Hymn Notes: Advent, Christmas, and Angels - Concordia Theological Seminary

The world does not really understand readiness. The world does not really understand Christmas. The world would shut out the voice of John the Baptist or anyone else drawing attention to the main problem with the world-sin. The world would say that such subjects are not appropriate in a season of celebration.

The church, however, sees things differently. The church sees the profoundly beautiful appropriateness of singing these words before Christmas:

On Jordan's bank the Baptist's cry announces that the Lord is nigh;
Awake and hearken, for He brings glad tidings of the King of kings!
Then cleansed be ev'ry life from sin; make straight the way for God within,
And let us all our hearts prepare for Christ to come and enter there. (TLH 63:1,2; LW 14: 1,2)

The church knows that repentance followed by the certain, gracious gift of forgiveness is the way to prepare for everything in this life. So she sings:

Stretch forth Your hand, our health restore, and make us rise to fall no more;
Oh, let Your face upon us shine and fill the world with love divine. (LW 14:4)

The church sees repentance as a prelude to joy, comfort and peace.

"Comfort, comfort these my people, speak of peace!" so says our God.
Comfort these who sit in darkness groaning under sin's dread rod.
"To my people I proclaim pardon now in Jesus' name.
Tell them that their sins I cover, that their warfare now is over!"

Yes, our sins the Lord will pardon, blotting out each dark misdeed.
All that well deserved His anger He no more will see nor heed.
We who languished many a day under guilt now washed away,
We exchange our pining sadness for His comfort, peace and gladness! (LW 28: 1,2)

How do we prepare in these last days? We seek mercy and help from the One who loved us enough that He would come down, down into the darkness of a womb to become man in obedience to His Father. We cling with confident belief to the One who suffered wrath, was stripped of all His honor and was led to slaughter in obedience to His Father-all to make us heirs of His kingdom.

The reason that all of this is so important is that the kingdom spoken of by John the Baptist, and later by Christ Himself, is a kingdom of the heart. It is not seen with eyes. It is a spiritual, invisible kingdom which God establishes in the hearts of men. Repentance is how the heart is prepared for the kingdom and in the kingdom.

The beautiful and rich season of Advent is about the Lord who was and is and is to come - the Lord in a manger, the Lord in means of grace, and the Lord as Bridegroom carrying home His bride. Preparation for this Lord is summed up best in the ancient Latin hymn:

See, the Lamb, so long expected, comes with pardon down from heaven.
Let us haste, with tears of sorrow, one and all, to be forgiven;
So when next he comes in glory and the world is wrapped in fear,
He will shield us with His mercy and with words of love draw near. (LW 18:3,4; TLH 60: 3,4)

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Hymns and Christmastide
The very Son of God came down to a womb and a manger, and the angels rejoiced. The heavens were full of song over the fact that God had set His plan in motion-a plan of love-to save the world. Evidence of this was now lying on straw among the animals in Bethlehem.

Of the Father's love begotten ere the worlds began to be,
He is Alpha and Omega, He the source, the ending he,
Of the things that are, that have been, and that future years shall see -Evermore and evermore.
Oh, that birth forever blessed, when the virgin, full of grace,
By the holy Ghost conceiving, bore the Savior of our race,
And the babe, the world's redeemer, first revealed his sacred face -Evermore and evermore.
Let the heights of heav'n adore him; angel hosts, his praises sing;
Pow'rs, dominions, bow before him and extol our God and King;
Let no tongue on earth be silent, ev'ry voice in concert ring -Evermore and evermore.
(TLH 98: 1,2,4; LW 36: 1,2,4)

Words and music celebrating this amazing birth are still an important part of the annual festivities surrounding the Nativity of our Lord. Songs from virtually every country and every period of Christian history are sung-and we dearly love them. They let us join the angel's song in confessing what a great and mighty wonder happened in this lowly birth.

I would like to suggest that you take a few minutes in the quiet days following Christmas to sit down with your hymnal. Turn to the Christmas section-then read from and meditate on a deep well of devotional material found there. Most of what you will discover is rarely, if ever, used in parishes. This is because words that are not wed to a well-known and loved tune are often unused words. I am suggesting that you read what perhaps you have never had the opportunity to sing. Wonderful words like these of Paul Gerhardt and Martin Luther:

O Jesus Christ, Thy manger is my paradise at which my soul reclineth.
For there, O Lord, doth lie the Word made flesh for us; here in Thy grace forth shineth.
He whom the sea and wind obey doth come to serve the sinner in great meekness.
Thou, God's own Son, with us art one, dost join us and our children in our weakness.
Paul Gerhardt (TLH 81: 1,2)

* * * * *

Hark! a voice from yonder manger, soft and sweet, doth entreat: "Flee from woe and danger
Brethren from all ills that grieve you - you are freed; all you need I will surely give you."
Guilt no longer can distress me; Son of God, Thou my load bearest to release me.
Stain in me Thou findest never; I am clean, all my sin is removed forever.
I am pure, in Thee believing, from Thy store evermore righteous robes receiving.
In my heart I will enfold Thee, Treasure rare, let me there, loving, ever hold Thee.
Dearest Lord, Thee will I cherish. Though my breath fail in death, yet I shall not perish,
But with Thee abide forever there on high, in that joy which can vanish never.
Paul Gerhardt (TLH 77: 7, 13, 14, 15)

* * * * *

The Light Eternal, breaking through, made the world to gleam anew;
His beams have pieced the core of night, He makes us children of the light. Alleluia!
The Prince, God's very Son, came here, guest among the sons of fear.
His banner leads us out of woe, and to his royal hall we go. Alleluia!
Such grace toward us now fills with light length and breadth and depth and height!
O endless ages, raise your voice; O Christendom, rejoice, rejoice! Alleluia!
Martin Luther (LW 35: 4-6)

This is but a sampling of what awaits you in your prayerbook, your hymnal. Christmastide is the continuation of a celebration. It is a quiet, peaceful time for the believer to reflect on what God in a manger really means.

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Hymns and Angels
The doctrine of angels is one of the most comforting of all doctrines. While Scripture does not reveal all that we would like to know about these creatures, it does reveal that they are further evidence of just how gracious God is to His children. They are a beautiful part of creation whose work it is to serve and adore the Lamb-with a large part of that service being the guardianship of man. Are they [angels] not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation? (Heb. 1:14)

The earthly pilgrimage of "those who will inherit salvation" is greatly blessed by this divine gift of guardianship. In the same way that angels surrounded our Lord in his earthly life (Luke 1:31; Luke 2:9-11; Matt. 2:13; Matt. 4:11; Luke 22:46; Matt 28:25; Acts 1:10; Matt. 25:31), they surround the earthly life of His children. Philipp Melanchthon wrote of this in a hymn about angels:

They never rest nor sleep as we; Their whole delight is but to be
With Thee, Lord Jesus, and to keep Thy little flock, Thy lambs and sheep.
The ancient Dragon is their foe; His envy and his wrath they know.
It always is his aim and pride Thy Christian people to divide
But watchful is the angel band that follows Christ on every hand
To guard His people where they go and break the counsel of the Foe.
[TLH 254: 3,4,7; LW 189:3]

The earthly pilgrimage is also the subject of Hans Brorson's hymn "I Walk In Danger All The Way." This stanza is about the angel's guardian presence in that walk.

I walk with angels all the way, They shield me and befriend me;
All Satan's pow'r is held at bay when heav'nly hosts attend me;
They are my sure defense, all fear and sorrow, hence!
Unharmed by foes, do what they may, I walk with angels all the way.
[TLH 413:4; LW 391:4]

Usually our singing about angels has to do with their lofty, glorious hymns and worship. We know that the vault of heaven rings with their sublime praise. We know that our humble, yet fervent "Holy, Holy, Holy" joins their grand "Holy, Holy, Holy" during the "Sanctus" of the liturgy. In fact, angels have taught us much of what we know about the worship of our God. They have taught us that the highest act of worship is to simply confess, to say or sing back, what God has, through faith, enabled His creatures to say. The sung confession of the angels is about who God is and what He has done. This is worship and it fills the heavens at all times.

Hark! the glad celestial hymn Angel choirs above are raising;
Cherubim and seraphim, in unceasing chorus praising,
Fill the heav'ns with sweet accord: "Holy, Holy, Holy Lord!" [TLH 250:2; LW 171:2]

* * * * *

Ye watchers and ye holy ones, bright seraphs, cherubim, and thrones,
Raise the glad strain, Alleluia! Cry out dominions, princedoms, pow'rs,
Virtues, archangels, angels' choirs, Alleluia! Alleluia!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! [TLH 475:1; LW 308:1]

As servants of God, angels are swift and important messengers throughout Scripture. Many of our hymns speak of their messages: [LW 37; LW 55; TLH 208: 3; LW 130:3; TLH 212:3; LW 149: 3, etc.]. But one of the most comforting facts about angels has to do with their role in the last moments of the Christian's life. As angels carried the soul of Lazarus into the bosom of Abraham, so also will angels surround us ready to carry our souls to the mansions that have been prepared. (Luke 16:22) Angels have the joyful task of bringing us home.

Lord, let at last Thine angels come, To Abram's bosom bear me home,
That I may die unfearing; And in its narrow chamber keep
My body safe in peaceful sleep until Thy reappearing.
And then from death awaken me That these mine eyes with joy may see,
O Son of God, Thy glorious face, my Savior and my Fount of grace.
Lord Jesus Christ, My prayer attend, my prayer attend,
And I will praise Thee without end. [TLH 429:3; LW 413:3]

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