Christmas Eve, 2023
In the Name of Christ Jesus, our Newborn King +
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is well pleased. We miss the irony, we miss the shocking turn of events that arise with the angels singing this song. We have become used to the angels – they adorn our decorations, our trees. We even think of them as “pretty”. “Why you look like an angel” is a compliment given to say that someone looks lovely and sweet.
That's not how those shepherds had thought of angels as they started their evening. That's not how anyone thought of angels. Angels were understood first and formost as warriors, as God's soldiers. The first angel we see in the bible is the one from Genesis 3 – a Cherubim with a flaming sword – not just a sword, but a flaming sword, to keep sinful man from messing with the tree of life. Or the Angels show up to Sodom and Gamorrah – and then there's fire and brimstone. Or Balaam's Donkey who sees the Angel with the sword ready to strike Balaam dead. Ask Pharoah after the Passover, ask Sennacherib after his army is decimated what they think of angelic appearances, and they would respond only with terror. Angels are God's Army. “But aren't they messengers, Pastor Brown” - yes. But I come from a family of marines, and as my Uncle Major Nordgren liked to point out, if the US wants to send a message there's no better way to send a message than a battalion of US Marines. Gets the point across.
So this is why, when one angel appears to these shepherds who were just minding their business, that his first words are, Fear not! Since the fall, the angels had been stuck with the sad task of combat. Generally, if you saw an angel, you were going to die. But no, not tonight Shepherds! Something different. Now this angel gets to be a messenger of good news. The Messiah has come – He has been born in Bethlehem. And instead of having a flaming sword to keep you away, I give to give directions! How wonderful for this angel – finally getting to praise! It's not an angel of death, it's an angel of joy. It's not Marines loaded for battle, it's Toys for Tots Marines loaded with gifts! What a better job!
But the whole battalion wants to get in on it. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host... host. We forget this, but “host” is the Latin word for “Army”. Like “hostile”. A whole army of angels shows up, and they're singing with joy and delight because there doesn't need to be any death today – no! Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is well pleased. No, there's peace. Why? Because God is once again pleased with man. Once again, finally, after so long there is a man, Christ Jesus, who is without sin, who is holy and righteous. And this Jesus will grow, and He will take His righteousness and pour it out upon the whole earth, even to you here, so that now when God sees you, He sees you not as an enemy but as His forgiven child, robed in the clothes of Christ's righteousness (a far better gift than any pair of Christmas socks) – and God is well pleased with you. And the angels delight at this, because they finally get to sing a song of victory, and we get to sing with them, because Jesus Christ is born. A hearty and merry Christmas to you all. In the Name of Christ Jesus our Newborn King!
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