Friday, Dec. 21

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Luke 2:13-14

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest,
    and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”

Almost whenever I read, or hear read, this passage from Luke 2, I think of Linus reciting the great story in “A Charlie Brown Christmas.”

Jeff wrote about Charles Shulz’s simple but profoundly powerful little animated story last week. “A Charlie Brown Christmas” first aired in 1965. Although network executives warned Mr. Shulz that including the Biblical text would hurt the popularity of the production, he insisted and “A Charlie Brown Christmas” became an instant classic. In fact, an astonishing 50% of the televisions in America were tuned into that first broadcast!

Imagine! Half of all the people who were watching television that night were watching Linus read from Luke 2! 

We don’t know how many angelic beings made up the “great company of the heavenly host” that Luke talks about, but other translations use language like, “vast army” and “multitude.” Was it hundreds? Thousands? Millions? Who knows? 

This much we do know; the angels wanted to be there! They wanted to watch; they longed to see the story unfold!

In speaking of the gospel, the Apostle Peter writes:

It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things. 1 Peter 1:12

See that?

“Even angels long to look…”

Even the angels of heaven, who dwell eternally in the very presence of God himself, longed to see and participate in the birth of this child. Why? Because in him God was expressing himself and his love in a way in which he had never done before. In this child, the eternal Word would become flesh; in this child the gospel was being fulfilled. 

Now I don’t know much about what angels are like, but I do know that if I were to see one today I would probably first be terrified, and second, be tempted to fall on my knees in worship. I know that because that’s almost always the human response to angels in the Bible.

But imagine with me the heavenly “town hall” meeting to determine which angels would be part of the “announcement team” that would make up the “great company of the heavenly host” that would appear to the shepherds. Now, obviously, I have no idea how this determination was made, but bear with me!

God calls all the angels of heaven before him and says, “It’s time. I’m sending my son into the world as the final and greatest expression of my love for the people I created. I’ve chosen a very special woman to bear the child and I need a whole bunch of you to make the announcement of his birth to the world.”

“Who wants to go?”

Angelic hands (wings?) shoot up all over heaven, “Pick me! Pick me! I wanna go! Oh, oh, pick me!” 

And so they were chosen. And so they went. And so they scared the poor shepherds half to death. And so they came near enough to see the woman heave the little lump of flesh into the world; to see the tiny squinched up face with eyes barely open; to hear the cry of his first breath; and I believe for a moment the heavenly army gasped in holy silence.

And when they could contain their joy no longer, they burst forth in praise:

“Glory to God in the highest,
    and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”

Brian Coffey