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Chapter 1

The Night the Angels Sang

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them … And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. (Luke 2:8–14)

The night of the Savior’s birth was a glorious night. The star-studded canopy of heaven twinkled softly, quietly, as a billion points of light shone against a darkened sky. All was still in the earth’s atmosphere. Nature was hushed into silence as if in preparation for some grand event. The night stood still. There were the unsuspecting inhabitants of the land of Israel, and the slumbering heads, neither of which saw nor felt any apparent difference in the night. To the indifferent and the inattentive, the night on which the angels sang was a night with no discernable difference from any other. For the vast majority of the chosen, heaven’s benediction of peace and goodwill toward men was unheard, unnoticed, and unwelcome.

On that night also, a special commission of angels entered the city of Jerusalem. Their assignment was to survey its inhabitants. Unknown and unnoticed by priests and people alike, the heavenly intelligences passed in and out of homes, places of business, and yes, even the temple itself. These heavenly ambassadors were on a search mission. They were listening, observing, and waiting for some sign of expectancy, some sign of receptivity in the hearts, minds, and conversations of the chosen. They were looking for even the slightest token, something, that would indicate that the priests and people in the religious center of Israel were ready to receive the Messiah. To the great amazement and disappointment of the angels, however, thoughts of God and of His promised Savior were ignominiously absent from the minds and conversations of both priests and people.

Among the chosen, there were practically none that spoke of, thought of, or even hoped for the promised Messiah. Instead, the angels witnessed only the mundane, the worldly, and the unspiritual that crowded out thoughts of God and His Word. Expectancy and receptivity were to be found in the least likely of places—among the fewest and the lowliest of earth. From the open fields to the rising hills, even to the littlest of towns (the town of Bethlehem), only a few gave the slightest thought to the promised hope of Israel—the promised Messiah, the seed of David.

Among the few who waited and hoped that the Messiah would come were the shepherds of Bethlehem. They spoke to each other about the hope of Israel. A hope, which, for many, seemed forgotten. A foreign despot sat on the throne of David. Roman occupation was at an all-time high. Oh, when would the deliverer of Israel come? This was the tenor of conversation, repeated again and again with great longing by the shepherds that night.

Meanwhile, on that first Christmas Eve, a multitude of the angelic choir was anxiously waiting to pour forth the joyous strains of the Advent carol. Oh, how they longed to make known to the religious leaders and people in Jerusalem that God’s incredible offer in His unspeakable gift was to be found wrapped in swaddling clothes in a manger in Bethlehem! These very first carolers found no reason to sing in Jerusalem. There were no open hearts and no open doors in the religious center of Israel. There the angels could not sing the joyous chorus; the first noel, which so long waited since the fall of man in Eden. Shocking! Utterly heartrending to both God and the angels! “He came unto his own, and his own received him not” (John 1:11).

The great God of the universe is not a God that majors in the minors. He is not a God who willingly acts in obscurity and in ways that are inconsequential. The announcement of the birth of His Son was to be given with no less of heaven’s grandeur and celestial acclaim than “when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy” at the creation of earth (see Job 38:7). God’s desire was that His angels should proclaim the glad tidings of the birth of His Son to the religious leadership in Israel. It was His intent to have a grand and public celebration of His unspeakable gift to man—the gift of His Son—in the city of Jerusalem. It was also God’s intent to have the nation of Israel herald the joyous strain (the coming into the world of the Messiah) to the ends of the earth. But sadly, that was not to be the case. This divinely appointed opportunity would prove to be a sustained loss to the religious custodians in Jerusalem, but their loss would be the shepherds’ gain.

Sadly (but gladly under divine direction), the angels took flight from Jerusalem toward the lonely plains of Bethlehem. There they would find the lowly shepherds, whose hearts were hungry for more than sheep; their hearts were hungering for the Great Shepherd of the sheep. It was here, over the slumbering plains, away from the centers of human population, in virtual obscurity, that the Christmas anthem would be proclaimed. It was to hearts that were hungering, thirsting, open, and receptive that the first noel was sung. They were the living example of these words: “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled” (Matt. 5:6). Ellen G. White wrote in the Desire of Ages (one of the great classics on the life of Christ) that “only a few were longing to behold the Unseen. To these heaven’s embassy was sent.”5 The hymn writer captured the reality of that night—the night the angels sang—in these words: “The first noel the angels did say, was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay.”6

To the lowly shepherds, the angels bore the glad tidings. As an audience, these shepherds would be considered by men as the least, the fewest, the marginalized; but with God, they were the honored. That which is often considered least in the eyes of men is great in the eyes of heaven, and that which is considered great in the eyes of men likewise carries no weight with heaven. For our God resists the proud but gives grace (favor) to the humble. And again, it is written: “But to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit”; “For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit” (Isaiah 66:2; 57:15). God is no respecter of persons, and as such, His plans and purposes will be made known to those whose hearts are right toward Him—whether to the king on his throne or the shepherd keeping watch over his sheep. It was to the least of these that God brought His heavenly serenade. Thus, the record states,

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. (Luke 2:8–14)

“Unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” God made known to the shepherds His “sweetheart deal” for all mankind. In a manger, wrapped in swaddling clothes, was cradled God’s incredible offer in the unspeakable gift of His only begotten Son. The baby Jesus came wrapped in heaven’s peace and goodwill toward all peoples of earth. “Glory to God in the highest!” was sung but to a few, yet with the intent that it be heard by all men. The night the angels sang, “Gloria, in excelsis Deo!” was a standing affirmation of the beauty and loveliness of the character and very being of the Almighty. God’s glory never shone brighter than when His only begotten Son humbled Himself, emptied Himself, and took on the form of a servant. Being fashioned in the likeness of sinful flesh, He became obedient unto death, even death on an ignominious cross (see Philippians 2:6–8). Glory indeed!

The night that Christ was born rebounded with the glory of God; as He filled the earth with His glory, the angels reciprocated with the highest praise. The shepherds were delightfully surprised to be bathed in that glory, even if but for a moment, for the record states, “The glory of the Lord shone around them” (Luke 2:9). One can undoubtedly argue that these lowly shepherds were blessed and highly favored above all Israel. They found themselves enveloped with the glory of God, as they were royally serenaded by heaven’s choir.

The historically acclaimed and celebrated preacher Charles Haddon Spurgeon raised a series of rhetorical questions on the instructive lesson to be learned from this glorious praise of the angels’ song. Here is what he said:

What is the instructive lesson to be learned from this first syllable of the angels’ song? Why this, that salvation is God’s highest glory. He is glorified in every dew drop that twinkles to the morning sun. He is magnified in every wood flower that blossoms in the copse … God is glorified in every bird that warbles on the spray; in every lamb that skips the mead. Do not the fishes in the sea praise him? From the tiny minnow to the huge Leviathan, do not all creatures that swim the water bless and praise his name? Do not all created things extol him? Is there aught beneath the sky, save man, that doth not glorify God? … Do not all things exalt him, from the least even to the greatest? … Though creation may be a majestic organ of praise, it cannot reach the compass of the golden canticle—Incarnation! There is more in that than in creation, more melody in Jesus in the manger, than there is in worlds on worlds rolling their grandeur round the throne of the Most High.7

“Is there aught beneath the sky, save man, that doth not glorify God?” How true are these words spoken, arguably by one of history’s greatest pulpiteers, Pastor C. H. Spurgeon! Even the ass and the oxen whose crib the Son of God shared gave Him the glory. But for the lowly shepherds, none of the sons of men would offer praise and glorify the newborn king. Of all people, Israel, His chosen, His royal priesthood, failed to show forth His praises; even though for this very purpose they were thereunto ordained. This is the most disturbing of all: that the people of God—“the ones God had chosen to tell the world about Him”—did not even care about the arrival of Jesus. Thus the birth of God’s Son was hailed in virtual obscurity because His people were totally unprepared and unworthy to receive Him. As far as the then nation of Israel was concerned, this was and is inexcusable, for “to them were committed the oracles of God,” says Paul. To them also “pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises; of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen.” (See Romans 3:2; 9:4–5.)

The nation of Israel was chosen by God to be His special people (see Deut. 7:6). They were not chosen because they were greater or intrinsically better than other peoples. Rather it was by God’s election that they were chosen (see also vv. 7–9). They were chosen by God to be His witnesses to all the nations. Israel was to give an indisputable witness to the peoples of the earth that He (Jehovah) is the one true and only God (see Isaiah 43:9–12; 44:8). God intended that through Israel, as His faithful witness, the light of His glory would be brought to all mankind. This was the promise made to Abraham. Through Abraham’s offspring, the promised seed would come as “a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel” (see Genesis 12:1–3, Luke 2:25–32). It could be argued, therefore, that the angels should have made their official announcement of the birth of Christ to the religious leaders and people in the city of Jerusalem. Thereafter, Israel as a nation (in fulfillment of her God-ordained mission) would proclaim to all mankind that the Savior of the world has come! What a privilege was hers! God intended for Israel to be the center, the capital of Christianity. But alas! Israel failed to give God the glory that was due to His wonderful name. What a shame, and a reproach, that the ones to whom God committed His sacred oracles—the custodians of God’s revelation of Himself to mankind—were the very ones totally oblivious to the birth of His Son, the long-awaited Messiah!

Many have raised the question: “Why was such a stupendous event as the incarnation of the Son of God announced to a handful of inconsequential, obscure, and lowly shepherds, and not rather to Israel’s religious leaders?” And to answer that question, allow me to reiterate that God, at first, sent His angels to the city of Jerusalem. God sent His angelic ambassadors to the very place He established to represent His name in the earth. But the spiritual condition of Israel’s religious leaders, and that of the people in general, rendered them unfit and unprepared to receive the good news of the Savior’s birth! Surely, the official proclamation that was given to the shepherds was not God’s original intended choice. It was, unfortunately, as far as His chosen people were concerned, His plan B. How often in the history of God’s dealings with ancient Israel, and yes, even now in dealing with us (spiritual Israel), does He have to resort to plan B? Think about it for a moment. The shepherds really had no platform, means, resources, or strategic positioning from which to impact the world with such momentous news. Therefore, why would God restrict His official announcement of the birth of His Son to a handful of shepherds? The answer: God’s chosen people left Him with no other choice.

Jerusalem, on the other hand, had the platform, the means, and strategic positioning from which to impact the world with the unsurpassing news of the birth of Christ. Israel’s capital and religious center was God’s first, ideal, and strategic choice. The joyful strains that were borne to the shepherds were intended firstly to be borne to the established priesthood, and other religious dignitaries dwelling in Jerusalem. God in His divine wisdom planted His chosen people in the land of Canaan, and headquartered their system of worship with its liturgical practice in Jerusalem. They were strategically positioned at the crossroad of the then known world. From this vantage point, they could make known God’s revelation of Himself to the other nations. Speaking of Jerusalem, the Psalmist said: “Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King” (Psalm 48:2). Even the magi (here after referred to as the “wise men”) who came from the East in search of the newborn king were guided by the star to Jerusalem. It was there, of all places, they expected to find the answer to their question: “Where is He who has been born king of the Jews?” The arrival of the wise men in Jerusalem was not by detour or by proxy or by chance, it was intentional. They were led there by the Star. Guided by divine providence (being Gentiles, and being outside of the covenant of Israel), the wise men were used as God’s instruments of rebuke to the nation of Israel for its callousness and ineptness. These (the so-called heathen) were the ones to announce to the Jews (the so-called people of God) the birth of Israel’s king! “Where is He who has been born king of the Jews?” came not from the angels of God, but from the Gentiles! What a slap in the face of Israel! Be astonished O heaven and wonder O earth! God would have His chosen people to understand, as later Peter understood, “that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him” (Acts 10:34–35).

The night the angels sang should also be instructive to professed Christians today in two very important areas:

 The first is in the area of free choice. God would have His professed followers to understand that He God forces Himself on no one, no group of people, not even His chosen. He desires that we love and worship Him, not because of coercion or undue influence, no; the beauty of the religion of God is that He forces no one. God respects our free will, our freedom to choose Him or reject Him.

Leroy E. Froom states that “God has … ordained certain universal laws of His operation and our cooperation. And He Himself most scrupulously recognizes His own laws. He respects the freedom of the human will, never forcing the inestimable blessing of His presence upon unwilling hearts.”8 This is consistent with His nature as a God of love. He will have it no other way. It was Lucifer who made the false charge that God was selfish and coercive, demanding the worship of His creatures. This has been one of Satan’s biggest lies. The Scriptures teach that “God is love,” and as such, He desires only that we choose to serve and worship Him because we love Him. Jesus Himself said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15; 1 John 4:7, 8). A careful examination of the Scriptures reveals that God deals with us on the basis of our freedom of choice. God will plead, knock, beseech, and invite, but He will never force His way on to us, or Himself into our hearts. See for example: Isaiah 65:2; Jeremiah 35:17; Romans 10:21; Matthew 11:27–30; Revelation 3:19–20, 22:17. Had the angels found receptive hearts and open doors in Jerusalem, God would have gladly announced the birth of His Son to them. Whatever else could be said about the night the angels sang, it is for certain, that no one can charge God with forcing His presence on to His people. He loved them too much to do that. Even though it hurt God deeply not to give the good news to His people in Jerusalem, He simply had to respect their freedom of choice.

 The second area that is instructive for us Christians today, as it was for Israel of old, is the fact that the arrival of the wise men in Jerusalem, being Gentiles, teaches this one thing: God is not stuck with any group of people. Even then God was saying to Israel that He could raise up children to Abraham from among the heathen. The people of Israel did not have a genuine spiritual experience with God. They had a form of godliness without the power.

In the temple the morning and the evening sacrifice daily pointed to the Lamb of God; yet even here was no preparation to receive Him. The priests and teachers of the nation knew not that the greatest event of the ages was about to take place. They rehearsed their meaningless prayers, and performed the rites of worship to be seen by men, but in their strife for riches and worldly honor they were not prepared for the revelation of the messiah. The same indifference pervaded the land of Israel. Hearts selfish and world-engrossed were untouched by the joy that thrilled all heaven.9

When the wise men raised their question: “Where is He that has been born King of the Jews?” it was obvious that the priests and leaders in Israel did not even know that the most amazing event in human history had taken place. The people were engrossed in the things of this world: wealth, pleasure, and worldly honor. They took for granted that they were the chosen ones of God. John the Baptist also, in no uncertain terms, preached to the unrepentant crowds who came to hear him “that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones” and that the “ax [was] already at the root of the trees” (Luke 3:8–9). God had chosen Israel as His special people, “out of all nations … [His] … treasured possession … a kingdom of priests and a holy nation,” but He was not stuck with them (see Exodus 19:5–6). In the same way, God has called us as Christians to be His peculiar and special people in these last and closing days of earth’s history (see 1 Peter 2:9–10). But let us not—because of that—make the same mistake as did ancient Israel and get wrapped up in our “choseness.” Paul warns all professed Christians that “since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did,” and we know what happened with them, don’t we? See Hebrews 4:1–2. Paul also warns Christians today: “Do not be arrogant, but be afraid. For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either.” Paul therefore warns that if we do not continue to be faithful, we “will also be cut off.” And further, Jesus says to us Christians in the Laodicea church today, that if we continue in a lukewarm spiritual state, He will spit us out of His mouth (see Romans 11:21–22; Revelation 3:16). Yes, the night the angels sang was the glorious night of the birth of our Savior, but it was a night that was filled with instruction for all who have ears to hear and eyes to see.

During this Yuletide, let us ask ourselves the question: “Are we as Christians today, in danger of repeating the same mistake of ancient Israel at the First Advent of the Lord?” To say that we are now much closer to the Second Advent of Christ than we are to His First Advent is an understatement. In fact, His return is imminent. According to the prophetic way marks the end of all things is at hand. Like Israel of old, we have been granted the opportunity to proclaim the glad tidings of the second coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We are called to give the last message of warning to a dying and perishing world. The opportunity and privilege is ours to announce: “Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!” (Matthew 25:6). So my question is: “Are our hearts in tune with heaven during this very, very, late hour of earth’s history?” Even now, sad to say, as the so-called spirit of the Christmas season takes hold on many, both in the world and in the church, there is seen and heard much of what could be classified as mundane, worldly, and unspiritual. The myth of jolly Ol’ St. Nick and his tiny reindeer will get more attention and airtime than the reality of Christ and His angels. How utterly tragic! So here again is my question: Will the Master find us worthy to proclaim the glad tidings: “Behold, the bridegroom cometh!” or will He use the voice of another outside of the community of the chosen? Will such a voice leave us troubled, embarrassed, and baffled (as was the case with Herod and all Jerusalem)? The Scriptures tell us that when the wise men made their announcement, “King Herod … was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him” (Matthew 2:3).

Contemplate

Had the religious leaders and people in Jerusalem been faithful to God and their sacred trust, their history would be recorded differently. They would have received the wise men and gladly introduce them to the newborn king of Israel. Instead we are told the announcement by the wise men left them troubled. Heaven’s sweetheart deal, wrapped in God’s incredible offer in the unspeakable gift of His Son, was not accepted by Herod and the people of Jerusalem. His offer caused them great discomfort. Unbelievable! So what about us? Are we prepared for His Second Advent, or will such an announcement cause us great discomfort? My challenge for us during this Christmas season is that we focus our attention not merely on the First Advent of Christ—the night the angels sang—but especially on his soon return—His Second Advent. Will God and the angels find us faithful? Will we be trusted, and honored, with the privilege of giving the final announcement: “Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!” The answer to those questions depends wholly on us. Let us, therefore, not only remember the night the angels sang, but let us also look forward with eager anticipation to His imminent return. The holy angels will once again accompany Him with anthems of praise, as He comes the second time not as a babe in a manger, but with power and great glory. Join me this Christmas season in accepting God’s sweetheart deal in the incredible offer of the unspeakable gift of His Son. To this end, I wish you a very merry and blessed Christmas season. Merry Christmas!