“Hark! the Herald Angels Sing” has become one of my favorite Christmas hymns over the years. It was written by Charles Wesley one year after he was saved, and was first published in 1739. Charles was the brother of John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement. The theology is profound and firmly rooted in Scripture. Only the Lord knows the number of lives around the world that have been touched by this hymn in the last 284 years since it was published! It has been featured here in the United States in the Christmas movies “It’s a Wonderful Life” and “A Charlie Brown Christmas”.
The original text was updated in 1753 by George Whitfield. The music is taken from a cantata by Felix Mendelssohn. It covers the adoration and glory of the newborn King proclaimed by the angels, the reconciliation of God and sinners, the everlasting nature of Christ, the deity of Christ, the incarnation of Christ, Jesus as our Emmanuel, Christ as bruising the serpent’s head, Christ as the second Adam, Christ as Prince of Peace and Sun of Righteousness, and Christ dwelling in believers (to cover the major points). The five verses with refrain are listed below.
The phrase that struck me this past Sunday is “Light and Life to all He brings”. Jesus is the light of the world (John 8:12). He is the only One that can bring light into our dark lives. The coming of Jesus is predicted in Isaiah 9. Verse two is one of the verses that is sung in Handel’s Messiah. The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined. Paul explains this transition from darkness to light in these verses:
“For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (II Cor. 4:6)
“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light. “(Eph. 5:8)
Additionally, Jesus is the life. (John 14:6) No one comes to the Father except through Him! Here are some other verses describing this reality:
“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.” (John 5:24)
“For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.” (Rom. 5:17)
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom. 6:23)
Let’s rejoice in Jesus bringing Life and Light to us, and then proceed to tell others this Good News!
Hark! The herald angels sing,
Glory to the newborn King;
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!
Joyful, all ye nations rise,
Join the triumph of the skies;
With th’angelic host proclaim,
Christ is born in Bethlehem!Refrain
Hark! the herald angels sing,
Glory to the newborn King!Christ, by highest Heav’n adored;
Christ the everlasting Lord;
Late in time, behold Him come,
Offspring of a virgin’s womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
Hail th’incarnate Deity,
Pleased with us in flesh to dwell,
Jesus our Emmanuel.Refrain
Hail the heav’nly Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings,
Ris’n with healing in His wings.
Mild He lays His glory by,
Born that man no more may die.
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.Refrain
Come, desire of nations, come,
Fix in us Thy humble home;
Rise, the woman’s conqu’ring Seed,
Bruise in us the serpent’s head.
Now display Thy saving power,
Ruined nature now restore;
Now in mystic union join
Thine to ours, and ours to Thine.Refrain
Adam’s likeness, Lord, efface,
Stamp Thine image in its place:
Second Adam from above,
Reinstate us in Thy love.
Let us Thee, though lost, regain,
Thee, the Life, the inner man:
O, to all Thyself impart,
Formed in each believing heart.Refrain
https://youtu.be/ZP37k831y9U (as sung in “A Charlie Brown Christmas”)