Christmas Music - James McManus
At the risk of raising the ire of some of my Reformed brethren, I really enjoy the Advent and Christmas season (cue the booing, hissing, and quoting of the Directory of Public Worship). I understand and agree that Christmas isn’t a holy day, and it isn’t any better/holier/more sanctified than the regular and ordained Sabbath Day and Sabbath observances (hopefully that will help steer away any charges). And, I agree with observations that many in the world, and, sadly, in the church, do treat Christmas as something more special and better and holier than what is prescribed in God’s word.
But … aside from all of that, I still really enjoy this season. I enjoy the decorating of the house and tree, setting up the nativity scene next to the tree, singing the Christmas hymns and carols. I enjoy the time and emphasis on the story of Christ’s birth, and how that can engage even the most nominal of Christians in the Old Testament prophecies, covenant theology, New Testament narrative, even how Christ’s birth points us to His 2nd coming and all those wonderful truths in Revelation. This time of the year even draws in people who would never usually darken the door of the church, and we get the privilege of sharing God’s truth with them, and pray with and for them! It truly is a wonderful time of the year!
Many of you have probably seen the social media posts encouraging folks to read one chapter of Luke every day, so that by the time we reach Christmas, you will have read through all 24 chapters of the book, and through all of Luke’s account of Christ’s earthly life and ministry. My family and I have started doing that for our evening family devotions, and have been enjoying it!
Our first night doing this, I was struck again by Luke’s introduction to the book, where he says, “1 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, 2 just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, 3 it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account … “ Luke, being a thorough doctor and researcher, seems to have gone around and talked to as many people as possible so that he can get a good account of the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus. As you read through his book, and especially the birth account of Jesus, you very much get the feeling that this is exactly what Luke did. So, as our family has been reading through the first couple of chapters, I have this picture in mind of Luke and Mary sitting around a sun dappled kitchen table, each with a cup of coffee … as Luke sits there with his notepad, eyes wide with eagerness and expectation, scribbling down notes, Mary sits across from him, wrinkles around her eyes, telling her story with all the awe, joy, grief and hopeful expectation we would expect in the telling. Maybe this sounds too much like a Hallmark movie and Thomas Kinkade painting that had a baby together, but that is the picture that comes to mind.
What has struck me in Luke and Mary’s account is the amount of song and singing that is present in the Christmas story with the songs of Mary and Zechariah and the angels. In the Greek, each of these “songs” is introduced with the word for said, or saying, but, in the format and feel of them, it very much comes across like a song. And, as I understand it, that is how the church has understood it for quite a time now. So, I camp out on that view that Mary sung, and Zechariah sung, and the multitudes of angels sung.
In each of those songs is this amazing orienting on God and His glory. From each of the different perspectives, that is quite amazing. We think of Mary, a young virgin, who is told by the angel Gabriel that she is to miraculously give birth to the Lord and Savior of God’s people, the Son of God, Jesus Christ. And, we find that part of her response to this news and experience is to sing … to compose a song and sing it to her cousin, Elizabeth … a song that contains the following truths of God and His glory, “My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; 49 for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.” What an amazing response to such news and truth!
We think of Zechariah, going about his priestly duties, and the angel Gabriel coming to him to announce that Zechariah and his wife, Elizabeth, childless for so many years, and well along in years, will now soon give birth to a son. Zechariah is struck mute, and when his son, John, is born, is able to speak again, and Luke says that one of the first things he does is sing! With his wife and son, and the temple worshippers, around him, Zechariah sings a song of prophesy, with these truths 68 “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people 69 and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, 70 as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, 71 that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us; 72 to show the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, 73 the oath that he swore to our father Abraham …” What a wonderful response to all that God had done!
Then, of course, we think of the angels appearing to the shepherds in the field, and that multitude seeming to sing, “14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” Such simple, yet profound, truth! Giving God all the glory for the birth of the Prince of Peace that night. That is a truth that is well worth pondering far beyond that night!
Looking at these accounts of response in song, it is no surprise that music makes up such a large part of the Christmas celebration/remembrance. Like Mary, Zechariah and the angels, it is good for us to sing back these eternal Christmas truths to God. It is good for us to read and meditate on the Christmas story (no matter the time of the year) and sing these truths. There are some great carols and hymns with wonderful melodies that are a delight to the mind and heart for us to sing.
So, no matter where you stand on Advent and the Christmas season, I encourage you to take time, at some point during the year, to read the Christmas story, and sing those great truths back to God. When we do that, we are just like Luke listening to Mary tell her story, and marveling in the songs of Mary, Zechariah and the angels, and the wonderful story of the Incarnation of Jesus Christ.