Christmas in Carols: Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

“Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.” (Hebrews 1:1-2, ESV)

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6, NIV)

Today, we begin with a laugh: Sam was scrolling through Twitter a few nights ago and started to chuckle. When I asked him what was so funny, he told me that someone asked via tweet, “Who is Harold Angel?”

Of course, this person would be confusing Mr. Harold Angel with the opening line of the same Christmas hymn called, “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.” The lyrics were originally written by Charles Wesley as a poem and later put to music by George Whitfield in 1753, when the original first line– Hark, how the welkin (heaven) rings– was revised to what we know and love today.

What strikes most historians about this hymn is the lyrics; not only are they theologically sound, but they are beautifully put. In three stanzas, this song presents the Gospel in a meaningful and succinct way, which is probably why it has stood the test of time– almost 300 years to be exact.

And it’s true, the lyrics to this Christmas song, when you really look at them, are deeply beautiful and should be close to any believer’s heart. The first stanza describing how God came to us through His Son, Jesus, as a newborn to reconcile us back to Him and how the nations should rise and worship Him in response. The second focusing on Jesus’ birth as a baby in the flesh, fully God and fully man. The final stanza hails praise for the simultaneous might and gentleness, the awesome strength yet mild glory with which our Savior was born. 

I think what strikes me most about this Christmas carol is the emphasis on Jesus’ incarnation– that is, His birth as a deity into flesh– and His choice to come to us and live amongst us so humbly. When you think about it, it’s amazing; the contrast of the limitation of the flesh and being born fully man, yet the immeasurable force of being fully God. Jesus, who could be born as a baby in a stable to a lowly carpenter and his wife, is the same Jesus who walked on water and healed the sick. The man who grew up in Nazareth and lived amongst simple humanity is the same God who saved us from our sins. And in fact, He came with the purpose to deliver us from sin and reconcile us to God the Father.

That, in and of itself, is part of the joy that we celebrate at Christmas: because up until this point, God was communicating to man through select prophets. Jesus’ birth signals a change in the tides, so to speak, where God no longer spoke through designated prophets or relied on them to communicate with His people at large. Instead, the coming of Christ is the catalyst that meant God would now speak to us through His Son, and later His Holy Spirit, all pieces of the triune God. It was the beginning of the lifting of the veil that separated us from God from the time of the fall. Finally, God sent the one the world had waited for all this time to be the heir of all things, the newborn King of kings and Lord of lords. He sent us Jesus, who was present at the creation of the world and wields all the power and might of the Father, and yet was born in a lowly manger.

But that manger does not diminish His Godship. He may have been born into this world in a quiet manner, unnoticed by all but Mary, Joseph, three wise men, and some shepherds, but all of heaven still rejoiced. All the angels sang with all their might. God the Father was pleased. Heaven and nature sang the night Jesus was born because He was God’s promise fulfilled.

“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, verse two)

“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, verse three)

How beautiful! How precious! That our Savior would choose to lay His glory down so He could be born a child in the flesh. That He would be born so we would not have to face total and spiritual death because of our sins. That He would be born to teach us things about the Father that were shrouded in mystery before. That He would be born so we could become born again by salvation into redemption and heal the rift that our sin caused between us and God.

And it pleased Him to do this! He wasn’t coerced by the Father to be born knowing the cross loomed. Indeed, we cannot see the manger without also seeing the cross. We cannot see the stable without also seeing the empty tomb. Jesus was born knowing full well what price would have to be paid before He could return to His throne in Heaven. And He never hesitated. He still came, humble as it was. He still chose to live with us, even in our sin and our weakness. 

If all of Heaven rejoices at this, then we should follow suit. This song is the Gospel, so beautifully and simply explained to us– Christmas in a three-stanza long nutshell. It is the good news that God Himself has come to be with us, laying aside the glory of His throne to be Jesus, our Emmanuel. Glory to the newborn King!