FAMILIAR CAROLS, TIMELESS STORY (Part 3)

Christmas Reflection
FAMILIAR CAROLS, TIMELESS STORY (Part 3)
“Hark, the Herald Angels Sing”

THE HEALING 

Our third and last carol is, “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing”. The third stanza of the carol goes:  

“Hail the Heav’n born Prince of Peace! 
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings
Risen with healing in His wings….”

When I first sang the carol, I thought there was a misprint. Shouldn’t it be “Son of Righteousness” as in S-O-N? 

No, it is correct as printed, “Sun” as in S-U-N. 

I checked in accordance, and sure enough, the title “Sun of Righteousness” is found in the Bible, in Malachi 4.2.

But before we look at the verse in Malachi, let us look at the origin of the celebration of Christmas. It has something to do with the sun. 

I hope it does not surprise you too much if I tell you that it originated as a pagan festival. 

Yes, in the Roman Empire, in AD 274, the Roman Emperor Aurelian decreed that 25 December should be celebrated as “the birthday of the unconquered sun.”

If you know something about the rotation of the earth, and its revolution around the sun, you may know there is a day in December when the sun reaches the lowest point in the southern sky. That day is around 25 Dec, also known as the Winter Solstice.   

From the perspective of people living in the northern hemisphere (like people in Europe), the sun is farthest away. But on that day, the Winter Solstice, the sun begins its move and return northwards again.

So, from the view of the Romans, it is as if the sun has gone away, to the farthest point it can go, and hooray! It is coming back again! 

So 25 December was originally set aside to honour and worship the sun, the return of the sun, the birthday of the sun god.

Sometime in the fourth century, the Roman Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity. The whole Roman Empire became Christian. 

The festival to the sun god became a festival to the Sun of Righteousness, Jesus Christ. In the year 336 AD, the festival of 25 December became officially a Christian festival, a celebration of the birth of Jesus, Christmas.

The festival spread around the world with the Christian faith, and Christmas has been celebrated around the globe since. 

The coming back of the sun at Winter Solstice is appropriate for the coming of the Sun or the Son, at Christmas. 

LIGHT AND LIFE

Now let us look at Malachi 4.2 where we find the title “The sun of righteousness”: 

“But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall.” Malachi 4.2

As we sing in the carol: “Hail, the Sun of Righteousness/ Light and life to all he brings…”

From the sun, we receive both light and life. The sun gives light, and it gives life. No one questions the importance of the sun to our universe and to our existence. 

All life forms, both human and animal, trace their survival to plant life. Everything we eat is traced to some animal or plant. Since animal life is dependent on plant life, all we eat traces back to plant life. 

In fact, there is only one thing we eat that is not traceable to plant life. Can you guess what it is? Salt.

Salt is the only thing we can eat if there is no plant life. But I am sure you do not want to eat salt alone,you want it with something else. 

Now, plant life depends on the sun. It is by photosynthesis that plants absorb sunlight and grow. It is by photosynthesis that the oxygen we breathe is replaced in the atmosphere. 

Take away the sun, and all plant life is finished. All animal life is finished. All human life is finished. 

When we take away the sun, we take away not only light, we take away life. There is no life apart from the sun. 

So the world without Christmas, the birth of Jesus, would be like the world without the sun–no light, no life. That is why the carol says, “Light and life to all he brings.” That is why Jesus is called the Sun of Righteousness.  

When Jesus came into the world, he made these claims of himself: 

“I am the light of the world.” John 8.12

“I am the resurrection and the life.” John 11.25

GIVING LIGHT

“I am the light of the world.” Jesus did not say, I bring light to the world. Or, I bring enlightenment to people. He said, “I am the light.” That is quite a claim!

Let us imagine for a moment what is would be like without light. 

Some years ago, I visited an underground cave in Yorkshire in England. Our guide took us deep down into the cave. The path was lit with dim lights so that we could see our way. 

At one point in our tour, he asked us to stand still. Suddenly, he had all the lights in that part of the cave switched off. 

It was a frightening experience. We could not see anything at all. It was pitch dark. We could hear the voices of people, but we could not see their faces. We could not even see our hands in front of our faces.

Then the tour guide had the lights turned on again, and asked us to share how we felt. Many of us shared that we felt uneasy, uncomfortable, and frightened.

Darkness always bring uncertainty, and uncertainty brings fear. Fear brings panic and despair. 

But when light comes, it changes everything. Because we can see, we are no longer uncertain. What looks frightening and eerie no longer scares us. 

In the same way, the birth of Jesus, the celebration of Christmas, brings light. Light brings certainty, dispels fear, inspires hope. 

Before Jesus came, we were not sure what God was like. When Jesus came, it becomes clear what God is like. When we see Jesus, we see God. 

As Jesus demonstrates his love for people, we see that God is loving. As Jesus rebukes the sin of hypocrisy of the religious leaders, we see that God is holy. 

Christmas brings light, because the Sun of Righteousness has come. We can see clearly, we can know for certain, we can walk with confidence. 

GIVING LIFE

The other title of Jesus is “the resurrection and the life.” The carol continues, 

“Mild He lays His Glory by, 
Born that man no more may die; 
Born to raise the sons of earth, 
Born to give them second birth.”

In Malachi 4.2, we have the beautiful picture of young calves which leap out of their stalls that the break of day. 

The Sun of Righteousness rises with healing in its wings. It is a picture of the sun flying in the sky, as if on wings. (The wings probably refer to the sun’s rays.)

Let me go back again to my days in England. Jenny and I were newly married when we left for my studies in Manchester, England. 

We arrived in September for the start of the term. It is probably the worse time of the year to arrive in Manchester. The city is famous, not just for its football clubs, but also for its dreadful rainy weather.

The weather was wet and cold. We were in the season of Autumn with Winter approaching. 

Not only was it cold and wet, the days were getting shorter. By 4 in the afternoon, it was already dark. And 8 in the morning, it was still dark. 

I had sinus problem, and was constantly sneezing and sniffing. We also found that such weather affected our mood and temperament. We became withdrawn, and introverted. We were sick as well as homesick. 

Even the trees look terrible, with all the leaves fallen off, standing bare and lifeless against the bleak and barren landscape. 

Our friends who had been there a little longer told us not to worry. Just wait it out. Spring would come, and we would feel differently. 

Sure enough, I remember the first sign of Spring. 

The daffodils along the sides of the road started to spring up, bright yellow flowers on tall stalks. By April or so, we saw the sun coming out, earlier, and going down, later. 

What glorious sunshine! Not only did we feel warmer, everything looks brighter. What a difference the sun makes!

The sun brings not only light, it brings life. Leaves came back to the trees. Flowers bloom everywhere. My sinus problem went away with the warmth of sunshine. 

Likewise, the Sun of Righteousness, Jesus, came and gave life. He was born into a world cursed by pain and suffering and death. All these happened because of the sin of humankind. 

When Jesus came to earth, he came like the sun, to change all that. He brought healing, for the body as well as for the soul. 

During his ministry on earth, he healed many people. But he dealt not only with the sickness of the body, he also addressed the sickness of the soul. He dealt with the root cause of all suffering and death, namely, sin. 

He went on the cross and by his death and resurrection, defeated death. That is why He was able to declare to the people, 

“I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” John 10.10

The rising of the sun is a befitting image of the coming of Jesus. The sunrise is always a welcome spectacle. It means the night is over. Another day has dawned. 

Light has come to dispel darkness. Life has come to defeat death.

It is hard to imagine what the world would be like if the sun fails to rise. 

Each morning as we see the sun in the sky, by its light, as we feel its warmth, as we draw upon its life, may it remind us of Jesus, the Sun of Righteousness, coming to us, bring light and life. 

“Hail the Heav’n born Prince of Peace, Hail the Son of Righteousness
Light and life to all He brings, Ris’n with healing in His wings….”

CONCLUSION

So, in three familiar carols we have been singing for about 300 years, we have three timeless truths: the Curse, the Coming, and the Healing.

The Curse
The Coming
The Healing

When we think about these three timeless truths, they make up the Big Story behind every story we know. 

Do you realise that every great story we know, whether in book or on screen, as a novel or a movie, they follow the same plot?

There is a problem, a big problem, a big problem seemingly insolvable, unsurmountable. 

Then comes the turning point, help arrives, the hero appears, and everything is turned around.

From there the story moves to a close: light takes over darkness, life returns, and the story ends.

Christmas is the Big Story that encompasses all the small stories we know. It begins with the Curse, it climaxes with the Coming, and it moves into the Healing. 

We are all part of the story. Where are you in the story? Have you acknowledged you have sinned and are a part of the curse? 

Not standing apart from it, looking from the outside—but under the curse, calling out for help and deliverance?

Have you welcomed the Coming of Jesus, the Christ-child born at Christmas, God come in human flesh? 

Have you experienced the healing he brings, as the Sun, bringing light and life? 

The Christmas Story comes in three timeless truths: the Curse, the Coming and the Healing. 

Our prayer is that all of us will confess our sins that brought about the curse, open our hearts to God as he comes to us as Jesus, and experience the healing and salvation he offers to us. Amen.

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This is Part 3 of the series. Catch up on Parts 1 and 2 below.
Part 1 | Part 2