Session 23

The Song of Angels and Shepherds

From Join the Chorus!

“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 2:13-14

We have all had, or will have, a moment in our lives set apart as “once in a lifetime.” Whether this moment is expected or unplanned, it leaves us with a profound sense of awe. In the Bible, angels who see God continually experience never-before-seen, once-in-a-lifetime moments over and over! 

We can nearly feel the desire of these angels to bend near, pressing against the thin space between heaven and Earth to view this new facet of God’s glory. God’s only Son, now on earth, is wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.  Their desire to worship Him blasts into our world with such a sound that unassuming shepherds are warned to “Fear not!”

I wonder what those shepherds felt moments before the message came. Maybe one had been sleepily gazing at the stars, remembering God’s promises to Abraham but feeling unwelcome in that family. Perhaps another remembered the first lines of Psalm 19, “The heavens declare the glory of God, the skies proclaim his handiwork.” We can only imagine the eerie stillness as the surrounding pasture grew unusually quiet with expectation. 

Suddenly, the reality the shepherds thought they knew was disrupted. This moment of brilliance, this startling announcement, this billowing praise, struck them with such awe that they were compelled to go and seek out the object of the angels’ affection. They left to find Jesus and join the chorus themselves.

This Christmas, Lord, let us be in awe of You again. May we remember what life was like while we waited (whether aware of it or not) for our Savior. Help us join in with this song as if we were seeing You for the first time and continue until we gaze upon Your glory face to face with the angels of heaven.