Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

By David R. Ferguson     Charles Wesley (1707-1788) knew something that many people today are missing. When he wrote the lyrics to the still popular Christmas song, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, it’s clear that he understood why Jesus was called the Prince of Peace. If you look closely at Wesley’s song, you will learn why a great company of the Heavenly host suddenly burst forth to proclaim to the shepherds (Luke 2:13-14): “Glory to God in the highest, and on Earth peace to men on whom His favor rests.”     The peace that Jesus was born to provide wasn’t the cessation of war. It wasn’t to put an end to abuse and unkind ways humans treat each other. It wasn’t to bring world peace among nations. Their excitement was because now, through Jesus, God was making available true peace – peace with God. There’s nothing more exciting than knowing that Jesus is, indeed, the Prince of Peace to reconcile men to God. Hark!  The herald Angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King; Peace on Earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled!” Mild He lays His glory by, Born that men no more may die. Born to raise the sons of Earth, Born to give them second birth.        More than 600 years before the birth of Jesus, the Prophet Isaiah spoke of the purpose of His birth. In the well-known passage in Isaiah 9:6 there are several descriptions of this coming Lord, including “Prince of Peace.” In the context of this passage Isaiah declares that this “Prince of Peace” would “reign on David’s throne and over His Kingdom…forever” (Isaiah 9:7).     It was not until the Day of Pentecost following the death and resurrection of Jesus that the Holy Spirit revealed to Peter and the other Apostles that what Isaiah was talking about was not establishing a nation like Rome or Babylon. Anybody could do that (Darius, Alexander the Great, etc.). But only the Prince of Peace could establish a Kingdom that would never be defeated or destroyed, not even by Satan (Daniel 2:44, Matthew 16:18). No wonder the Angels were excited when the Prince of Peace was born!     How grateful we should be that Jesus wasn’t interested in establishing just another Earthly kingdom! World peace is certainly to be desired, but there’s nothing that compares with having peace with God! That truly is something to sing about!

- David R. Ferguson preaches for the Mentor Church of Christ in Mentor, OH.  He may be contacted through the congregation's website: http://mentorchurchofchrist.com/ or davidferguson61@yahoo.com