlehem"
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!"

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 man to dwell
Jesus, our Emmanuel
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!"

Hail the heav'n-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Son 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
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!"

Hark, the Herald Angels Sing

(Hymn story by Mr. Cliff Barrows)

Some people become very disturbed when a publisher changes the words of an old hymn.  Of course, this is not legally possible while a copyright is in force, and great caution must be exercised in "editing" a very old hymn that is now public property.  A poet must be granted some rights with his own creation.

However, an author often makes alterations himself; even after his work has appeared in print.  The first line of this Christmas hymn, as originally published in 1739, was "Hark, how all the welkin rings, Glory to the King of Kings!"  Fourteen years later, author Charles Wesley changed those words to "Hark! the herald angels sing, Glory to the newborn King."  During the ensuing decades there were many changes; some stanzas were dropped and others were rearranged.  The hymn as we know it appeared in the New Version of the Tate and Brady Psalter in 1782, while Wesley was still living.

     "Welkin" is an archaic word for "heavens" or "sky," and so we see that Wesley begins his hymn with the song of the angels on the first Christmas morning.  "Glory to God in the highest heaven...and peace on earth, for all those pleasing Him" (Luke 2:14, Living Gospels).  As we sing these deeply meaningful phrases, it soon becomes clear that this is something more than a simple Christmas carol.  The phrase "God and sinners reconciled" reminds us that Christ cam, not to enforce political amity, but to bring peace between God and man.  The Christmas story is told concisely in II Corinthians 5:19 (New English Bible): "God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself."  Of course this involves a change in us.  As Romans 5:1 (Living Letters) says, "Since we have been made right in God's sight by faith in His promises, we can have real peach with him because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us."  This is the peace promised by the angels on Christmas morning.

     Throughout the hymn Charles Wesley continues to probe the deep mystery of Christmas, the mystery we call the Incarnation.  Christ - who is the eternal King of heaven, worshipped by angels and archangels - lays aside the glory which is properly His, and condescends to be born of a virgin in a dark, dirty stable.  Philippians 2:6 (Phillips) puts it this way: "For He, who had always been God by nature, did not cling to his prerogatives as God's equal, but stripped himself of all privilege by consenting to be a slave by nature and being born as mortal man."

     Of course, Jesus was still God, and He often displayed his divine power and personality.  But most men did not recognize Him as God because His divinity was hidden (they hymn says "veiled") in human flesh.  This is the Lord of heaven who was pleased to dwell as a man with ordinary men.  This also explains one of His names, found in the Old Testament and quoted by the angel to Joseph, "Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us" (Matt. 1:23).

     Finally, the hymn reminds us of two more of Christ's names, given by Hebrew prophets long before His birth.  The great passage in Isaiah 9:6 foretells: "And his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."   Malachi 4:2 speaks also of the coming of Christ, "But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in this wings."  Wesley adds his own commentary about this figure of Christ the Sun.  The physical sun is not only our source of light; it is the origin of life itself.  Without the sun, all plant life would die.  Without vegetation, animal life could not subsist.  In the same way, Jesus Christ is the source of our spiritual light and our spiritual life.

     Yes, Jesus' birth holds many mysteries.  He who is immortal was born a mortal in order that man might live eternally with Him.  he was born once in order that we might be born again.

     Many folk who join in singing the carols, sharing all the happy festivities of Christmas, are unwilling to think of Christ in this way.  It has been said that as long as we can keep Jesus as a charming baby in a manager, He makes no demands upon our lives.  But Jesus was born to die!  He grew to manhood, lived a perfect life, and then died on the cross, and rose again, for our eternal salvation.  This is the true Christ of Christmas, and we must acknowledge Him our Lord, if we are to celebrate this season properly.