Songs of the Angels

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Scripture: Matthew 2:8-14 (ESV)

8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

            14          “Glory to God in the highest,

and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

 

Devotion:

           

            Christmas is a time of immense joy. It helps us forget, if even for a moment, the wars, strife, and corruption, which plague our world. One of the great traditions of Advent and Christmas is singing. As we read in the selection above even the angels get in on the act. They proclaim in song the glory of God most high and declare peace on earth.

 

            We may push back and say that we do not see much peace in the world today, and I am not really sure there was much peace in Judea at the time of Jesus. The peace the angels are proclaiming must be of a different kind peace than what we usually think of when we hear the word peace. Could it be that the angels are speaking of the coming of peace between God and man? That is the case here.

 

            Jesus came not to end man’s inhumanity to man, but to bring peace between Adam’s lost race and the Creator who gave Adam life. As Paul writes in Ephesians 2:14, “14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility.” No wonder the extraordinary joy of the angels at Jesus birth. The words the angels sang still echo to this day with a word of reconciliation and peace between God and man.

 

            Meanwhile, this old world seems to deteriorate day by day. In this advent season may we as Christians proclaim that it does not have to be that way. May we raise our anthem “Joy to the World” to counter the death and destruction that seems to want to rule the world. Let us remember always what John wrote in 1 John 4.4, “Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” Hear the angel voices on the day of the Lord’s return.

 

Prayer:

                        “Hallelujah!

                        For the Lord our God

the Almighty reigns.

            7           Let us rejoice and exult

and give him the glory,

                        for the marriage of the Lamb has come,

and his Bride has made herself ready;

            8           it was granted her to clothe herself

with fine linen, bright and pure” (Revelation 19:6-8)

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