"Silent Night, Holy Night"
This morning, we get behind the music of one last Christmas hymn, "Silent Night, Holy Night." Many consider this to be the most popular Christmas hymn in the world. Written back in the early 1800's, it has been translated into overthree hundredlanguages and dialects. It was originally titled, "Stille Nacht."
The author of this hymn was Reverend Josef Mohr (spelled J-o-s-e-f). Josefgrew up in what is now Austria. The area where he lived had been greatlydepressed by Napoleon's wars. Josef was an illegitimate son, born out ofwedlock to his parents Anna and Joseph (J-o-s-e-p-h). Josef's father was an army deserter who abandoned Josef and his mother.
You can imagine the hardship that Josef and his mother faced. His mother would have been shamed and ostracized for getting pregnant out of wedlock and for giving birth to an illegitimate son. Without a husband to provide for the family and already living in a depressed region, she would have had few options to provide for herself and her son Josef.
Fortunately a Benedictine monk, who recognized Josef's musical talents, took him under his wing. Josef would enter seminary and was eventually ordained as a priest.
Tradition says that "Stille Nacht" was written to be played by guitar. Evidently, the church in which it was to be sung had a broken organ. Better to be played with a guitar than with an out of tune organ. For years no one even knew who wrote "Stille Nacht." Late in life Mohr told his close friends that writing "Stille Nacht" was the highlight of his life. In 1995, handwriting experts linked a newly discovered manuscript of "Stille Nacht" directly to Josef Mohr.
Consider the first verse of "Silent Night."
Perhaps you have noticed in this series how each writer keys into a different aspect of the Christmas story. For example, consider the first verse of "Silent Night."
"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."
Notice how this verse focuses our attention on the virgin mother and her child Jesus. Jesus' birth would have been seen as scandalous.The child was illegitimate by anyone's standards in that day. Joseph had in mind to quietly divorce his bride-to-be, at least until an angel visited him. But noonewould have believed the "angel defense" for a teenage pregnancy. "Mom,Dad, I'm pregnant, and the Holy Spirit did it."
This young mother and her husband would have been ostracized by their community. The only comfort afforded Mary was the silence of the night, the calm of the sky, the brilliance of the stars, and the tenderness of her baby's face, peacefully falling asleep in her arms. You can just see Mary comforting her child saying, "Sleep in heavenly peace.Sleep in heavenly peace."
Does it strike you as curious that an illegitimate child whose father abandoned him at young age would focus on the virgin mother with child? There is no mention of Joseph in this verse. Josef (the song writer) only knew his mother's love. He didn't know his earthly father. His father had abandoned him. He left them. Perhaps Josef saw himself in the Christmas story? All alone in a dark world, separated from his father, receiving no other comfort than his mother's presence. Do you ever feel so alone as when the business of your day trickles to a stop and you're left all alone in the night, with only your thoughts for company?
Why does the writer focus on holiness?
There is more to this verse than meets the eye, and perhaps this is the greatest irony of "Stille Nacht" and the Christmas story. Notice the word with which Josef describes that special Christmas night. Notice the word with which Josef describes the infant. Silent night, holy night. Holy infant so tender and mild.
Does it strike you as odd that a writer would focus on the holiness of what others would have seen as a scandalous, illegitimate birth? Mary, the supposed virgin andJoseph, not the biological father.This is something that deeply puzzled and yet amazed Josef as he penned these lyrics. It's the same thing that must have amazed the virgin mother Mary as Jesus slept peacefully in her arms.
What business does holiness have in visiting fallen humanity in the darkness of night? What business does a holy God have, clothing himself in flesh, being found in the appearance of man, and setting aside the glories of heaven to be humbled to such a lowposition? What exactly did the heavenly Father have in mind, abandoning his one and only Son, and surrendering his Son into such a helpless situation?
This virgin mother and child are not alone in the darkness. They are not fatherless. They are not truly abandoned. Despite the sin and utter depravity of humanity, God in all his holiness came near to us. We have beheld his glory, the glory of the one and only, sent from the Father in heaven!
Remember the scandalous circumstances of Josef's birth? His mother was pregnant out of wedlock. His father was an army deserter and traitor. Could a child experience any more shame growing up than to be so labeled and judged illegitimate?"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." John 3:16-17 (NIV)
Our holy heavenly Father, despite our sin, never writes off his children. He has a purpose for each and every one of us. His visit to earth isn't coincidental. God has a plan for your life and for my life.
The second verse continues the story.
"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."
Psalm 79:9 (NIV) says,"Help us, O God our Savior,for the glory of your name;deliver us and forgive our sinsfor your name's sake." Psalm 85:4-7 (NIV) says, "Restore us again, O God our Savior,and put away your displeasure toward us. Will you be angry with us forever? Will you prolong your anger through all generations? Will you not revive us again,that your people may rejoice in you? Show us your unfailing love, O LORD,and grant us your salvation."
Luke 2:8-14 (NIV)continues the Christmas story."And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.But the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.'Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,'Glory to God in the highest,and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.' "
2 Timothy 1:8-10 (NIV) tells us why Christ came to earth."So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel."
Christmas is a pure expression of God's love.
A few years ago a school in Wisconsin presented a play called "The Little Tree's Christmas Gift." The play tells the story of a family going out to buy a Christmas tree. In the play the lyrics of "Silent Night" were stripped of any mention of Christ. Instead, thechildren sang, "Cold in the night, no one in sight. Winter winds whirl and bite. How I wish I were happy and warm, safe with my family out of the storm."
When confronted, school officials pathetically defended the play. The play didn't just change the lyrics of "Silent Night."It changed the lyrics of "We Three Kings" and "O Little Town of Bethlehem" too! Said one school official, "It's so that young children know the melodies."
God forbid it-- that our children grow up learning melodies, while being robbed of the lyrics of the true meaning of Christmas. On Christmas, our holy God sent his Son to save us from our sins, to forgive us, to overthrow the power of death, to redeem us, and to restore us to fellowship. Christmas is the purest expression of God's love, perhaps second only to the cross!
The third versecompletes the story.
"Silent night, holy night. Son of God, love's pure light. Radiant beams from thy holy face. With the dawn of redeeming grace. Jesus, Lord, at thy birth. Jesus, Lord, at thy birth."
Josef Mohr could have grown up a bitter man. He could have been as cold and loveless as the father he never knew. Instead, Josef became a man who exuded the love of the Father he came to know.This was aFather who did not abandon us but who sent his Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering.(Romans 8:3)This is the true meaning of Christmas.
What is love's pure light? Romans 5:8-11 (NIV) tells us, "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation."