Tawa Baptist

Christmas Day Message

Scriptures: Matthew 1:18-25 & Micah 6:8

Did anyone get tickets to a concert or sports match this year for Christmas?

  • When you go to a large arena or concert hall for some major event you are normally given allocated seating
  • The ticket will have on it where you are to sit
  • So, for example, if we sold tickets to the Tawa community Christmas day service my ticket might have written on it – aisle 2, row D, seat 3
  • If we imagine this here is aisle two, then I would find my seat by going to row D, seat 3. [go to row D]
  • Row D is 4 rows from the front and seat 3 is 3 seats in
  • Which means you are sitting in my seat. I’m just kidding.
  • Can you reach under ‘our’ seat and see what you can find? [wait]

An envelope. Why don’t you open it and tell us what’s inside?

  • Can you read the words on the card for us?

He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

  • Micah 6:8

Well done – you can keep that. [walk back up onto the stage]

The Tawa College motto (on the crest above us) says ‘Do justly’. It’s a quote from the prophet Micah

Earlier in the service Steven gave a reading from Matthew 1, describing the birth of Jesus from Joseph’s perspective

  • Joseph offers us a wonderful example of what it means to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with God

Joseph, who was a descendant of king David, was engaged to be married to Mary when he learned that Mary was pregnant

  • Joseph didn’t know who the father was but he knew the baby wasn’t his
  • I expect Joseph felt a cocktail of emotions: hurt, betrayed, angry, disappointed, perplexed and sad, all at the same time
  • It would have been tempting to lash out or react in the heat of the moment but Joseph doesn’t do that.
  • Joseph takes some time to be still and think things through.

He is a righteous man, which means Joseph seeks to do the right thing by God and his neighbour. But what is ‘the right thing’ in this situation?

  • In some ways, discerning what God wants you to do is like finding your allocated seat in a stadium or concert hall
  • You start by finding the right aisle (the justice aisle), then the right row (the mercy row) and finally the right seat (the humility seat)
  • Is it just, is it merciful, is it humble?

The Law of Moses made it clear Joseph could not marry Mary

  • Deuteronomy 22 says a woman who is betrothed to one man but sleeps with another must be stoned, killed at the city gate, along with the man who got her into trouble
  • As a devout Jew, Joseph was well aware of this.
  • But he was also familiar with the teachings of the prophets – people like Isaiah and Jeremiah and Micah
  • It was the prophets who gave the people a lens through which they could interpret and apply the Law
  • How was Joseph to interpret and apply Deuteronomy 22?
  • Through the lens of justice, mercy and humility

Thinking about the justice aspect, Joseph didn’t know who the man was who got Mary pregnant

  • It was hardly fair that Mary should die while the bloke (whoever he was) got off scot free – Moses’ law never intended that
  • In any case, when we step back from the detail and look at the bigger picture of the Bible, we notice God’s justice is more inclined to restore than destroy
  • Following the letter of the law in this situation would have undermined its spirit. Therefore, justice said, Joseph couldn’t kill Mary

What about mercy?   

  • Well, the Hebrew word in Micah 6, verse 8, translated as mercy, is hesed
  • Hesed can mean mercy or kindness or loyal love
  • There are three criteria to hesed in the Hebrew Bible:
  • First, an act of hesed is done for someone you know already
  • Second, the action is essential to the survival or basic well-being of the recipient (it is no small thing)
  • And thirdly, the needed action is one that only the person doing the act of hesed is in a position to provide [1] (no one else can do it)

Joseph was in a position to do hesed for Mary

  • He had an existing relationship with her
  • He could literally save her life and the life of her child
  • And he was the only one who could save her
  • To love hesed is to look for opportunities to do hesed
  • Because Joseph was a righteous man he decided he would do hesed for Mary by saving her from death and from shame

What about humility?   

  • Well, humility is about having your feet on the ground and knowing yourself, particularly knowing your limits
  • Humility is also about having a right perspective – not thinking too highly of yourself but not devaluing yourself either.
  • Humility says, take the plank out of your own eye before you worry about the speck in someone else’s
  • Likewise, humility says, those who are without sin may throw the first stone.

So justice, mercy and humility all said Joseph should not apply the letter of the law by having Mary stoned but that he should divorce Mary privately, to save her from public disgrace   

  • This honoured the spirit or intent of the law, without doing harm to Mary or his own conscience
  • Based on the information he had, it was the most compassionate and just option available to Joseph

But Joseph didn’t have all the facts. As it turned out, Mary had not slept with anyone. She was still a virgin, still faithful to Joseph. 

  • Mary conceived in a holy unique way, by a miracle of God’s Spirit
  • The angel of the Lord revealed this to Joseph in a dream, telling Joseph not to be afraid to take Mary as his wife and instructing Joseph to name the child ‘Jesus’ – which means ‘the Lord saves’.

Joseph was quick to do what the Lord had told him because it ticked all three boxes of justice, mercy and humility

Now, if you are like me, you may be wondering, why didn’t God tell Joseph how Mary got pregnant ahead of time, to save him going through all that stress and angst of trying to figure the right thing?

  • Well, sometimes God leaves us in a difficult situation (just for a little while) to reveal the contents of our heart and to glorify Himself
  • If Joseph hadn’t gone through this process, we wouldn’t have been given the example of his compassionate justice and Mary wouldn’t have known how much Joseph loved her.  

Joseph’s story reveals the beauty of God’s wisdom

  • God didn’t choose just anyone to raise his Son
  • God chose a thoughtful and righteous man   
  • Joseph’s action in caring for Mary and her baby points to the wise and tender nature of Jesus’ righteousness 
  • Like Joseph, Jesus went beyond the letter of the law to find its spirit
  • And even more than Joseph, Jesus embodies the justice, mercy and humility of God. 

Let us pray…

  • Lord, sometimes life presents us with some hard choices
  • I pray for those who are facing difficult decisions this Christmas and New Year
  • Give us the tender wisdom we need to find our seat, our place, in your will and purpose
  • Help us to slow down, take time and think things through
  • Shine your light on the Scriptures that we may apply your word with justice, mercy and humility
  • We pray these things in Jesus’ name. Amen. 

[1] Katherine Doob Sakenfeld, Ruth, page 24.

Tawa Baptist

Star Child

Scripture: Luke 4:16-30

Some years ago I was talking with my theology lecturer and asked him what he did his Phd thesis on

  • It had a long name that I can’t remember exactly now but essentially it focused on the work of a dead theologian from the middle ages
  • What I do remember about that conversation is my lecturer’s advice
  • He said, if you are going to do a thesis on someone else’s work it is best to it on a dead person because they can’t disagree with your findings 

Today we continue our ‘Anthems’ series

  • In this series we are looking at the lyrics of one hymn or Christian worship song each week to see how that song informs our thinking about God and how it connects with Scripture and the heritage of our faith.
  • The song we are looking at this morning is Star Child

Star Child was written by a New Zealander, Shirley Murray, who I believe is still very much alive

  • I have never met Shirley and I don’t know what she would think of the connections and interpretations I am making with her song
  • She may disagree with some (or maybe all) of what I’m about to say
  • So my message today comes with a disclaimer: this is what Shirley’s song puts me in touch with and is not necessarily the meaning she intended to convey – please don’t hold my words against her
  • In any case the lyrics to Star Child are so broad and spacious they invite a wide range of interpretive possibility.

Shirley Murray was born in Invercargill, NZ, in 1931 – which I guess makes her 88 years old now

  • Shirley studied music as an undergraduate and then did a Masters in classics and French at Otago
  • She grew up attending a Methodist church but later became a Presbyterian when she married the Rev John Stewart, a Presbyterian minister
  • Shirley started her working career as a teacher of languages, then did research for the Labour party for a number of years
  • She was also involved in Amnesty International

Shirley was quite prolific, writing (I think) around 600 hymns including: Carol our Christmas, Our life has its seasons and God speed you on your way (which is sung to Tawa College school leavers)

  • Many of her songs address human rights issues, women’s concerns, social justice, peace and care of creation – and were written at a time when these things were considered a bit edgy and not as mainstream as today.   

The song Star Child was written in 1993 and explores the meaning of Christ’s birth in light of the growing gap between rich and poor

  • Shirley is quoted as saying: “The carol grew out of increasing concern at the market values dictating our welfare system, now creating more and more ‘social rejects’.”
  • In other words, Shirley saw how the government’s economic policy was detrimental to the social well-being of many New Zealanders at that time
  • Certainly the early 1990’s saw relatively high unemployment rates, peaking at 10.7% in 1992 – which equates to nearly 181,000 people out of work. [1]  
  • The point is, Shirley wrote about real world issues – she was of that ilk who held the Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other. 

The music for Star Child was written by Carlton Young, but I think Colin Gibson may have had some involvement too, as his name is on the music score alongside Carlton’s 

The song begins with the words: Star-Child, Earth Child, go between of God, love Child, Christ Child, heaven’s lightning rod,

This verse is clearly about Jesus

  • The phrase Star Child instantly creates a variety of connections
  • It makes us think of Jesus’ natal star – the bright light in the evening sky which guided the wise men to Bethlehem the place of Jesus’ birth
  • More generally though it indicates that Jesus comes from heaven above
  • Jesus is the light that shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it
  • As a star, we could say Jesus is the one we look to, to navigate our way through life, much like sailors at sea navigate by the stars at night
  • Then of course, Jesus is a star in the sense of being famous and adored, sort of like a rock star, except without the sex and drugs

But Jesus isn’t just a star child from above. He is also an earth child – conceived by the Holy Spirit but born of Mary, humble and down to earth

  • Star child indicates the transcendence of God – God far above us, God who is different from us and as unreachable as the stars
  • While earth child suggests the immanence of God – God’s presence close to us, God with us in a form that is accessible and relatable

Jesus is the go between of God – he creates a bridge between humanity and God through his very person

  • This is the doctrine of the incarnation – Jesus is both truly divine and truly human. As we read in John’s gospel…
  • The Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.    

The expression Love child has a double meaning I think

  • In the 1970’s the term ‘love child’ referred to a child born to parents who were not married to each other
  • Mary was not married when she conceived Jesus by the Holy Spirit but she was married to Joseph by the time Jesus was born
  • God is love, so love child could also refer to Jesus being the Son of God
  • Jesus shows us what God’s love is like. It is a self-giving love

Jesus is the Christ child

  • In Luke 2, an angel appears to the shepherds and says…
  • Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.
  • Christ is not Jesus’ surname – Christ is a title which literally means ‘anointed one’ or king 
  • Christ means the same thing as Messiah – Christ being the Greek term and Messiah being the Hebrew word

The last line of verse 1 is a bit troubling – it talks about Jesus being heaven’s lightning rod

  • In my sixth form year at Hamilton Boys’ High School we had an electrical storm during the day.
  • About 20 boys (I was not one of them) were sheltering from heavy rain under a tree when a bolt of lightning struck the tree.
  • Eleven boys were knocked to the ground and one had to be revived with mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
  • He suffered serious burns to his face, neck and shoulders, and especially to his elbows and the soles of his feet.
  • You don’t want to be hit by lightning

To protect people from lightning strikes like this, tall structures sometimes have a rod-like conductor installed to divert lightning away to the ground

  • With this in mind the term ‘lightning rod’ is an English idiom for someone who attracts a lot of criticism or anger in order to shield others
  • A lightning rod personality is often blamed for other people’s mistakes
  • Most people who have ever been in a leadership role know what it means to be a lightning rod for people’s anger and criticism.
  • The Bible doesn’t specifically talk about Jesus as heaven’s lightning rod but we do get the idea of a scapegoat from the Bible, which is similar

To say that Jesus is “heaven’s lightning rod” does not mean that God directs his anger at Jesus. God was not angry with Jesus – He was pleased with Jesus

  • Jesus comes from heaven but the lightning does not come from heaven
  • The lightning comes from earth
  • Jesus is a lightning rod for the anger, criticism and sin of people    

There were a number times in the gospel when Jesus acted as a lightning rod, in order to save those in need

  • Like when Jesus defended the woman caught in adultery, in John 8
  • And it seems whenever Jesus healed someone on the Sabbath he got a hard time from the religious leaders. No good deed goes unpunished.

Please turn with me to Luke 4, page 80, toward the back of your pew Bibles

  • This passage describes one occasion, near the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, when he became a lightning rod for people’s anger
  • From Luke 4, verse 16, we read…

16 Then Jesus went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath he went as usual to the synagogue. He stood up to read the Scriptures 17 and was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it is written,

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
    because he has chosen me to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
    and recovery of sight to the blind,
to set free the oppressed
19     and announce that the time has come
    when the Lord will save his people.”

20 Jesus rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. All the people in the synagogue had their eyes fixed on him, 21 as he said to them, “This passage of scripture has come true today, as you heard it being read.”

22 They were all well impressed with him and marvelled at the eloquent words that he spoke. They said, “Isn’t he the son of Joseph?”

23 He said to them, “I am sure that you will quote this proverb to me, ‘Doctor, heal yourself.’ You will also tell me to do here in my hometown the same things you heard were done in Capernaum. 24 I tell you this,” Jesus added, “prophets are never welcomed in their hometown. 25 Listen to me: it is true that there were many widows in Israel during the time of Elijah, when there was no rain for three and a half years and a severe famine spread throughout the whole land. 26 Yet Elijah was not sent to anyone in Israel, but only to a widow living in Zarephath in the territory of Sidon. 27 And there were many people suffering from a dreaded skin disease who lived in Israel during the time of the prophet Elisha; yet not one of them was healed, but only Naaman the Syrian.”

28 When the people in the synagogue heard this, they were filled with anger. 29 They rose up, dragged Jesus out of town, and took him to the top of the hill on which their town was built. They meant to throw him over the cliff, 30 but he walked through the middle of the crowd and went his way.     

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us

This passage from Luke 4 provides a kind of executive summary of Jesus’ earthly ministry – it outlines the gospel in a short story

  • Jesus came with a message of salvation for everyone but not everyone welcomed him or his message
  • Yes, he was popular at first but it wasn’t long before his words and actions rubbed people up the wrong way and they were out to kill him
  • Jesus is sent from heaven and becomes a lightning rod for people’s anger
  • This episode, in Nazareth, foreshadows Jesus’ rejection & crucifixion 

Why did the people of Jesus’ home town get so angry with him that they were ready to throw him off a cliff? I don’t know.

  • Perhaps they didn’t like the way Jesus was claiming the status of prophet.
  • Maybe they thought he had committed blasphemy
  • Or perhaps they took offence at the way Jesus seemed to imply that God was more interested in saving social rejects like the widow of Zarephath and Naaman the Syrian (both of whom were Gentiles).  

Shirley Murray’s song connects with Luke 4 in a number of ways

  • Luke 4 talks about Jesus being good news for the poor and the oppressed
  • Star Child is a song which highlights the needs of the poor & oppressed
  • The chorus expresses the ‘now but not yet’ of salvation

This year, this year, let the day arrive, when Christmas comes for everyone, everyone alive.

On the one hand God’s salvation and kingdom have arrived in the person of Jesus but the fruit of that salvation is yet to mature and be realised

  • The world we live in is still filled with the poor and oppressed
  • Christmas is not good news for everyone
  • For some it only highlights their need and what they don’t have
  • We pray to God, ‘Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven’,and we wait in hope.

If the first verse of the song is about Jesus, then the next three verses are about us. Verse 2 reads…

Street child, beat child, no place left to go, hurt child, used child, no one wants to know,

This verse seems to be addressing the reality of homelessness and being displaced.

  • Beat is another way of saying street. The police walk the beat
  • Beat also hints at violence and being beaten up
  • For a variety of reasons family violence tends to spike at Christmas time
  • Sadly, some young people feel safer on the streets than they do at home

Thinking about the connection with Jesus’ story I am reminded of how, shortly after Jesus’ birth, an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream warning him to take his family to Egypt for a while

  • This was to escape king Herod who felt threatened by the news of Christ’s birth and sought to manage the situation by killing all the babies in the area under two years old. Talk about child abuse.

The line no place left to go connects with what Jesus said to a would be follower, in Matthew 8 verse 20: Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.

  • Jesus knew what it was to have no fixed abode.   

The last line in verse two of the song is intriguing: hurt child, no one wants to know. This speaks of rejection and abandonment and neglect

  • To get to know someone you have to spend time with them
  • Children need the time and attention of caring adults. Not every waking moment, but often enough for a healthy relationship to develop.
  • Consistently enough for the child to know they are safe and valued

We are reminded of the story in Mark 10 where the disciples try to shoo the children away and Jesus rebukes his disciples saying…

  • Let the little children come to me for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.
  • Jesus welcomes the little children and, by his example, encourages us to give them our time

Verse 3 of the song continues the theme of harsh reality…

Grown child, old child, memory full of years, sad child, lost child, story told in tears,

This verse makes me think of the child within each of us

  • It is perhaps more of a modern psychological idea
  • If you go to counselling, you will probably be asked about your childhood and once those memories are unearthed you may be asked to take care of that child in you  

To some extent the experiences we had in our childhood stay with us into adulthood

  • All of my grandparents grew up during the Great Depression of the 1930’s and they went without
  • This experience stayed with them and, consequently, they were careful with money, always making sure they had some put aside just in case
  • They didn’t want to go through that same experience of deprivation again 

Story told in tears is an interesting line

  • It speaks of someone who doesn’t tell their story in words, so much as reveal the sadness of their life through tears
  • Blessed are those who mourn. They shall be comforted

Each of us is telling ourselves a story to help make sense of our lives

  • We need to make sure the story we are telling ourselves is true 

Once there was a girl named Stacey

  • Stacey grew up in an average middle class kiwi home
  • Both her parents worked hard to pay the bills and provide for their family
  • One day Stacey’s mum left, she ran off with another man
  • Her father was devastated of course
  • He stayed around to provide for his kids and he did his best but he was struggling with his own grief and that limited his emotional availability  

Stacey was the eldest of three children and so she did what most eldest siblings do in a situation like this – she stepped up and took responsibility

  • Stacey cooked the dinner and made the lunches and read stories to her younger brothers
  • She made sure her dad knew about the important stuff like paying the power bill and remembering the boys’ birthdays
  • Stacey worked hard at school, got lots of excellence credits and thought about going to Uni at Otago but put that aside so she could stay home and look after her family
  • Stacey appeared like the model daughter. Always taking care of everyone else’s needs. Never really attending to her own. Not properly.
  • Stacey sacrificed her childhood to be a mother to her father and brothers

One day a young man became interested in Stacey. He was kind, handsome and from a good family

  • The young man asked Stacey out and they started dating
  • Things seemed to be going along nicely at first but whenever he tried to get close emotionally Stacey put up a wall
  • She never really let him in. There was always a distance there.
  • The young man would have stayed around but Stacey ended the relationship, saying they could still be friends, but knowing in her heart that wasn’t going to happen
  • When he asked her why, Stacey couldn’t find the words to tell him how terrified she was at the way love made her feel so vulnerable

You see, Stacey was telling herself a story – a story told in tears. It went like this: ‘I am to blame for my mother leaving. I am responsible for that.’

  • The story was false of course. No one else was blaming Stacey for what her mother did.
  • Stacey was just 13 at the time, it was nothing to do with her
  • But Stacey needed to believe she was to blame in order to feel safe
  • As long as she was responsible, she was in control of the situation
  • (Or at least that’s what she thought)
  • Facing the truth that she had no control over her mother, that her mother’s leaving had nothing to do with her, was just too scary, too painful
  • It made her feel powerless & vulnerable, like being in love with someone
  • But if Stacey told herself it was her fault, that she made it happen, then in a twisted way she felt like she had some control over her circumstances
  • Taking responsibility for everyone else helped to support the illusion.   

Sometimes when we are going through a difficult situation we tell ourselves a lie, to protect ourselves, just to get through that situation, but once the situation has passed we need to tell ourselves the truth and the truth may be a story told in tears

  • Jesus came to set people free. We are set free by the truth.
  • Jesus helps us to face the truth so we are not afraid to love and feel vulnerable

It’s Christmas time, so I can’t leave Stacey’s story with a sad ending

  • Some years later the young man, who had asked Stacey out, returned
  • He was still single, still holding a flame for Stacey
  • In that time apart (a time of waiting) Stacey’s heart was touched by Jesus and she figured a few things out
  • Now Stacey was able to tell herself a new story. It went like this:
  • ‘I am not responsible for the choices other people make. I am only responsible for the choices I make. My mother’s leaving was a gift. It showed me who I am; strong, loyal, compassionate.’  
  • With this new story Stacey was no longer emotionally closed off.
  • Yes, she was discerning about who she trusted but she was also ready to love and be vulnerable.
  • The young man asked Stacey out again and this time it worked out – they were able to get close to one another

Verse 4 of the song reads…

Spared child, spoiled child, having, wanting more, wise child, faith child knowing joy in store,

This verse draws a contrast between those who have too much (and for whom things come too easily), with those who are made to wait in faith

  • Ever noticed how God often makes us wait
  • Sometimes he answers our prayers quite quickly.
  • Other times he says ‘no’ or he says nothing
  • Waiting is God’s way of teaching us to value something
  • When things are given to us too easily we tend to take them for granted
  • But when we are made to wait, we value the gift (and the giver) more
  • Not always getting what we want shows us what we really need

Advent is about waiting for the coming of Christ

  • Waiting is not easy.
  • Waiting in faith for test results
  • Waiting in faith for your surgery
  • Waiting in faith for the baby to come
  • Waiting in faith for the pain to pass so your body and soul can heal
  • Waiting in faith for Christ to touch your heart with God’s love & truth so you are free to be vulnerable and love again, without fear.

Yes, waiting is difficult but there is hope and joy in the waiting

  • Knowing joy in store speaks of the joy of anticipation
  • Joy is the positive energy that comes from hope

The song finishes in the same way that it started, by focusing on Jesus

  • The first verse was all about Christ and so is the last

Hope-for-peace Child, God’s stupendous sign,

down-to-earth Child, star of stars that shine,

Jesus is our hope for peace – peace with God, peace with each other and peace with ourselves

  • The Biblical idea of peace (or shalom) is more than the mere absence of conflict. The peace Christ gives is the presence of abundant life
  • Jesus said: I have come that they may have life and have it to the full [2]
  • Abundant life is life worth living, life at its best
  • We are yet to realise the fullness of life and peace that Jesus came to bring – but we wait for it, knowing joy in store   

God’s stupendous sign is a phrase that may need some explanation

  • Stupendous does not mean stupid or dumb
  • Stupendous means surprising in a pleasing way, generous, better than expected, large or extravagant 
  • Jesus surprises us in a good way, he reveals the extravagance and generosity of God’s love
  • God’s love is deep and wide – deep enough to heal the hurt child within you and wide enough to embrace those a market driven economy rejects

Let’s stand and sing Star Child now, and as we do I invite you to feel the words

  • Let them in.
  • What line or verse is God impressing upon your heart?
  • What is God saying to you today?

[1] http://socialreport.msd.govt.nz/paid-work/unemployment.html

[2] John 10:10b

Tawa Baptist

Silent Night

Scriptures: Luke 2:1-20

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • History
  • Meaning
  • Conclusion

Silent night, holy night, All is calm, all is bright. Round yon virgin mother and child; Holy infant, so tender and mild, Sleep in heavenly peace; Sleep in heavenly peace.

Silent night, holy night, Shepherds quake at the sight. Glories stream from heaven afar, Heavenly hosts sing “Alleluia. Christ the Saviour is born; Christ the Saviour is born.”

Silent night, holy night, Son of God, love’s pure light. Radiant beams from Thy holy face, With the dawn of redeeming grace. Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth; Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth.

Introduction:

On Christmas morning 1914 British, Belgian, French and German soldiers put down their rifles, stepped out of their trenches and mingled in no-man’s land on the Western Front

  • About two thirds of the fighting forces, around 100,000 men, participated in the spontaneous ceasefire.
  • One Allied soldier had his hair cut by a German barber, other soldiers exchanged cigarettes and a few kicked a football around 
  • The truce started on Christmas Eve. Graham Williams of the Fifth London Rifle Brigade described the scene:

“First the Germans would sing one of their carols and then we would sing one of ours, until when we started up ‘O Come, All Ye Faithful’ the Germans immediately joined in singing the same hymn to the Latin words Adeste Fideles. And I thought, well, this is really a most extraordinary thing ­– two nations both singing the same carol in the middle of a war.” [1]

The truce didn’t last of course but it was a moment of peace and light when differences were put aside, the sounds of battle were silenced and humanity was shared

Today we continue our ‘Anthems’ series

  • In this series we are looking at the music & lyrics of one hymn or Christian worship song each week to see how that song informs our thinking about God and how it connects with Scripture and the heritage of our faith. The song we are looking at this morning is Silent Night
  • Silent Night was probably one of the songs sung on Christmas Eve 1914.
  • Originally written in German, Silent Night has been translated into many other languages and has become part of our shared humanity

The history:

Like so many of the songs we sing in church Silent Night is the result of a collaboration between two people – the words were written by Father Joseph Mohr and the music composed by a school teacher, Franz Gruber

  • Both men’s back stories are fascinating, let’s start with the lyricist

Joseph Mohr was born in Salzburg, Austria, on the 11 December 1792, over 200 years ago

  • His mother, Anna, was an embroiderer and his father Franz was a mercenary soldier, who abandoned Anna before Joseph was born.
  • Joseph’s parents were not married, so Joseph was born out of wedlock at a time when that wasn’t socially accepted like it is today  

Joseph was baptised in the Catholic church as an infant.

  • His god father was recorded as Joseph Wohlmuth, the last official executioner of Salzburg  
  • So Joseph got his first name from the town executioner and his last name from a mercenary soldier who abandoned him and his mother

It wasn’t an ideal start to life.

  • I imagine Joseph suffered many snide remarks as a child growing up and was probably forced to wear shame through no fault of his own
  • One can’t help but notice the connection with Jesus’ experience in life
  • Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit but to most people it appeared that Jesus was born in dubious circumstances, as Mary became pregnant before she was married
  • I imagine Jesus suffered many snide remarks as a child growing up
  • We know Jesus wore shame through no fault of his own    

The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone [2]

  • That verse is talking about Jesus – it points to the way God operates
  • The Lord delights in taking the people we least expect and giving them a special place in His plan and purpose
  • It seems He did this with Joseph Mohr
  • Johann Hiernle, vicar and leader of music at Salzburg Cathedral, enabled Joseph to have an education and encouraged him in music.
  • As a boy, Joseph served as a singer and violinist in the choirs of the University Church and at the Benedictine monastery church of St. Peter.
  • Joseph entered the Catholic seminary in 1811 at the age of 18.
  • He needed a special dispensation to attend the seminary because of his illegitimate birth.
  • Four years later Mohr graduated and was ordained as a Catholic priest.
  • Joseph Mohr chose a completely different path in life to that of his father and god-father

Between 1815 and 1817 Joseph served as assistant priest in a town called Mariapfarr. During this time, in 1816 at the age of 23 or 24, Joseph wrote a poem in German called Silent Night – it was six verses long

  • He wrote it, I suppose, as a private act of worship and adoration to God for the gift of His Son Jesus
  • He had no idea how God would use that private act of devotion      

Not long after Joseph returned to Salzburg, for health reasons, where he became an assistant priest at St Nicholas in Oberndorf.

  • It was there that he met Franz Gruber

Franz Gruber was five years older than Joseph Mohr. Franz was a busy man.

  • In 1807 he became a schoolteacher in Arnsdorf, while at the same time carrying out the duties of church caretaker and organist.
  • A year later he married a widow called Maria. They had two children, both of whom died young.  
  • It is difficult to imagine anything worse than losing a child
  • God knows what it is to lose a child though

In 1816 Franz took on the additional responsibilities of organist and choirmaster at St Nicholas Church in the neighboring village of Oberndorf – a year before Joseph Mohr arrived.

Before my time here the Church Secretary of Tawa Baptist had to keep a sermon in their back pocket in case the pastor became sick and couldn’t preach

  • We don’t really have a church secretary anymore so I’m not allowed to get sick – which suits me fine
  • Sometimes though things don’t go to plan and its handy to have a back-up just in cases

In winter of 1818 the river flooded and damaged the St Nicholas church organ in Oberndorf so it wouldn’t play. This was not ideal

  • Joseph Mohr, the assistant priest, needed a song for Christmas Eve – one that didn’t require an organ, one he could play on his guitar
  • He had the words for a song in his back pocket – the poem he had written two years earlier – all he needed was a tune to go with it
  • So Joseph walked three kilometers, in the snow, to his friend Franz Gruber to see if he could help.
  • Joseph asked Franz to set his poem to music
  • The story goes that Gruber composed the music for Silent Night in just a few hours. God’s hand seems to have been involved

The music for Silent Night sounds like a lullaby – something a parent might sing to put their child to sleep

  • I wonder how Franz Gruber felt writing that music after having buried two if his children

Silent Night was first performed at midnight mass on Christmas Eve 1818, with the priest Joseph Mohr, playing guitar, while Franz Gruber and a choir gave vocal support. People loved it. It caught on and spread around the world.

You may be wondering what happened to Joseph and Franz after that – after all they were both still relatively young.

  • Joseph Mohr was only 26 at the time and Franz Gruber just 31
  • Well, Joseph served as a priest in various places for the rest of his life
  • He was a generous man and gave away most of his income
  • He created a fund to allow children from poor families to attend school and he set up a system for the care of the elderly.
  • Joseph Mohr died at the age of 55 from respiratory problems

Franz Gruber’s first wife, Maria, died in 1825

  • He married another woman, also called Maria, and they had 10 children
  • Sadly, only four survived to adulthood
  • Franz’ second wife died in childbirth. They were tough times       
  • Franz Gruber lived with his losses until his 76th year when he passed too

The meaning:

Please turn with me to Luke 2, page 76 toward the back of your pew Bibles

  • Silent Night remembers the night of Jesus’ birth
  • Mary & Joseph were from Nazareth but had to travel to Bethlehem, their home town, for a Roman census. From Luke chapter 2, verse 4, we read:

4 Joseph went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to the town of Bethlehem in Judea, the birthplace of King David. Joseph went there because he was a descendant of David. 5 He went to register with Mary, who was promised in marriage to him. She was pregnant, 6 and while they were in Bethlehem, the time came for her to have her baby. 7 She gave birth to her first son, wrapped him in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger—there was no room for them to stay in the inn. 

The scene we often see on Christmas cards is of Mary, Jesus & Joseph in a stable full of animals

  • But this is a bit misleading. Most probably Jesus was born in the home of a peasant.
  • In Jesus’ day the standard home usually had two rooms – one room for the family and a second room attached for guests
  • The main family room was designed on two levels, with the upper level being where people slept and the lower level being where the animals were kept. [3]
  • The animals were taken out during the day and brought in to the lower level at night.
  • Having the animals in the house at night provided heat for the family and safety for the animals.

The honour/shame hospitality culture of the Middle East would have required the village to take Mary and Joseph in, especially as Mary was pregnant.

  • The men would have been ushered outside while Mary gave birth in the main family area with the help of other women from Bethlehem

In verse 7 of Luke 2 we read there was no room for them to stay in the inn

  • An inn in this situation is not a commercial establishment like a hotel or motel – it simply refers to the guest quarters attached to the private house in which Mary & Joseph were staying
  • Mary, Jesus and Joseph would ordinarily have been given the guest quarters but, because this was already occupied by others, the holy family stayed with their host family in the main room, with the animals kept separate downstairs
  • The manger (or feeding trough) in which Jesus was laid would have been refreshed with clean straw and brought up to the main family area away from the animals – you don’t leave a baby beside an ox

So, Jesus wasn’t born in a stable, like Hallmark would have us believe.

  • He was born in a regular peasant home with people on the upper level and animals on the lower level
  • While this was nothing flash, by our standards, it was the best the hosts could offer and quite acceptable for the time

In some ways the title of the song Silent Night seems almost ironic when compared with the Biblical account of Jesus’ birth

  • I expect it was noisy rather than quiet – a full house with people talking, animals bleating and the town teeming with people there for the census
  • What’s more giving birth isn’t usually a silent event – normally there is a fair bit of sound and commotion, sometimes screaming even
  • So why the repeated line of Silent night?

Well, I’m pretty sure Joseph Mohr wasn’t meaning to be ironic.

  • The night of Christ’s birth was a holy night and Christ is holy
  • To be holy is to be set apart as sacred or special
  • Holiness is an attribute of God
  • Keeping silent vigil is a form of worship, a sign of respect, a way of showing honour to that which is sacred
  • Spending the night in quiet contemplation of Christ’s birth is appropriate to the Christmas season
  • The kind of silence we are aiming for is inner silence – be still my soul

Of course, two years later (in 1818) when the organ wasn’t working, the words silent night took on a whole different meaning. The church organ was silent.

Verse 1 of the song reminds us that Mary was a virgin when she gave birth to Jesus

  • The Scriptures tells us Mary conceived by the Holy Spirit and that her fiancé, Joseph, didn’t have sexual relations with her until sometime after Jesus was born.

The fourth line of verse 1, Holy Infant so tender and mild, reminds us of the vulnerability of God

  • Jesus didn’t come in a show of power or force – he came as a baby, tender & mild  
  • The vulnerability of a child usually brings out the best in people

Heavenly peace is different to earthly peace

  • Earthly peace is often fragile and easily disturbed but heavenly peace is more lasting, eternally resilient
  • Heavenly peace speaks of peace in our relationship with God and others
  • With Jesus’ birth the peace of heaven comes to earth

Please return with me to Luke chapter 2 – page 76

  • Verse 2 of the song is straight out of Luke 2 – it describes a choir of angels appearing to shepherds in the fields near Bethlehem
  • From Luke 2, verses 8-14 we read…

8 There were some shepherds in that part of the country who were spending the night in the fields, taking care of their flocks. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone over them. They were terribly afraid, 10 but the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid! I am here with good news for you, which will bring great joy to all the people. 11 This very day in David’s town your Saviour was born—Christ the Lord! 12 And this is what will prove it to you: you will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a manger.”

13 Suddenly a great army of heaven’s angels appeared with the angel, singing praises to God: 14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom he is pleased!”  

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us

Shepherds, at the time of Jesus, were looked down on by most people

  • They were somewhere near the bottom of the social ladder, usually poor and uneducated
  • Given their lowly status it is significant that God chose to announce the birth of His Son to shepherds and invite them to go and visit
  • The shepherds were in no doubt of their humble status and needed some convincing they would be welcome if they did try to visit the Messiah
  • So the angels told the shepherds they would find the baby wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a manger
  • This gave the shepherds confidence they wouldn’t be turned away [4]
  • The Messiah was humble just like them
  • They too wrapped their babies in strips of cloth and they too lived in ordinary peasant homes with animals and mangers in the same room as the human occupants.
  • The point is: with Jesus’ birth, God shared in our humanity

Verse 3 of the song reads: Silent night! Holy night! Son of God, love’s pure light. Radiant beams from Thy Holy Face, with the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord, at Thy Birth! Jesus, Lord, at Thy Birth!

This stanza continues the theme of light

  • Jesus is the light of the world
  • Light is silent – it makes no sound
  • Metaphorically speaking, Jesus enters the world as silently as light
  • As the light of the world Jesus shows humankind what God’s love is like

Radiant beams from Thy Holy Face (that is, from Jesus’ face) reminds us of Aaron’s priestly blessing to the people of Israel in Numbers 6…

  • The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up His countenance on you and give you peace.
  • ‘Countenance’ is word which here means ‘facial expression’
  • To have ‘the Lord shine His face upon you’ and ‘lift up His countenance on you’, is to have God turn toward you and smile on you, show you favour, kindness and peace
  • Jesus shows us God’s face – He shows us God’s presence and attitude
  • God’s face is not a face like thunder. It is not a hard or angry face 
  • God’s attitude toward humanity is revealed in the face of Jesus – a face of kindness, gentleness and compassion

Last week we heard how Jesus is the dayspring – with Jesus comes the dawn of redeeming grace

  • Redeeming grace has to do with setting us free from sin – whether that’s our own sin or the sin others have committed against us
  • Redeeming grace also has to do with the way God brings good out of a bad situation – as He did in Oberndorf in 1818
  • The church was flooded, the organ was caput and the Christmas Eve service looked like it might flop
  • But God, in His grace, redeemed the situation through a young priest and a grieving dad
  • Without that flood and broken organ we might not have Silent Night and humanity would be poorer for it

Jesus, Lord at Thy birth speaks of the inherent authority of Jesus

  • Jesus was born with a God given status – he didn’t have to prove himself
  • To call Jesus ‘Lord’ is to say that we will obey what he says

So they are the first three verses of Silent Night – they are the verses we are most familiar with. But Joseph Mohr wrote another three verses that we don’t sing very often. Verse 4 reads…

  • Silent Night, Holy Night. Here at last. Healing light from the heavenly kingdom sent, abundant grace for our intent. Jesus, salvation for all…

Some stains, like tomato sauce, only come out in sunshine

  • You can put your white T-shirt through the wash and it will fade the red sauce stain but to remove the stain completely you have to expose it to sunlight
  • Jesus is the healing, purifying light that gets the stain out of our soul

Abundant grace for our intent invites multiple interpretations

  • Grace means favour or gift – something good, given for free
  • God’s grace is abundant – there is plenty of it – or as the Lord said to the apostle Paul, ‘My grace is sufficient for you. My power is made perfect in weakness.’     
  • ‘Our intent’ could mean our good intentions, which sometimes make things worse, or it could mean our evil intentions
  • Either way, ‘God is able to work all things for good for those who love him and are called according to His purpose.’ 

The refrain: Jesus, salvation for all, is poignant given Joseph Mohr’s history

  • There were some in Joseph’s day who might have excluded him because his parents weren’t married (he needed special dispensation to become a priest)
  • But the church did not exclude Joseph – they included him and encouraged his gifts and service 
  • There is no such thing as an illegitimate child as far as God is concerned
  • Jesus said, ‘Let the children come to me for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these’.  
  • In any case, God is not going to hold a child responsible for the choices their parents make  
  • Jesus offers God’s salvation to all, but not everyone accepts it

Verse 5 reads: Silent Night! Holy Night. Sleeps the world in peace tonight. God sends his Son to earth below, a Child from whom all blessings flow. Jesus, embraces mankind…

In Genesis 12, God called Abraham and promised to bless all nations through him

  • Jesus is the Child from whom all blessings flow, meaning he is the descendant of Abraham who fulfils God’s promise to bless all people

Jesus embraces mankind. These days we would say ‘humankind’

  • Either way it’s a lovely image. An embrace says you are not alone, you are accepted. Through Jesus, God gives humanity a hug

A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to perform a dedication ceremony for Natalie and her parents

  • When I took Natalie in my arms to give her a blessing she embraced me
  • It was unexpected and it touched my heart
  • Through Jesus, God embraces humankind like Natalie embraced me – in a way that is unexpected and touches our heart

Conclusion:

Our song ends on a note of hope: Silent Night, Holy Night. Mindful of mankind’s plight. The Lord in Heaven on high decreed from earthly woes we would be freed. Jesus, God’s promise for peace. Jesus, God’s promise for peace.

This verse talks about how life is difficult – we are subject to suffering and woe and grief now but, through faith in Jesus, we can look forward to a better future

  • In Revelation 21, verses 3 & 4 we read about that future…

“Now the dwelling of God is with humankind, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”   

The circumstances in which the song Silent Night came into being were less than ideal, in many ways, but that is fitting for the Christmas story really

  • The circumstances into which Jesus was born were less than ideal too
  • And yet that seems to be when God does His best work.

Questions for discussion or reflection:

  1. Listen to (or sing) the song, ‘Silent Night’.  What are you in touch with as you listen to this song? (What connections, memories or feelings does it evoke for you?) 
  2. How does Joseph Mohr’s story connect with Jesus’ story? Does Joseph’s story connect with your story in any way?
  3. How does Franz Gruber’s story connect with Jesus’ story? Does Franz’ story connect with your story in any way?
  4. In what ways does the tradition surrounding the story of Jesus’ birth differ from the probable historical reality?   
  5. Why do you think Joseph Mohr used the line ‘silent night’ to refer to the night of Jesus’ birth?  What does it mean to be silent?
  6. Why do you think God chose to announce Jesus’ birth to shepherds?
  7. Can you think of a time in your own life when you have experienced God’s redeeming grace? What happened?
  8. Which verse (or line) of the song do you identify with most?  Why?

[1] https://time.com/3643889/christmas-truce-1914/

[2] 1 Peter 2:7b

[3] Refer Kenneth Bailey, ‘Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes’, pages 28-36.

[4] Ibid.

Tawa Baptist

O come, O come Immanuel

Scriptures: Matthew 1:22-23; Isaiah 11:1-10; Luke 1:78; Luke 19:1-10; Revelation 3:7-12

O come, O come Immanuel and ransom captive Israel,

That mourns in lonely exile here until the Son of God appear.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel, shall come to thee, O Israel!

O come, O come Thou Lord of might, who to Thy tribes on Sinai’s height

In ancient times didst give the law in cloud and majesty and awe.

O come, Thou rod of Jesse, free Thine own from Satan’s tyranny;

From depths of hell Thy people save, and give them victory o’er the grave.

O come, Thou Dayspring, come and cheer our spirits by Thy justice here;

Disperse the gloomy clouds of night, and death’s dark shadows put to flight.

O come, Thou Key of David, come, and open wide our heavenly home.

The captives from their prison free, and conquer death’s deep misery.  

When we were training for ministry I remember one of our fellow students, who was Maori, explaining to us how Maori think:

  • Ka mura, Ka muri – we walk into the future backwards 
  • [Walk backwards across the stage]
  • He was saying that we can’t see the future – we don’t know what’s coming – but when we look back at our heritage we see the way to go
  • It’s by looking to trustworthy examples from the past that we find a way forward.

Today we continue our ‘Anthems’ series

  • In this series we are looking at the lyrics of one hymn or Christian worship song each week to see how that song informs our thinking about God and how it connects with Scripture and the heritage of our faith.
  • As we look back at these hymns we see where we have come from and it helps to show us the way forward.

With today being the first Sunday in Christmas Advent we will be taking a closer look at the hymn O come, O come Immanuel

  • This song is a hymn of hope centered around the advent (or coming) of Jesus
  • We can’t be sure who wrote the words for O come, O come Immanuel
  • It was originally a series of Latin chants prayed from around the seventh or eighth century AD/CE.

There were seven chants each containing a different Latin name for Christ:

  • Sapientia – which means Wisdom (Proverbs 8:22)
  • Adonai – which means Lord (Exodus 20:1)
  • Radix Jesse – the Root (or Rod) of Jesse (Isaiah 11:1)
  • Clavis David – Key of David (Rev. 3:7),
  • Oriens – which means Dayspring (Luke 1:78)
  • Rex Gentium – which means King of Nations (Hag. 2:7)
  • And Immanuel – God with us (Isaiah 7:14). 

These seven chants were sung in anticipation of Christ’s birth on the seven evenings preceding Christmas Eve. [1]

  • The version we sing today has five verses (not seven) as it omits the verses about Christ being Wisdom and King of the Nations

Various people have translated the Latin into English at different times but the version we are most familiar with was translated by John Mason Neale in 1861

  • Although John Neale did not write the song (he only translated it) I think his story is worth mentioning because his work of translation came at great personal cost
  • Born in London in 1818, Neale studied at Cambridge, and was ordained as an Anglican priest in 1842.
  • He was offered a parish but chronic ill health prevented him from taking it. So, in 1846, Neale was put in charge of Sackville College, which was an alms house, sort of like emergency housing for the poor
  • In 1854 Neale co-founded the Sisterhood of St. Margaret, an order of women in the Anglican Church dedicated to nursing the sick.

In addition to his social work, in helping the sick and the poor, John Neale also translated many old hymns from other traditions of the Christian faith, like the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches

  • He did this at a time when there was a great divide between Anglicans and Catholics
  • Neale walked into the future backwards – he believed it was by looking to the past that the church would find a way forward
  • Unfortunately, Neale was misunderstood by his fellow Anglicans
  • People thought he was an agent of the Vatican, assigned to destroy the Anglican Church by subverting it from within.
  • Once he was attacked at a funeral and, from time to time, unruly crowds threatened to stone him or burn his house to the ground.
  • It’s amazing how times have changed.
  • Because of the courage and vision of people like Neale we now sing from the same hymn sheet as it were and enjoy good relationships with other denominations.
  • (Speaking of which, I hope to see you at the combined Advent service at Our Lady of Fatima (Catholic) church here in Tawa this evening. 7pm.)    
  • John Neale persevered and his basic goodness eventually won the confidence of many who had fiercely opposed him.
  • The Sisterhood of St. Margaret survived and prospered, as did many of the hymns he translated. [2]
  • More than anyone else, John Mason Neale made English-speaking congregations aware of the centuries-old tradition of Latin, Greek, Russian, and Syrian hymns.

Each verse of O come, O come Immanuel begins with a request, a heartfelt prayer, for Christ to come to his people

  • O come Immanuel, O come Thou Lord of might, O come Thou rod of Jesse, O come Thou Key of David, come
  • And each verse is answered by the refrain: Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!

Advent means coming – during Advent we remember Jesus’ first coming to earth 2000 years ago and we remember he will come again in glory

  • The Christian belief we find in these verses is that we don’t come to God – God comes to us
  • It is impossible for us to come to God in our own strength – we can’t get to heaven. Rather God brings heaven to earth, in the form of Jesus.

It may seem strange to us how the words rejoice, rejoice, are sung in such a sad way – but the music is entirely appropriate to the meaning of the song  

  • The tune for O come, O come Immanuel is called VENI EMMANUEL
  • This tune is thought to come from a 15th century funeral chant that had belonged to French Franciscan nuns
  • So the tune is sad because it was used in funeral processions
  • The people who sing this are grieving, downtrodden and oppressed
  • They feel like they are struggling under a heavy yoke and God is absent
  • That’s why they are calling, yearning, for God’s presence
  • Their circumstances are far from ideal – they want heaven on earth
  • The rejoicing that is called for in the refrain is a rejoicing in faith and hope that God is coming.
  • It is the sober rejoicing of a prisoner who, despite still being locked up, knows they will be released soon

For many people Christmas is a season of mixed feelings – it is supposed to be a time of celebration but often it is a time when we feel our losses most keenly

  • We need a song like O come, O come Immanuel, that enables us to face our grief

Immanuel is one of the names for Jesus

  • We find the title ‘Immanuel’ in the prophecies of Isaiah and then Matthew ascribes this title to Jesus in his gospel.
  • All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” – which means ‘God with us’. [3]   

Jesus is God with us

  • Have you ever notice how physical labour is so much easier when you are doing it with someone else, as opposed to doing it on your own
  • It’s not just that you get through the work quicker. There’s a kind of emotional support or buoyancy in working with someone else
  • Trimming the hedge, doing the housework, cutting a tree down, digging a trench, building a fence, whatever it is, it seems less onerous, less heavy when you have someone fit and skilled working with you
  • Some of my best memories as a kid were doing jobs on the weekend with my dad and grandad 
  • Jesus is God with us. He comes alongside us (so we are not alone) and he helps us with our work of trusting and obeying God

Verse 1 reads: O come, O come Immanuel and ransom captive Israel, that mourns in lonely exile here until the Son of God appear.

We walk into the future backwards

  • It’s by looking to the past that we find a way forward.
  • Verse one looks back to Israel’s exile to Babylon
  • In 586 BC Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonians
  • Many Israelis were killed and the survivors were taken captive and sent into exile in a strange land
  • It was a time of mourning, a time of feeling like God was absent, a time of waiting for God to ransom them, to set them free
  • It wasn’t until 70 years later the people were allowed to return and rebuild the walls of Jerusalem and the temple 

We may feel at odds with the world we live in at times

  • We may feel like exiles – that we don’t belong and are not free
  • We may identify with Israel in feeling alienated and alone
  • We may wonder what the future holds
  • But as we look back to Israel’s experience we see how God did not forget His people – God set His people free and some centuries later He sent His Son Jesus, our Immanuel. Jesus will return in glory one day

Verse 2 reads: O come, O come, Thou Lord of might, who to Thy tribes on Sinai’s height in ancient times didst give the law in cloud and majesty and awe.

Thou is an old English word for You and Thy equates to Your – so it’s like saying, ‘O come You Lord of might, who to Your tribes on Sinai’s height…’

This verse of the hymn looks back to the time of Moses and the people Israel in the wilderness after they were set free from slavery in Egypt  

  • God did many mighty things to inspire faith and awe…
  • He separated the Red Sea for the Israelites to cross,
  • He provided water out of a rock,
  • He gave manna and quail to feed the people in the wilderness,
  • He led the people by a pillar of cloud and fire
  • And, at Mount Sinai, God gave the Law, including the 10 commandments

The Law is like a set of clothes – it enabled Israel to stand before God

  • Without the Law we are naked before God
  • God gave the Israelites the Law so they could stand in right relationship with Him
  • When we are baptized we are clothed with the righteousness of Christ
  • Christ fulfills the Law – he gives us a new set of clothes so we can stand before God without shame

Jesus, whose name in Hebrew is Joshua, is Moses’ successor

  • Just as Moses was God’s representative leading the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt, so too Jesus leads all who trust him out of the slavery of sin and death and into the promised land of God’s kingdom

There may be times when we feel like we are walking around in circles in the wilderness, like we are lost in our journey of faith, and we are not sure what comes next

  • We walk into the future backwards
  • We look at how God provided for His people in the wilderness of Sinai and we trust Him to lead us to the Promised Land, the kingdom of heaven

Verse 3 of the hymn says: O come, Thou rod of Jesse, free Thine own from Satan’s tyranny; from depths of hell Thy people save, and give them victory over the grave.  

Rod of Jesse (or root of Jesse) is a reference to Jesus, the Messiah

  • Jesse was the father of king David
  • The term Rod of Jesse comes from Isaiah 11 where the prophets says in verses 1 & 10…

A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. 2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might…

10 In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his resting place will be glorious.

Then, right at the end of the Bible in Revelation 22, Jesus says to John…

  • “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Off-spring of David…”

The point is, Jesus is a king in the line of David but he isn’t exactly like David – he’s better than David.

  • David did some good things for Israel but he wasn’t the most righteous king, as we heard about a couple of Sundays ago (with Bathsheba).
  • Jesus is righteous though.  

Verse 3 of the hymn talks about Jesus freeing people from Satan’s tyranny.

  • In his earthly ministry Jesus demonstrated time and time again his power to release people from sickness and demon possession with just a word
  • Verse 3 also talks about Jesus saving people from the depths of hell and giving us victory over the grave
  • This has to do with resurrection to eternal life
  • The message of Jesus’ resurrection was front and centre of the preaching of the early apostles
  • People in the middle ages, when these words were written, had a vivid imagination when it came to hell
  • Jesus certainly preached about hell using colourful metaphors, but whether his imagery was meant to be taken literally is debatable. 

One of my motivations in becoming a Christian (initially) was to avoid hell

  • If you accept Jesus as your saviour now, you get to go to heaven when you die – that was how it was pitched to me
  • While God is gracious enough to accept people on that basis, I have found it is not a particularly robust or adequate theology for this life
  • If your main reason for being a Christian is to avoid hell, then your life and relationship with God will be based on fear
  • God wants the basis of our relationship with Him to be one of faith expressing itself in love,[4] not fear expressing itself in resentment
  • If our only reason for being a Christian is to avoid hell, then we will end up resenting God. The aim is to love God. Perfect love drives out fear. 

There may be times when we fear what awaits us in the next life

  • I can’t tell you anything about hell – I’ve not been there and I can’t see beyond the grave
  • We walk into the future backwards
  • We find hope for our future beyond death by looking back to Jesus
  • God raised Jesus from the dead – the first of many. Jesus is our hope
  • As we read in Romans 10: If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord”, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  

Verse 4 reads: O come, Thou Dayspring, come and cheer our spirits by Thy justice here; disperse the gloomy clouds of night, and death’s dark shadows put to flight.

Dayspring is a word we don’t hear very often these days – it means dawn of the morning, the first light of daybreak

  • Jesus is the dayspring – his advent (his coming) heralds the new day
  • In fact, Jesus is the light of the world – he is the dawn of a new age in human history where God’s kingdom comes to earth like a sunrise

We find a number references in the Scriptures to Jesus being the dayspring. For example, Isaiah 60, verse 1: Arise shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.

  • Or Malachi 4, verse 2: But for you who revere my name the sun of righteousness shall rise, with healing in its wings
  • And most famously, the words of Zechariah (the father of John Baptist) when his son was born,
  • You remember Zechariah couldn’t speak while Elizabeth was pregnant with John. But when John was born Zechariah’s tongue was loosed and this is what he said, from Luke 1, verse 78:
  • By the tender mercy of our God the dawn from on high will break upon us to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.   
  • These verses are talking about Jesus, the dayspring

Returning to verse 4 of the song: we notice that the human spirit is cheered up (given a lift) by the justice of Christ

  • The justice of Christ is medicine to our soul because it restores people, rather than destroying them.
  • The classic story of Jesus’ restorative justice is the story of Zacchaeus in Luke 19
  • Jesus doesn’t approach Zacchaeus all guns blazing – he doesn’t shame or destroy Zacchaeus
  • Jesus shows honour to Zacchaeus by having dinner at his place 
  • In doing this Jesus gives Zacchaeus the opportunity to redeem himself and be restored to his community
  • And Zacchaeus takes the opportunity with both hands saying:
  • I will give half my belongings to the poor and if I have cheated anyone I will pay them back four times as much.
  • This is the wise and gentle justice of Jesus – it’s a justice that benefits everyone

There may be times when we harbour guilt for the unfair way we have treated others. Or, conversely, there may be times when we harbour anger for the unfair way other people have treated us

  • We walk into the future backwards
  • When we look back at the way Jesus restored people, the way he made things right, we see the way forward in our relationships

The last verse of our hymn today reads: O come Thou Key of David, come, and open wide our heavenly home. The captives from their prison free, and conquer death’s deep misery.

Jesus came to set the captives free. At the same time Jesus is the door or the key by which we enter the kingdom of heaven

The expression ‘Key of David’ first appears in Isaiah 22:22 and is then picked up again in Revelation. Please turn with me to Revelation chapter 3, page 309 toward the back of your pew Bibles

  • In Revelation 2 & 3 Jesus gives a message to each of the seven churches of the first Century
  • Some of the churches get a bit of a serve – Jesus is not happy with them
  • But to the church in Philadelphia Jesus has a word of encouragement
  • From Revelation chapter 3, verse 7, we read…

7 “To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write:

“This is the message from the one who is holy and true. He has the key that belonged to David, and when he opens a door, no one can close it, and when he closes it, no one can open it. 8 I know what you do; I know that you have a little power; you have followed my teaching and have been faithful to me. I have opened a door in front of you, which no one can close. 9 Listen! As for that group that belongs to Satan, those liars who claim that they are Jews but are not, I will make them come and bow down at your feet. They will all know that I love you. 10 Because you have kept my command to endure, I will also keep you safe from the time of trouble which is coming upon the world to test all the people on earth. 11 I am coming soon. Keep safe what you have, so that no one will rob you of your victory prize.

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us

Whoever wrote this last verse of O come, O come Immanuel identified with the church in Philadelphia

  • This was a church that was not powerful, not successful, not popular, but it was faithful
  • There may be times when we feel powerless or like we are trapped – forced to live a life not of our choosing
  • When you feel trapped and powerless to do anything about it, where do you go next?
  • We walk into the future backwards
  • When we look back at the way Jesus encouraged the church of Philadelphia we find hope and a way forward
  • Jesus is the Key of David – he’s the one who unlocks the door and opens a way for us to walk in freedom – but we need to be faithful, we need to endure.  

Do you feel like you are in exile, at odds with the world around you?

  • You are not alone. Jesus is Immanuel, God with us.

Do you feel like you are lost in the wilderness, naked before God?

  • You are found. Jesus is the Lord of might, able to provide for you.

Do you feel afraid – anxious of evil, anxious of death, anxious of hell?

  • Do not be afraid. Jesus is the rod of Jesse. He has conquered death. You belong to Christ.

Do you feel guilty for the injustice you have done? Or do you feel angry at the injustice done to you?

  • Peace is coming. Jesus is the Dayspring. The light of his justice makes all things new.

Do you feel trapped and powerless, weak and small?

  • You are blessed. Jesus is the Key of David. He comes to open the way for those who remain faithful to him.  

Let’s stand and sing O come, O come Immanuel as we prepare for communion  

Questions for discussion or reflection:

  1. Listen to (or sing) the song, ‘O come, O come Immanuel’.  What are you in touch with as you listen to this song? (What connections, memories or feelings does it evoke for you?) 
  2. What does the proverb, ‘we walk into the future backwards’ mean? How does this relate to our Christian faith?
  3. How do you feel about Christmas?
  4. What difference does it make knowing that Christ will return one day – that he will come to us?
  5. Discuss / reflect on the meaning of the five names/images used for Jesus in this hymn – i.e. Immanuel, Lord of might, Rod of Jesse, Dayspring and Key of David. Which name / image speaks most clearly to your current situation?
  6. Why did you become a Christian? (What is the basis of your relationship with God?) How might we move from a relationship with God based on ‘fear expressing itself in resentment’, to one based on ‘faith expressing itself in love’?
  7. What are some characteristics of Jesus’ justice?
  8. Which verse of the hymn do you identify with most? Verse 1, being in exile? Verse 2, being in the wilderness? Verse 3, being afraid? Verse 4, needing justice? Verse 5, feeling trapped?

[1] https://www.hymnologyarchive.com/o-come-o-come-emmanuel

[2] http://justus.anglican.org/resources/bio/220.html

[3] Matthew 1:22-23

[4] Galatians 5:6