Do You Hear What I Hear?”
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“And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them, ‘Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and 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 among those with whom he is pleased!’” (Luke 2:8-14 ESV).
The question before you is simple: Can you hear the angels singing? The answer is equally simple. Either you can or you can’t. You do or you don’t.
Do You Hear What I Hear?”
“And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them, ‘Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and 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 among those with whom he is pleased!’” (Luke 2:8-14 ESV).
The question before you is simple: Can you hear the angels singing? The answer is equally simple. Either you can or you can’t. You do or you don’t.
The shepherds heard the angels—and it scared them to death. That’s one thing that angels do—they frighten people. The angel told Joseph, “Fear not.” Gabriel said to Mary, “Fear not.” And the angel told the shepherds, “Fear not.”
By definition angels are truly “out of this world.” They come from another place, from another realm of reality, from another dimension. One moment the shepherds are minding their own business in the fields outside Bethlehem, the next moment an angel is talking to them. Then out of nowhere the sky is filled with a multitude of angels. The word “multitude” means just what it implies—an uncountable number, a vast array of bright, shining beings, filling the night sky, praising God (loudly, I’m sure), and saying “Glory to God in the highest!”
Suddenly!
Perhaps the most telling word of our text comes in verse 13: Suddenly! It means without warning, without prior announcement, it means that the angels weren’t there, and then they were everywhere. The word “suddenly” means that the angels were nowhere to be seen, and all at once they filled the sky.
Some questions come to mind at this point. If we had been there, would we have seen the angels? Could the people in Bethlehem see the angels? Could they be seen in Jerusalem—eight miles away? Could the sound of their voices be heard in other places, or did the angels reveal themselves only to the shepherds? We cannot fully answer these questions, but this much is certain: The angels were really there, and the shepherds really did hear them.
Can you hear the angels singing? Either you do or you don’t. The shepherds heard them. Mary heard them. Joseph heard them. I don’t think Herod heard a thing. That’s a hugely important point because the great divide in the world comes right here—some people see the angels, others don’t. Some people hear them, others don’t. Some people believe in the supernatural, others don’t.
Second Kings 6 tells the story of Elisha and his servant when the Aramean army surrounded them in the city of Dothan. Seeing the enemy on every side, the servant cried out, “What shall we do?” Elisha responded by declaring, “‘Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’ Then Elisha prayed and said, ‘O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see.’ So the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha” (II Kings 6:16-17). The angels were always there; the servant simply did not see them. When his eyes were opened, he saw what had been there all along.
Richard Dawkins
But some people do not see because they cannot see. Richard Dawkins is perhaps the most famous evolutionist in the world. He is a noted scientist, a gifted writer, an avowed atheist, and a fierce opponent of religion. He says that those who do not believe in evolution are “ignorant or brainwashed.” He believes the world would be better off without religion because it is based on superstition. In an interview he declared, “You won’t find any intelligent person who feels the need for the supernatural.” He goes on to say that a world without religion would be paradise on earth.
Some people visit the Grand Canyon and all they see is a big ditch. And so they hurry on their way, having missed one of the great wonders of God’s creation.
The same thing happens in the spiritual realm. People see what they want to see and they don’t see what they choose to ignore.
Angels Everywhere!
It is impossible to miss the supernatural element in the birth of Jesus. Angels pop up all over the Christmas story. An angel tells Mary she will give birth to Jesus. An angel tells Joseph to call his name Jesus. An angel warns Mary and Joseph to flee to Egypt. An angel tells them when it’s safe to return to Israel. And in our text, an angel announces the birth of Christ to the shepherds, and then the angelic choir serenades them.
But that’s not all. You have the mysterious star that led the Magi from some distant land all the way to Bethlehem to the very house where Jesus dwelt.
Suddenly!
Perhaps the most telling word of our text comes in verse 13: Suddenly! It means without warning, without prior announcement, it means that the angels weren’t there, and then they were everywhere. The word “suddenly” means that the angels were nowhere to be seen, and all at once they filled the sky. Some questions come to mind at this point. If we had been there, would we have seen the angels? Could the people in Bethlehem see the angels? Could they be seen in Jerusalem—eight miles away? Could the sound of their voices be heard in other places, or did the angels reveal themselves only to the shepherds? We cannot fully answer these questions, but this much is certain: The angels were really there, and the shepherds really did hear them.
Can you hear the angels singing? Either you do or you don’t. The shepherds heard them. Mary heard them. Joseph heard them. I don’t think Herod heard a thing. That’s a hugely important point because the great divide in the world comes right here—some people see the angels, others don’t. Some people hear them, others don’t. Some people believe in the supernatural, others don’t.
Second Kings 6 tells the story of Elisha and his servant when the Aramean army surrounded them in the city of Dothan. Seeing the enemy on every side, the servant cried out, “What shall we do?” Elisha responded by declaring, “‘Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’ Then Elisha prayed and said, ‘O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see.’ So the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha” (II Kings 6:16-17). The angels were always there; the servant simply did not see them. When his eyes were opened, he saw what had been there all along.
Richard Dawkins
But some people do not see because they cannot see. Richard Dawkins is perhaps the most famous evolutionist in the world. He is a noted scientist, a gifted writer, an avowed atheist, and a fierce opponent of religion. He says that those who do not believe in evolution are “ignorant or brainwashed.” He believes the world would be better off without religion because it is based on superstition. In an interview he declared, “You won’t find any intelligent person who feels the need for the supernatural.” He goes on to say that a world without religion would be paradise on earth.
Some people visit the Grand Canyon and all they see is a big ditch. And so they hurry on their way, having missed one of the great wonders of God’s creation.
The same thing happens in the spiritual realm. People see what they want to see and they don’t see what they choose to ignore.
Angels Everywhere!
It is impossible to miss the supernatural element in the birth of Jesus. Angels pop up all over the Christmas story. An angel tells Mary she will give birth to Jesus. An angel tells Joseph to call his name Jesus. An angel warns Mary and Joseph to flee to Egypt. An angel tells them when it’s safe to return to Israel. And in our text, an angel announces the birth of Christ to the shepherds, and then the angelic choir serenades them.
But that’s not all. You have the mysterious star that led the Magi from some distant land all the way to Bethlehem to the very house where they found the baby Jesus. And the Magi were warned in a dream not to return to Herod but to go home another way. So there you have it—angels and stars and dreams. Supernatural stuff everywhere—the stuff Richard Dawkins says intelligent people don’t believe in.
As Christians we believe there is “another world” that is the “real” world. It’s the world of God and of the angels, of Christ and the Holy Spirit, of heaven and the saints who dwell in glory. These two worlds exist side by side. We live in one world but we believe in another world. Or to use a New Testament word picture, we live in this world but our citizenship is in another world. That’s why the Bible calls us “aliens” and “strangers” on the earth. We are pilgrims on a journey from this world that is passing away to a world that will last forever. We are looking for a city with eternal foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
The world you see around you will not last forever. The world of cars and planes and trains, the world of buying and selling and investing, the world of factories and offices, the world of schools and universities, the world of television, radio and the Internet, the world of football, basketball and baseball, the world of nations and premiers, presidents, prime ministers and tyrants, gone forever.
“The world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever” (I John 2:17 ESV).
Nothing golden lasts. We are here today, gone tomorrow. Heaven and earth will pass away but the Word of the Lord will stand forever.
The Bible is actually very specific about how this world will end. Revelation 16:17-20 speaks of a vast earthquake in the last days that destroys all the cities of the earth. Imagine what that would mean. Paris leveled, Tokyo in ruins, London turned into a disaster area, Washington, DC in flames, Paris in ashes, Moscow fallen to the ground. All the world’s highest towers, l gone, no more.
Everything that man builds collapses before his eyes. So it is with everything that is of this world. From dust back to dust.
It is right at this point that Christmas becomes so important to us. We are a dying race living on a dying planet. All that we see around us will someday vanish without a trace. Despite our best efforts, there is nothing we can do to save ourselves. If we are to be saved, salvation must come from somewhere else. It must come from outside of us. That’s the true meaning of Christmas.
Perhaps you have heard the reading by J. B. Phillips called “The Visited Planet.” It’s about a junior angel who is being given a tour of the universe by a senior angel. After touring all the galaxies of the universe, they come at last to our solar system. The junior angel is tired and bored and not very impressed by what he sees. The senior angel points to the earth and says, “Keep an eye on that planet.” The younger angel thinks the earth looks small and dirty and insignificant. “That is the Visited Planet,” say the senior angel. “You don’t mean …” “Yes, that planet has been visited by our young Prince of Glory.” “Do you mean to tell me that He stooped so low as to become one of those creeping, crawling creatures of that floating ball?” “I do, and I don’t think He would like you to call them ‘creeping, crawling creatures’ in that tone of voice. For, strange as it may seem to us, He loves them. He went down to visit them to lift them up to become like Him.” The junior angel has no reply. The very thought is beyond his comprehension.
When God Came Down
Many miracles surround Christmas—the angels, the star, the dreams, the prophecies, and most of all, the virgin birth. But those miracles are just signs pointing to the greatest miracle of all:
The Bible explains this in many ways …
• “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son” (John 3:16 KJV).
• “The grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people” (Titus 2:11 ESV).
• “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law” (Galatians 4:4 ESV).
• “Who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2:6-7 ESV).
• “God was manifest in the flesh” (I Timothy 3:15 KJV).
• “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14 ESV).
As Martin Luther put it, “He whom the worlds could not enwrap yonder lies in Mary’s lap.” That’s the Incarnation—it’s the central miracle of the Christian faith. If you can believe that God visited our planet as a little baby 2,000 years ago, you’ll have no problem with the rest of what we believe. The Resurrection is no problem for those who believe in the Incarnation.
Don’t Miss the Main Point
The Christian worldview is utterly supernatural. Take the supernatural out of Christianity and all you have left is a religious club.
Sometimes the world around us may seem empty and we may feel entirely alone, but now and then—Suddenly!—when we least expect it—when we’ve almost given up hope—when we’re tired or bored or fearful or disgruntled—God breaks through and the angels start to sing. They sang for some startled shepherds one night in Bethlehem 2,000 years ago. They still sing today for those who care to hear them.
Can you hear the angels singing? They bring good news from the other side, good news of great joy, the best news the world has ever heard: Joy to the World, the Lord is Come, Let Earth receive her King!
If you listen with all your heart, you can still hear them singing: “Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth among those with whom he is pleased.
A Blessed Christmas to you One and All!
DR Robert Bryant