December 21

Angels We Have Heard on High

by Katherine Barton

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGCxTOYBy50

Luke 2:6-20 - Scene - hillside outside Bethlehem where shepherds are watching their sheep at night; the sky is lit by a new, bright star.

Vs 1a & b: Sweetly singing o’er the plains, And the mountains in reply,
Then it becomes still brighter out as an angel suddenly appears & speaks directly to the shepherds -- [a glorious announcement which has been awaited and foretold since Adam & Eve in the garden [Gen. 3:15].

Vs 3a & b: Him whose birth the angels sing, Christ the Lord, the newborn King.
Fear not - “I bring tidings of great joy for all people [each & every one of you, for all time now & in the future] ...this day a Savior is born”]. I Peter 1:10-12.

Vs 2a & b: Why this jubilee?  Why your joyous strains prolong?
Then a multitude of angels appear in the sky singing, “Glory to God in the highest.” The shepherds have been given a view of the heavenly host as they sing to glorify God, which they do continuously, though we cannot see it. The angels, too, have been awaiting this day. Visible, audible angels from the heavenly realm surrounded them [surely that spectacular sight was convincing; Isaiah 6:2-3, Rev. 4:8-11, 5:11-14].

Vs 3b, 4a: Come, adore on bended knee, See within a manger laid, Jesus, Lord of heaven & earth!
The shepherds hurry into the city and find Mary, Joseph, and the baby in a manger just as the angel said. It occurred to me that in their haste to obey, they had left their stubborn, willful, and wayward sheep alone in the pasture, unprotected. Or were they? Did the angels stay on watch? The shepherds didn’t stop to set up shifts: “I’ll stay now, you go, then when you return, I’ll go.” No, they all went together and trusted God with the sheep.

Vs 4b: Mary, Joseph, lend your aid, With us sing our Savior’s birth.
When the shepherds arrive to the stable, they share with all those present the proclamation of the angel and words of the mighty chorus:  “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, good will to men.” They are all amazed at what the shepherds share. The Savior brings Peace (shalom). Peace available through Christ bringing reconciliation -- the way to repair our broken, sinful souls and bring us back to right relationship with God;  Jn 14:27, Rom. 3:22-25, 5:1
“The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.”  Do not just skip over these words as the wrap-up of the story - all of these events, and those to come in Christ’s life, occurred for the Glory of God; Jn 17:1-5.

*For further reading & devotions, continue in “A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23”,  chapters 6 & 8.