Good morning. Well, this week is the big day for me and Nellie, and as long as she is good, I guess we will go through with it. Just kidding! Anyway, today is the last time that I will preach this year. Kyle will fill in for Christmas, and then again for the 31st as it is Youth Sunday. So as I wrap up the series where we have been looking at different songs, and the meanings behind them, today I come to the last song I want to cover. This morning we are going to take a look at the song, “Silent Night.”
Before we do that, let’s just open with a word of prayer.
Students of history remember that in 1792, King Louis the 16th of France went on trial for treason before the Revolutionary Convention that had replaced the French National Assembly. His head would roll the following January. But on this day, December 11, 1792, a few days before Christmas--the same day, in fact, that the French king faced his cruel judges--a much quieter event took place. Joseph Mohr was born in Salzburg. His name will forever be associated with the Christmas season.
At the time of his birth, it appeared his name would be associated with nothing but disgrace. He was an illegitimate child, his mother's 3rd. His father was a soldier who boarded with the family. When Franz Joseph Mohr learned he'd gotten this woman pregnant, he fled the home and deserted the army, leaving the mother to face the music alone, including a steep fine. She was a knitter who earned very little, and it would have taken her a full year’s wages to pay the penalty.
However, the town’s brutal executioner stepped into the picture. He would pay the fine and become the child’s godfather. He hoped that by doing this it would improve his own reputation. But little Joseph's life now bore another stigma: godson of the feared and hated executioner. He was banned from attending school or learning a trade, or even from holding a job.
He loved to sing. And after being heard singing one day was asked to be part of a class for the elite musical students. Mohr proved to be an outstanding student and mastered the organ, violin, and guitar by the time he was 12. He always placed in the top quarter of the class. His training continued and he was ordained a priest in 1815.
Over the course of his life, he was assigned duties in many towns. But it was while he was yet a young assistant in Oberndorf that he ensured his lasting fame. He wrote the words to a new Christmas carol and asked the church organist, Franz Gruber, to set them to music.
It was December 24, 1818, in Austria, the assistant priest went to the home of his friend, the organist of the small church. He brought the words of a poem that he had written 2 years earlier and asked him to write a tune to it, to use at the Christmas Eve Midnight Mass. The organist, Franz Gruber, reminded Joseph Mohr that the organ wasn’t working and so they would not be able to have music for the service. Mohr went in the other room and got a guitar.
Gruber strummed a few chords, and then he started humming. He exclaimed, “The song, it sings itself.” A few hours later, he had composed the tune, and the 2 men presented the carol for the first time that Christmas Eve.
All of this wasn’t known until 1995 when a copy of “Silent Night” was found, written in Joseph Mohr’s own hand, which gives the origin of this carol, along with proof of its creators. “Silent Night” was first translated into English in 1863, and has been translated into nearly every language on earth.
“Silent Night” captures the awesome humility of a God who stooped not just to the level of mankind, but to the lowest level--born among animals and announced to common shepherds. It is fitting, that in his last post, Mohr opened a school which took in poor children. He gave virtually his entire income to this project and died as poor as when he was born. But he left us the riches of “Silent Night” which has been translated into close to 200 languages. Millions who have never even heard of King Louis the 16th sing Joseph Mohr's words every Christmas.
Well, let’s go ahead and take a look at this great Christmas song. As we approach Christmas Day, may we be taken back to that “Silent Night.” As we take a look at this song, and its verses, we are going to look at some very familiar Christmas texts in the Bible as well. Just keep in mind that as we approach Christmas next week that it is all about this one night. It is about the Child that was born, and not all of the things that we make Christmas into today.
The lyrics to the first verse say, “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.”
You know, I wonder just how quiet it was on the night that Jesus was born. I can only imagine that the animals stood quiet, the wind died down, the noises of the outdoors became still, and everyone and everything around the birth of Jesus was completely silent. Then, all of a sudden, there is the crying of the baby Jesus to break the silence.
All was calm, because of the power of God, it was bright because of the star that had rested over the birth place of Jesus. Then, there in the silence you have the Virgin Mary giving birth to a Son named Jesus. As I close my eyes, I see the real Nativity Scene. I see everything focused on the Babe, and I see Mary holding her Baby and knowing that He truly was something special.
We talked last week that Mary may not have know all there was to know about what all Jesus would do for us, but she still understood that He was from God, and that He was a special child. Now we could go back and read the account of Jesus’ birth, but because we have looked at that each week that we have looked at Christmas songs, we are going to simply let the song speak for itself here in this verse.
The verse is very self explanatory, and so I don’t want to spend much time with this first verse. It simply tells us of the happenings of that first Christmas. And we see God’s hand at work in causing Jesus to be born into this world. So He truly is a Holy Infant. But now let’s move our attention to the second verse of this amazing song.
The lyrics for the second verse are as follows, “Silent night! Holy night! Shepherds quake at the sight! Glories stream from Heaven afar, Heavenly hosts sing, “Alleluia!” Christ, the Savior, is born! Christ, the Savior, is born.”
Now this verse brings up some of the things that we have already touched on in previous sermons in this series. But allow me to expand on them just a little. Turn with me to Luke 2:8-14. Here in this passage that we have already looked at once this year, we see the reaction of the Shepherds, and the response of the Angels. We pick up in this verse that follows the birth of Jesus. So Jesus has already been born, and now we find ourselves in verse 8. Luke 2:8-14 says, “1”
Okay, so here we see that when the shepherds were first informed about the birth of Jesus, they were terrified. It wasn’t the message that scared them, it was the messengers. I don’t know about you, but if I where in these shepherds positions, I probably would have been quaking in my boots too; or at least quaking in my sandals.
But these shepherds were scared with the sight that they saw when these angelic beings came down to talk with them and inform them about the birth of Jesus. But then the angels told them, “Do not be afraid.” And that they brought good news for everyone. Then, another amazing thing happened. Even more angelic beings appeared and they began praising God. Can you imagine the sights and the feelings that these shepherds must have been exposed to? I mean this would have been an amazing event taking place.
So Joseph Mohr not only tells us about the birth of Jesus in the first verse, but he tells us of the shepherds’ reactions, and the Heavenly hosts’ response. Now the main part of this song I think can be found in verse 3. so let’s move on to take a look at the remaining verse to this song.
The song wraps up by saying, “Silent night! Holy night! Son of God, loves pure light! Radiant beams from thy holy face, with the dawn of redeeming grace, Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth. Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth.”
I really like the way that this verse is written. It encompasses so much here that it is just so amazing to look at. Turn with me to John 1:1-18. Now in John’s gospel, he didn’t focus too much attention to the actual birth of Jesus. Instead, he focused on God becoming flesh. His focus was still on the song of God, but he worded it completely differently than the rest of the gospel writers. Here in John 1:1-18 it says, “2”
This verse is talking about the birth of Jesus. God coming and being born in the flesh. In fact, when it said “God the One and Only,” the other translation of that is the only begotten Son. So we know that Jesus is God’s Son. Then the song tells us, “loves pure light! Radiant beams from thy holy face.”
In this verse it talked about how Jesus was the light, but that the darkness did not accept Him. Christ came to be light in the darkness. Turn with me to I John 1:5&7. Here again it is talking about Jesus in respect to Him being light. Here in I John 1:5&7 it says, “3”
Or what about what Jesus Himself said in John 8:12. Here in John 8:12 it says, “4”
So Christ came to be light for the darkness. He came so that we could all be exposed to the light of life. His mission was to give us eternal life. In order to have that redeeming grace that the song speaks of, Christ had to die for our sins in place of us. So again this week, we understand that from the very begging, Jesus knew that He was here to die. Yet He didn’t try and get away from that, because He loves each and every one of us.
However, in order to do all of that, Jesus had to show His power over death. Turn with me to Matthew 28:1-10. Here in this passage, we see a great light once again, and we see the rebirth of Jesus spiritually. He defeats death, and opens the door to all who will believe in Him. Here in Matthew 28:1-10 it says, “5”
Jesus proved that He had the power of death, and that He could extend grace to all those who will come to Him. As we approach this Christmas season, may we all do that. May we make the decision to respond to Jesus’ gift of eternal life by accepting Him. And this song has the power to bring us closer to Him during this season.
This story had power with it on the very fist Christmas when Jesus Himself was born. The story carried power with it when Joseph Mohr wrote it and preformed it for the first time.
Years later, the story still had power. In closing, listen to this wonderful story.
It was Christmas Eve, 1914, during the early months of World War I. When the Germans had left their country earlier in the year, they expected to be home by Christmas to celebrate their victory. The young men, however, were not home by Christmas and the war drug on for another 4 years—and Europe, and the world, would never be the same again.
By December of 1914, trench warfare along the 200 mile front was proving to be a difficult and deadly form of battle. The trenches were filled with mud, vermin and death. Christmas of 1914 was extremely cold, freezing the slush and water of the trenches in which the men hunkered down.
But, on December 24, along the trenches of the western front, British and Scottish soldiers heard a startling sound—the sound of singing. And it was a song they instantly recognized, even if they did not understand the words. The song was Silent Night. Shocked by this strange yet welcome sound, one by one, the English began singing "back" to the Germans their version of this beautiful melody. Soon, voices on both sides filled the air with the strains of Silent Night.
As they looked across to the enemy trenches, the Allies began to spot candles raised on poles or bayonets. And even more incredibly, the English officers reported that some enemy troops were holding Christmas trees over their heads. Soldiers from both sides, who just hours before had been killing one another, hesitantly began to emerge from their trenches and to venture into the dreaded “no man’s land” bringing good cheer and gifts from their kits—and to bury their dead.
Against all odds, a spontaneous, one day truce had begun; a truce that ignored all the rules of military conduct! Not everyone approved however. Some officers tried to discourage the “fraternization” and one Austrian soldier complained that in wartime such “an understanding should not be allowed.” But, what would you expect from a soldier named Adolf Hitler?
When the time was over, back to war they went. But each of these soldiers on both sides where affected by that wonderful song. So, as you sing Silent Night this year, think back to that terrible time at the beginning of the last century. Both sides had sung of Christ for hundreds of years, but still embarked on a war that would take the best and brightest of an entire generation. Yet, against all odds, God’s peace prevailed for a brief season.
Whatever the circumstances are in your life today, we should all still remain grateful to the 2 friends who gave us this simple, yet beautiful picture of the night that Christ was born.
At this time, we are going to get ready to sing that song, and it is my prayer, that you will be able to focus on Christ this season, and be drawn to Him in a way that you have never been able to before.
Let’s Pray |
