Silent Night

The origin of the Christmas carol we know as Silent Night was a poem that was written in 1816 by an Austrian priest called Joseph Mohr. On Christmas Eve in 1818 in the small alpine village called Oberndorf it is reputed that the organ at St. Nicholas Church had broken. Joseph Mohr gave the poem of Silent Night (Stille Nacht) to his friend Franz Xavier Gruber and the melody for Silent Night was composed with this in mind. The music to Silent Night was therefore intended for a guitar and the simple score was finished in time for Midnight Mass.

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

Silent night, holy night
Shepherds quake at the sight
Glories stream from heaven afar
Heavenly hosts sing Hallelujah
Christ, the Savior is born
Christ, the Savior is born

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

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

It's a beautiful poem, a beautiful carol. One that will be sung in churches all over the world, candles flickering, celebrating the first advent of Christ this night.

But there is something I find odd about this song.

It's the second stanza.

Silent night, holy night
Shepherds quake at the sight
Glories stream from heaven afar
Heavenly hosts sing Hallelujah
Christ, the Savior is born
Christ, the Savior is born

Silent night?
Shepherds quaking at the sight?

Heavenly hosts singing?

    And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
    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 great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of 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!”
    When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. (Luke 2:6-20 ESV)

Luke has this way about him, he seems to skip over the details of what our culture, our minds want to know more about. He explains the incarnation like this:  "And while they were there... she gave birth to her firstborn son..."

He explains the atonement like this:     "And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him..." (Luke 23:33 ESV)

The overtly complicated, simplified. The crazy unfathomable, humanized.

He was born.

He died.

God, the always was, always is, always will be, becoming human is said to have just been born. Born.

God, the always was, always is, always will be, being human is said to have just died. Died.

We will never be able to fully comprehend or fully appreciate all that is happening in these words.

The best we can do is wrap this story into a song, a song that really makes no sense.

Silent night?

Mary and Joseph running around Bethlehem looking for some place to stay.

Mary's water breaking.

Mary piercing scream through the pains of childbirth...without modern medicine.

Joseph trying to help in any way he can... he's a carpenter with rough calloused hands, not a careful physician.

Animals making noise in the background.

Sheep running around when an angel appears to petrified shepherds.

The voice of God wrapped in a baby's first cry.

An army of angels appearing and singing through the night sky.

Shepherds running through the streets looking for a baby.

A giant star lighting up the sky.

But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. -Galatians 4:4-5

Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth

Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth

Perhaps it wasn't such a silent night.

Perhaps for Mary, Joseph, and those shepherds it was ANYTHING but a silent night.

We equate silence with peace. Phrases like 'Peace and quiet' prove this.

The song ends with 'Sleep in Heavenly Peace'.

Strange, isn't it?

Because for the first time in all of eternity... Jesus wasn't sleeping in heavenly peace, but rather earthly chaos.

In the midst of our sin...

    but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
(Romans 5:8 ESV)

In the midst of our confusion...

    Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things?
(John 3:9-10 ESV)

    So the crowd answered him, “We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?”
(John 12:34 ESV)

In the midst of our doubt...

    And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.”
(Luke 1:18 ESV)


    But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
(Matthew 14:30-31 ESV)

In the midst of our rebellion...

    Nevertheless, they were disobedient and rebelled against you and cast your law behind their back and killed your prophets, who had warned them in order to turn them back to you, and they committed great blasphemies.
(Nehemiah 9:26 ESV)

    But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.
(Matthew 15:18-19 ESV)

...God with us.

He came, the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the Savior, the Prince of Peace, Everlasting Father, Almighty God, Wonderful Counselor... as a baby, quietly, in a remote city near the hills of Judea.

He was an outcast before he was even born...

People thought he was conceived illegitimately.

There was no room for him in the inn.

He was born in a barn, laid in a manger.

Smelly, poor, shepherds were his first audience.

He came with no royal robes, no medical doctors, no crown was placed on his head, no crib, no acknowledgement that the very creator of the world has become human.

It's how he would have it.

Perhaps it was a silent night after all.

Today when we gather in our respected home churches, or with family and friends, and sing this beloved carol, I hope we can remember all that is encompassed in these simple words: "Silent night, Holy night."

-----

Nathan Bryant

Is a student of Ozark Christian College in Joplin, Missouri. Majoring in Biblical Leadership, New Testament Studies, and Missiology, he has a combined passion for unity and discipleship in the global church. Nate is a crazed sports fan, he enjoys college football and playing fantasy football. He also enjoys watching baseball with friends. He works as an Admissions Counselor at Ozark. Nate is unashamedly a Starbucks addict. Yay Coffee!

Christ's Kingdom is bigger than our causes.

Christ's Kingdom is bigger than our boundaries.

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