Why Music at Christmas - Part 1

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Thanks to the generosity of our supporters. Your donation today means great podcasts like this remain available to help people look to God daily. Please make your donation today at vision.org.au Today on Turning Point, Dr David Jeremiah shares how and why music became such an integral and beloved part of the Christmas experience. Continuing his series, Why the Nativity, here's David to introduce today's message, Why Music at Christmas.

And I think we're always the first people to listen to it, because we find out when it happens, and as soon as it happens, we just, we put our radio right there and we listen to it through the whole season. We have Christmas at Shadow Mountain for the whole month of December, and we celebrate it in a very significant way every single weekend. We don't have a big Christmas production. We have a Christmas production every weekend from the first Sunday all the way through Christmas. Special music, special things happening on the patio, carolers, brass bands, everything we can do to trumpet the joy of Christmas, and music is so much a part of it.

So we're going to talk about that today and again on Monday. Why is music so much a part of Christmas? How did it all start? And why is it more significant for Christmas than, for instance, Easter? There's just such a difference. Why is there so much music at Christmas?

Let's see if we can find out. Well, when you come to think about it, it really is strange that we sing so much at this time of the year. In fact, it is really unique that as Christians, we are the only quote-unquote religion that has joyous music as a part of its observance of any of the sacred days. Let me remind you, men and women, that Christianity is a religion of song and that atheism doesn't have any music. And Confucianism and Brahminism have no inspiring anthems or soulful hallelujahs.

Dreary, weird dirges reveal no glad hope for the present or future to heathen nations. As you look around you today, if a person doesn't truly have Christ at the center of his life, if he doesn't comprehend what Christmas is really all about, his song is what one of my friends has called plagiarized praise. He's just hooked up with somebody who knows all about it and borrowed their song for a moment. I want to talk with you about why there's so much joy and praise connected with Christmas. Why there's so much music connected with this season of the year. Why all of us, even if we may feel like we're on the fringe area of the faith, have a special affinity to the carols, the songs, the Christmas music. Did you know that Dr. Luke, who gave us one of the Gospels, gathered together in the first and second chapters of his Gospel narrative six different songs that are related to Christmas?

In fact, he's the only Gospel writer who did it. He put all the songs together in two chapters. Six songs that were sung, if you will, in relation to the coming of Christ in Bethlehem so long ago.

I'd like to give you the official names of these songs and before we're finished today you will see where they are in the text. But it is quite amazing to me that there are six of them, all of them recorded by the physician who writes for us in the New Testament. Apparently a man of some distinct taste for music and one who desired to make sure that we knew that Christmas was indeed a season of joy and gladness. First of all, there is what we know as the Beatitude of Elizabeth, the very brief song that she sang when she was confronted by Mary in the early days of her pregnancy with John the Baptist. And then there's the Magnificent of Mary, which she sang when she expressed the joy that she had that she was to be the mother of our Lord. And then there's what they call the Benedictus of Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist and the song that he sang in anticipation of the coming of Christ but most of all in the coming of his forerunner, John the Baptist.

And then there is what they call the Nondimatus of Simeon. Simeon who was waiting for the coming of the Messiah and had been promised that he would not see death until he had seen the Lord. And when he finally saw the Lord in the temple that day, burst forth into song. The song is recorded for us by Luke in this Gospel. And then there's the Evangel song that was sung by the angel of the Lord over the plains where the shepherds were. And finally the great chorus known as the Gloria of the Angelic Hosts. Six songs in two chapters of the Bible related to the coming of Jesus Christ into the world. So I tell you that simply to remind you that if you think we sing too much here, we're in great tradition.

It was born in Bethlehem as a part of the Nativity and it was born in the hearts of those who knew what Jesus was going to do when he came to this world. So those who love the wonderful music will surely linger long in chapters one and two of Luke. And like the artist who has gathered and collected under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the stories of these songs will reveal the fact that when Jesus came into the world, poetry expressed itself and music was reborn. I have been asking myself this question. Why is there so much music and joy at Christmas?

The world doesn't understand what we're talking about. And somebody outside of those who have been initiated to the faith in Christ would think we've all gone just a little berserk at this season of the year when we just get so caught up in the music of the season. But there are some uniquely wonderful reasons why music and joy is a part of our experience at this season of the year. And many of the reasons are illustrated in the songs of Luke one and two.

Let me suggest to you first of all that one of the reasons there was so much joy then and there is so much joy now is the fact that the prophecies of the Old Testament were fulfilled when Jesus came. In Simeon's song, which is recorded for us in Luke chapter 2 and beginning at about verse 25, you get just a glimpse of this particular aspect of the music of the season. We read in Luke 2 25 these words, And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout.

Now watch this. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ or the Lord's Messiah.

So he came by the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him according to the custom of the law, he took Jesus up in his arms and he blessed God. And he said, Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared before the face of all the peoples, a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles and the glory of your people Israel. All of his adult life, Simeon had waited for this moment. He had been told by the Spirit of God that he would not die until he saw the Messiah. And he waited and he waited for that prophecy to be fulfilled. And can you imagine the day that he went to the temple and Jesus was brought there by his parents and Simeon had the joy of seeing this prophecy fulfilled in his own eyes. Not only did he see the prophecy, but the scripture says he took up the child of prophecy in his arms.

What a magnificent moment that was. But may I suggest to you that prophecy was fulfilled not only for Simeon, but prophecy at the coming of Christ was fulfilled for all the Old Testament, what we would call believers who had read the prophets and had known that something special would happen at about this time. For instance, Isaiah said that there was coming one in the future who would be born in a special way, born of a woman without a man, born of a virgin, the virgin born Christ. Jeremiah the prophet about the same time said that this particular birth would be accompanied by the slaughter of children, a prophecy which was very difficult to understand and which we could not comprehend if we did not read back through the history of that particular moment. Hosea the prophet added this to the prophecies. He said that this coming of Christ would be followed by a flight into the nation to the country of Egypt to get away from persecution.

And indeed it happened. Micah, in my estimation, had the most amazing of all the prophecies. For in chapter 5 and verse 2, Micah said that the Christ would be born in Bethlehem.

I don't know if you understand how truly amazing that is, but let me see if I can illustrate it for you. It is recognized on every hand by every scholar that Micah prophesied about 700 BC, about 700 years before Christ came, that he definitely foretold that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. You cannot escape it. It is there in his prophecy. It is impossible by any legitimate critical device, even by the higher critics, to remove from Micah that particular phrase, that Jesus would be born in Bethlehem of Judah.

There it stands, and there we read it, and for hundreds of years faithful Jews read it. And though they may not have comprehended it, they believed it and they anticipated it. What possibility, listen to me now, what possibility is there of any man by his own wisdom predicting the birthplace of someone not yet born?

No possibility at all. Let a student microscopically examine every piece of American literature down to the year 1830 and he will not find one single phrase even suggesting that a future president of the United States of America would someday be born in Harlan County, Kentucky. But Micah, the prophet, now watch this, Micah put his finger on one of the smallest countries in the world, Palestine. And in that country he designated just one of the twelve provinces in which the Messiah was to be born, namely Judah. And in that province he put his finger on one small little village called Bethlehem as the birthplace of the Messiah. You could never have guessed that in a hundred thousand years. If you were to have guessed where a king would be born, you would have certainly guessed in Jerusalem, in the palace, where all the kings were born except for perhaps David who was born in Bethlehem. But you would never have suggested that the king, the Messiah, would be born in Bethlehem. But you see Micah was not guessing. Micah was under the spirit of God prophesying.

And when you stop and look back at it, from history's perspective, it becomes even more amazing. For it was only an edict that had gone out from the Romans that made this all happen in exactly the right way, according to exactly the right time schedule. Joseph and Mary at this particular time had to go to the ancient homestead of their family. And Mary and Joseph were in Bethlehem when our Lord was born. If the conception of the virgin Mary had occurred six months before it actually did, the baby would have been born in Nazareth and carried in Mary's arms to Bethlehem.

If the conception had taken place six months later, she would be by this time back in Nazareth and the baby would have been born there. But the Bible says in due time, according to the prophecy, Mary and Joseph were in Bethlehem, where 700 years before Micah the prophet said, this is where it will happen. And I tell you there was joy among the Jews when Jesus was born because they were people of the book, far more than we are today in their catechisms as they grew up as children.

They were taught the prophets, many of them memorized the words of Isaiah and Jeremiah and Micah. And while they may not have fully comprehended all of the impact of the prophecy, in their heart there was this anticipation that a Messiah would come, just as Orthodox Jews today who have not accepted the Messiah are looking for the coming of one who will free them from the oppression that they face. And when Jesus came at Bethlehem, how could they help but sing? The prophecies of the Old Testament had been fulfilled and there was joy in Bethlehem because of it. But secondly, I think there is music and joy at Christmas because the problem of sin had finally been resolved.

Oh no, not in its entirety at that moment, but looking back through time as we are able to do now, looking back through the empty tomb and past Golgotha's Calvary and past the Garden of Gethsemane, looking back we see that the real answer to the question of sin began in that moment when God became flesh and was born in Bethlehem. And we who are Christians, we rejoice at the Incarnation. We rejoice not because we have any incidental faith and grace in the cradle. We understand that the cradle is simply the prelude to the cross. And it was the important event of God becoming a man that began the redemption process. And if you want to get just a little bit of an anticipation of that, look with me in Luke chapter 1 at the Benedictus of Zacharias beginning at verse 68. And while I cannot read the whole song, you will see throughout this song of Zacharias the anticipation of redemption. It says in verse 68, blessed is the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people and has raised up a horn of salvation for us. Look down at verse 77, to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the remission of their sins through the tender mercy of our God.

I don't know how Zacharias knew all that he knew about the salvation of the people of God, but I do know this, that the problem of sin is resolved in the Incarnation as you carry it through to the crucifixion. And that is a reason for joy and music. Here's one that I never really thought of before as it relates to Mary.

But I think that at this time of the year there is among us who know Christ, joy and music in our hearts because we realize more than any other season of the year at this time that the pain of the lowly and forgotten has been remembered. If you read the Magnificat of Mary, you will instantly discover that that was the thing that captured her by this visitation from the Lord. It wasn't so much that she was to be the mother of our Lord, but that such a one as she would be chosen to be our Lord's earthly mother. Look with me, if you will, at Luke chapter 1 and verse 46 and notice how this is so wonderfully brought out in her song. Mary is singing this Magnificat and in verse 46 we read, My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. Now watch, for he has regarded the lowly state of his maidservant. Look down at verse 52. He has put down the mighty from their thrones and exalted the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things and the rich he has sent away empty.

He has helped his servant Israel. Do you know what was going on in Mary's heart if I understand this? She was overwhelmed at the visitation. She was totally taken away by the event itself and how it was to transpire. But more than anything else, she was captured by this thought. God has chosen someone such as I am, a lowly maidservant. There's nothing for us to know about Mary that would give us reason to believe that by her own persona she had in any way recommended herself to God for this event except that she was a righteous woman. She was a flawed human being like we are, but she was a humble, humble servant. Dorothy Sayers, picturing Mary in one of her writings, talking with the Magi about the coming of her babe, has her say this.

With me you see it is like this. When the angel's message came to me, the Lord put a song into my heart. I suddenly saw that wealth and cleverness were nothing to God.

No one is too unimportant to be his friend. This was the thought that came to me because of the thing that happened to me. I am quite humbly born, yet the power of God came upon me, very foolish and unlearned. Yet the word of God was spoken to me, and I was in deep distress when my baby was born and filled my life with love. So I know very well that wisdom and power and sorrow can live together with love. And for me, the child in my arms is the answer to all of the riddles. Dorothy Sayers, what was she saying? The thing that captured me was this, that God would let such one as I am to be chosen for so unimportant an event.

And when you examine the record, what do you see? You see a manger, and you see lowly shepherds. Was Jesus surrounded at his birth by aristocrats?

No, he was surrounded at his birth by simple people like you and like me. What is Christmas then, and why does it fill us with joy? There is something in Christmas about the fact that God is saying to the downtrodden and to the oppressed and to the exploited of mankind, be of good cheer, for I am here, and I am your friend, and I am your champion, and no one is too insignificant to be remembered by the Messiah. So that at Christmas season, while we rejoice in the celebration of our great pageants and music, perhaps Christmas is celebrated best when we take gifts to the children of prisoners who would not have gifts in any other way, and we say to them in the spirit of Jesus, no one is too insignificant to be remembered at this time of the year. Oh, there is joy at Christmas for all of us, and especially for those who may feel at this time of the year in some way downtrodden, forgotten, and unimportant. Christmas' message to you is that God turned himself toward people such as us, and at his birth he said, I will never ever let anyone feel as if they are too unimportant to be recommended to me in salvation. And that's true throughout the whole narrative of Christmas.

That's the underlying message. God loves you, my friend. He sent his own Son to be your Savior so that you could be forgiven of your sin and could go to heaven and be with the Father forever. If you've never put your trust in Jesus Christ, why not make this Christmas your birthday in the kingdom? Simply ask Jesus Christ to forgive you of your sin. Acknowledge that you believe he's the Son of the living God.

Ask him to come and live within your life, and he will do it, and he will change you from the inside out, make you to be the person you always really knew you could be, the person for whom Christ died, and the person who's going to make a difference in his world. Well, we're going to take a break for the weekend. We'll be back on Monday to conclude our discussion of why music at Christmas. In the meantime, let me encourage you to get to church. I hope you have a church that's open and can be in the Lord's house during this Christmas season.

Be sure and watch Turning Point on television sometime during the day. You can DVR it if it's in the church season where you live. We have a lot of special things we do. And then don't forget about our special Christmas channel, and you can find that at the Turning Point app and find all kinds of Christmas things to encourage you during this year when there are not a lot of places to go and things to do except for church. We've added a dimension to encourage you in your walk with the Lord. Have a wonderful weekend, friends. I'll see you right here on Monday. Today's message came to you from Shadow Mountain Community Church and Senior Pastor, Dr. David Jeremiah.

We'd love to hear your story of Turning Point's impact on your life. Please write to us at Turning Point, Post Office Box 3838, San Diego, California 92163. Or visit our website at davidjeremiah.org forward slash radio. Ask for your copy of David's 365-day devotional for 2021.

It's called Strength for Today. It's filled with biblical truth for each day of the year ahead, and it's yours for a gift of any amount. And to keep your spirits bright through the holiday season, visit the Home for Christmas channel at turningpoint.tv. It's your free source for Christmas music, videos, messages, and more. The Home for Christmas channel at turningpoint.tv.

I'm Gary Hoopflake. Join us Monday as we continue the series, Why the Nativity. That's here on Turning Point with Dr. David Jeremiah. Thanks for taking time to listen to this audio on demand from Vision Christian Media. To find out more about us, go to vision.org.au