Let us turn to the account of the birth of the Lord Jesus in our Bibles by turning to Luke chapter 2. And let us read the first 20 verses of Luke chapter 2. And it came to pass in those days that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria, and all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee out of the city of Nazareth into Judea unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was that while they were there the days were accomplished that she should be delivered And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you. ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, 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, goodwill toward men. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem. and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us." And they came with haste, and found Mary and Joseph and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them thus far. The text for this morning's sermon is taken from the passage that we have read together, Luke chapter 2 and then verse 13 and 14. Luke 2, the verses 13 and 14, where we hear the heavenly 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, goodwill toward men. This morning, dear congregation, we are invited to listen to a choir singing. Are you coming? After all, it is special to listen to choirs singing, to hear the voices of old and to hear the voices of young singing. that's special, especially if the Lord is there and the Lord's praises are sung. Are you coming? I know it's a strange place to hear a choir in the fields outside of Bethlehem. And I know it seems like a strange time to gather to listen to this choir in the middle of the night, but you see, it's not just any choir that's singing. It's the heavenly choir singing. Come. And let us pray that the song will begin to live in our hearts by the power of the Holy Spirit and that we might also join in with that song. So let us listen this Christmas morning to the heavenly chorus at Christ's birth. That's what you can write over this sermon. The heavenly chorus at Christ's birth. We'll see first of all the singers and we'll hear secondly the song. The heavenly chorus at Christ's birth. We'll see first of all the singers and secondly we'll hear their song. The singers. Of course, there are more than singers there in the fields of Ephrata. There is an audience. Yes, it's a small audience compared to the multitude of the heavenly hosts. We meet a small audience. A small group of shepherds are there in the dark. Before the night came and they laid their sheep down to rest, surely these shepherds did not expect to hear this heavenly chorus that night. But that's not what they were looking for. They were on their watch for thieves, for wild animals that would come and harm their sheep. But they were not expecting what happened when suddenly and unexpectedly an angel of the Lord stood by them. But there are more than these shepherds there. There's more than this lone angel there. There's also the Sovereign is there. The Lord Himself is present in those fields. That's what we read in verse 9. And the glory of the Lord shone round about them. Now that's something. Now that is something. When you are in church and you realize it's not just the minister that's here and it's not just people that are here, but the Lord is here. And now the Lord was special. It was present in a special way in those fields outside of Bethlehem. And no wonder these shepherds became afraid, for they were in the presence of God. And when heaven comes down, then earth has reason to fear. And Hebrews 12 says that that's what should mark us too. When we come before the Lord, we must come with reverence and godly fear. But now, what can we say of these singers? Well, there are several things that we can say of these singers. For one thing, then, let us say what they are, that they are singers. This is not the first time that they are singing. This is not the first time that the heavenly choir joins together in singing. They have sung before. When do we hear them singing, then? We hear them singing at creation. And that's fitting, isn't it? After all, God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was good, and it was very good. No wonder they sang as Job. 38 verse 8 says, When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy, they sang. They sang at creation. They sang in heaven. That's what Isaiah heard when He had a vision of the Lord in heaven in Isaiah 6. And he saw something of the majesty of the Lord high and lifted up. And his train filled the temple. And then he heard these angels whom he saw covering their faces and their feet and singing, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty. They are singers. And from the songs that they sing, you can tell that they are taken up with the Lord and with His work, with His work in creation, with the attributes of God, His holiness. And don't you think they also sing when a sinner is converted? For what is displayed then? God's grace. After all, Luke 15 tells us, and the Lord Jesus tells the parables, The angels rejoice when one sinner repenteth. What songs they sing, songs about the Lord and songs about His attributes and songs about His glory. Then you realize when you listen to just a few songs that we've heard now from the Scriptures that they do sing different songs than the world does. They're taken up with quite a magnificent theme compared to the world. They are singers. The second thing that we can say about them is that they are servants. They are servants. That's how Psalm 103 describes them as those who hearken to the voice of His Word And that's also clear from that passage that I referred to, Isaiah 6. After all, boys and girls, they were told in Isaiah 6 that these angels have six wings. With two they cover their faces. After all, they're in the presence of God, and so impressed are they with the holiness of God that these sinless angels, yet they're sinless angels, they've never done anything of which they need to be ashamed, but they're sinless and yet so impressed with His glory that they cover their faces. And with two other wings, they cover their feet. And you know why? And boys and girls, do you know why? Why do these angels cover their feet with those wings, those two wings? Sometimes, maybe, boys and girls, you are so eager to do something that you do it before you're supposed to do it. And these angels, they keep their feet in check so that they never go before they are sent. And then they have a third set of wings. And with those sets of wings, they are flying, Isaiah sees. That means that they're always ready to go. That as soon as the Lord says, go, they go. They don't first just Take some time to think about it. No, they're his servants, you see. And when the king commands and calls, they go. So that lone angel was ready to go when the finger of the father pointed at him and told him to go to the fields of Ephratah with the message he had given him. And when the other angels are sent to go to sing, then they go. They are servants. That's a fitting description of them. And does that not put us to shame? And there are those who are put to shame. For you've learned with the Apostle Paul that the good that I would I don't do. How poor of a servant I am to the Lord. That's what I desire to be, but yet compared to these angels, how slow I am, how stubborn I can be. A reason to pray that petition then, isn't it? Lord, help me Thy will to do as willingly and faithfully as the angels do in heaven. They're singers, they're servants, and thirdly, they're students. Students. That's what Peter writes in 1 Peter 1 verse 12, that they're students of salvation. He tells us that these angels desire to look into these things. And that's why also the cherubim were formed that they were over the mercy seat on the ark. And it's the picture of the angels trying to peer into that mercy seat. How can God dwell with sinners? They don't get it. For they know what has happened in the fall into sin. And they know what has happened when their fellow angels fell into sin. And to their fellow angels that fell into sin, there is no mercy for them. But to man, God shows mercy. How can that be? And so these angels study, and they study. How can this be? They're students. Are you a student? What is it that you study? you study, the subjects may be of folly and of sin that the angels, if they were to see what it is that you study and what you like to look at, that they would blush. Or are you indeed a student of this salvation, and that's why you take up your Bible, and that's why you pray over your Bible, and that's why you pray unto me, O Lord Jehovah, show thy ways and teach thou me, so that by thy Spirit guided clearly I thy paths may see. They're students. And then there's a fourth thing that we must say of them yet. Not only are they singers, not only are they servants, not only are they students, but they're also soldiers. That's what these shepherds see when they look over this choir. They see a multitude of the heavenly host. That's a word that's used for an army. And what is it that we see when we look with the shepherds? Then we see a multitude of a heavenly army made up of heavenly soldiers. And we meet them in other places as soldiers, don't we? We meet them as having swords. We meet them on the edge of the Garden of Eden, two cherubim standing with flaming swords. And we see that one angel during the tenth plague in Egypt going through Egypt and slaying the firstborns in the homes which are not covered with blood. And we meet that one angel in Hezekiah's days whose task it was to slay the army of the Assyrians They're soldiers. That's what the Lord Jesus will also say when in the Garden of Gethsemane and then one of his disciples, Peter, takes out his sword and thinks that he'll try to defend the Lord Jesus. Then Jesus tells Peter that he could call down twelve legions of angels who would protect him. Yet they're soldiers. Who then would want to be an enemy? of God, who has this army at His disposal, for you just cannot win against Him. Soldiers, but they're singing. And let's listen to their song. There's our second point. And let's listen to their song. Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace and goodwill toward men. It's quite a song that they sing. And what can we say about this song? Well, for one thing, it's a song of praise. Glory to God in the highest, Why? Why are they praising God? Why now? Well, then you can say that they're praising God because of His perfections, because of God's perfections. These angels are saying something about God. You know, images come to our mind when we think about people. If I were to mention from the pulpit the name of someone that you knew, then an image would come to your mind. Maybe an image of kindness, because that person is marked by kindness. Or maybe the image of bitterness, because the person is so marked by bitterness. Or maybe it's an image of sadness, because the person is so marked by sadness. But an image comes to our mind. And that would be the answer to the question, what do you think of that person? What's he like? Now what would you say? How would you answer that question? What is God? What is He like? John, he tells us in the first epistle that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. But now when we listen to these angels And they say, you want to know what God is like there? You want to know who God is? He is glory! And to an Hebrew listener, that would give quite a picture. For glory literally means weight. It means heavy. In other words, it's a word that we don't use for a nobody. But we use it for a somebody. for someone significant, there is a glory about him. And that's what the Lord would show. Do I need to give an illustration? Well, then let me give the illustration from the days of Solomon when the temple was built and the day of the dedication of the temple arrived. Then what happened? Then the glory of the Lord came. And when the glory of the Lord came down, no one could stay standing. Everyone had to go flat on their faces. So great is He. So glorious is He. And that's what Moses had also wanted to see. That's what he had longed to know, so that he asked, Show me thy glory. And then the Lord also showed him something of his glory, and Moses could hear the glory of the Lord proclaimed. And he heard the Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious and long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands. forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin and that will by no means clear the guilty. And now that's what the angels see too. The glory of God. After all, I said they're students, you see. And they're wondering how now can God deal with sinners in mercy? How is it that He came to Adam and Eve with the promise of mercy? And how can he have dealings with someone like David, such a great sinner, adulterer, murderer? And now they have their answer. The angels have the answer to their question. How can God deal with them in mercy? Because Jesus is born in Bethlehem. And so they praise Him for His perfections. Shall I mention a few of them that shine in this evening in which the Lord Jesus is born? Well, there's the perfection of His mercy. He can show mercy for the sake of that son lying in Bethlehem's manger. His justice shines too. For He said to Moses, I will by no means clear the guilty. And now, how then can He show mercy if His justice is not satisfied? For the sake of His Son lying in Bethlehem manger, there's the perfections of His mercy that glitter in Bethlehem. There's the perfection of His justice that glitters too. There's the perfection of His wisdom that glitters. For the Father is found a way whereby He can be just and the justifier of the ungodly. And so they sing glory to God in the highest. Why? Well, I've said then for one reason, because of the perfections of God. But there's also a second reason. Because of this perfect child. You see, they sing this song of praise to God, not just on any day, but on the day of the birth of the Lord Jesus. I mean, they don't come and stand in fields nearby where we are born. And they don't begin to sing on the day of our birth, glory to God in the highest. Why not? Well, after all, we are sinners. We've lost the image of God, and that's clear from the moment we're conceived and born. that comes out in our actions that we are robbers of God's glory that's what Paul will write in Romans 1 verse 21 they glorified him not as God and he goes on to say professing themselves to be wise they became fools and changed the glory of God into an image made unlikened to corruptible man but when they look in Bethlehem's manger they see the perfect child so different from us, one who will glorify God. He will not miss the mark of God's glory, and he will say it in this high priestly prayer, John 17, verse 4, I have glorified thee on the earth. I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. Glory to God. And this is where the angels begin. This is a priority. This stanza comes first. It doesn't come second. It doesn't come last. It comes first. This has the priority. And I wonder if you've come to see this. You know, Johann Sebastian Bach used to write at the end of all his music the initials SDG. Holy, Deo, Gloria. The glory of God. But you see, when the angels sing, they don't just put some initials on the bottom of their song, some footnote. No, this is what comes first in their song. It's a song of praise. The second thing that we can say about this song is that it sings about peace. It sings about peace. Peace on earth. And then people say, I don't know how you can sing about peace on earth. Just look around the world. So much fighting and there's so much unrest and there's so much war. That's how it also was in the days of the Lord Jesus. Oh, it's true, Caesar Augustus, he was on the throne of Rome and the time was known under Caesar Augustus as a time of peace. Peace treaties have been signed, but it was clear it was a superficial kind of peace. The people of Israel were not happy under the yoke of Rome and Caesar. In fact, they were looking to the Lord Jesus to be their earthly king and to drive these Romans away and to inaugurate an era of peace. But when he did not do that, how frustrated they became. And that's how revolts have come and gone. Wars are continued even to this day. One nation threatens another nation. And the Lord Jesus has promised, and now that will continue until the end of the world. Cain will keep killing. Lamech will keep singing his song of vengeance, boasting to his wives, I have slain a man to my wounding and a young man to my hurt. That's true, it's sad. It's sad that there is so much violence in our world. And it's sad when there's fighting in the church. And it's sad when there's fighting in the home. And it's sad when brothers fight against brothers and sisters against sisters. But that makes us wonder, what actually are these angels singing about? What is this peace they're talking about? Can we know anything of this peace? Well, then the Bible tells us of a place where there was peace. The paradise? There was peace between man and God. There was peace between man and his wife. There was peace between man and the animals. There was peace in the heart. It's sad to say that did not last long. And we rebelled against Adam. We rebelled in Adam when we became enemies of God. And fighting began. And Adam begins to accuse his wife Eve. And Cain puts his brother Abel to death. And that's what happens when you're an enemy of God. Hostility against God means hostility against your neighbor. And maybe that's why you are so filled with enmity also towards a brother, or a sister, or a father, or a mother, or a son, or a daughter. But will that hostility ever stop? Yes. That hostility will come to an end. But it's not something that we can bring in. Christ will bring this peace. But how? Well, look again at the heavenly choir. There are soldiers singing. The idea is they are armed and ready to fight. And that's the picture of the Lord Jesus. He came with a sword. He himself tells us that. Matthew 10, verse 34 and 35. Think not that I am come to send peace on earth. I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. You see, He has come As 1 John 3 verse 8 says, to destroy the works of the devil. Well, that does not happen without a battle. So, he takes the sword. Yes, the devil bruises his heel. The Lord Jesus dies on the cross of Golgotha. But that's also how he crushed the head of the serpent. And that's how a sinner can have peace with God through his death. But then a sinner does need to see his enmity against God. And that's why the Lord Jesus also takes up His sword, and He comes to fight with the sword of His mouth against the sinner, for the sinner will not lay down his weapons on his own. And so the Lord Jesus uses the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. that word which is sharp, quick, powerful than any two-edged sword, piercing even to dividing asunder of every joint and marrow, He uncovers us. That sword begins to sink in to the mind and to the heart. That's what the Lord Jesus does. to bring peace. But the day is coming when those who have remained enemies against Him will perish, and they will perish forever. And those who have come to lay down their weapons of enmity, they will enjoy peace with God, communion with the saints above, That day is coming. Do I need to refer you to some Bible passages? Well, let me refer you then to the prophecy of Isaiah. Isaiah chapter 11, where we get quite a picture. Isaiah 11, verse 6 to 9. Now, I don't have time to stand still by what is said here, but the picture is clear. It's a picture of universal peace. The wolf, also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid, and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them, and the cow and the bear shall feed, their young one shall lie down together, and the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaning child shall put his hand on the cockatrice's den, they shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain." For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea." Universal peace. But then on the new earth, or a few pages earlier in Isaiah chapter 2 verse 4, where it says, And they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks. And nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn any more. And that's why also Psalm 72 sings, Then over mountains, side and plain, shall peace spring forth from righteousness. The poor man's cause will he maintain and save the weak, that none oppress. Peace shall spring forth. But let me say it again, in order for this day of peace to come, Christ takes up the sword. It's what he did in the life of Saul of Tarsus when he struck him down. For Saul would not lay down his weapons of his own. You see, the Lord must break the resistance of the sinner. Has he done that in your life already? Have you lost your sword whereby you fight against God? Have you come to bow before Him? What will He do then with the sinner that bows before Him? Will He come with the sword and pierce him through? No. He takes him to Bethlehem. He takes him to Golgotha. He shows in His blood. And that's how the soul is drawn, in peace, by the love of the Savior. And peace is felt. And what do you desire then? His honor, but also the good of others. And the Lord makes you a peacemaker. That's what the Prince of Peace does. And why would you not give over your weapons today? For peace is possible through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. They sing of praise. The second thing they sing of, peace. And now thirdly, they sing of pleasure. God's good pleasure. A glory to God in the highest, on earth peace, goodwill toward men. I know, when the world listens to this part of the song, they twist it all again, just like they twist the one before it, Peace on Earth, and they look for this earthly peace, and they think that presidents and prime ministers can bring this about, or without realizing that the problem is deeper, and that man is an enemy of God, and he needs peace with God. They also twist this last part of the song. They think that hereby the angels are calling people to just live toward each other in kindness and show goodwill toward each other as that one man experienced when he went to the store but he forgot his wallet and then realized that at the checkout he was about to set his groceries back when a woman in another aisle said, here, I'll pay for you. And when he asked, how can I repay you? Then she simply said, well, have a happy Christmas. Indeed, that was a kind act. But is that what the angels are singing about? Are they singing about the goodwill of men? Men do not have a goodwill anymore. If men had a goodwill, then Christ did not need to be born. Man's will is not good, no, not since the fall into sin. And that's also what Paul says in Romans 3, there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Have you ever felt that even when you would do something good, the motives are wrong, the motives are twisted? So that Paul says, the good that I would, I do not, but the evil that I would, not that I do. But then, congregation, it is encouraging, isn't it? That the angels are not singing about our goodwill, but they're singing of the goodwill of God. Not that He will save everyone, but He will save some. Why? Well, because of His good pleasure. That's also how you can translate this word. His good pleasure toward men. I'd make it very simple. They're singing of the electing love of the Father, whereby He has chosen to save someone to everlasting life. Yet that's His good pleasure. And the Lord Jesus will also later on speak of it in his prayer to his Father in Matthew 11 verse 26 when he says, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight. Or as Paul says in Ephesians 1 verse 9 to 11, having made known unto us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself. You see, in His good pleasure He has chosen to save someone to everlasting life. That's why Jesus is born. That's why Jesus is sent into this world. For will those elect be saved? then they need someone to live their life over again, and they need someone to die for their sins. Why did He send His Son then? Because of His good pleasure. He took reasons out of Himself. It's an encouraging word, isn't it? That God is an electing God? that there is this sovereign decree of election to save sinners? Encouraging. Or someone says, but is it not discouraging? My friends, it would be discouraging if salvation depended on your efforts to save yourself. If it depended upon your good will toward men. If it depended upon your improving yourself. If it depended on you bending your own stubborn will. But you see, salvation does not depend on you. It depends on God. And that's encouraging, isn't it? That you who have realized that there is no good in me, and that nothing ever good will come from me, and when you see that you must be saved, but how that you can go to the Lord and cast yourself upon His mercy, can't you? For your will is not good, and your heart is so hard, and you cannot improve yourself. But then the Bible says it's not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy. And then can you not with your hard heart cast yourself upon this God that showeth mercy? And it's His pleasure to do it. It's quite an encouraging word, don't you think? But it says good pleasure toward men. It's an encouraging word for any who have a human nature, body and soul. For those angels who have fallen into sin, who have rebelled against God, for them there is no possibility to be saved, but for men there is. It's an encouraging word, don't you think, for the shepherds? But it says, men. It doesn't say good pleasure towards qualified men, towards good men, towards contrite men, but goodwill toward men, toward sinners. And then the chief of sinners qualifies, doesn't he? It's an encouraging word, don't you think? Because it doesn't say, good will toward man, as if God would only save one man. For then you would say, that cannot be from me. But it says it in plural, good will toward men. And do you see how much room there is by the Lord Jesus? It's an encouraging word, don't you think? Someone says, but isn't election an obstacle? The shepherds don't find it an obstacle. They don't say, Now that the angels are in heaven, now we must first know whether we are elect before we go. They don't try to find out if their names are written in the book of life before they go to the manger. No. You see, they've heard about the birth of Jesus. And then they do not first look for some qualifications in themselves. They do not look for some worthiness in themselves. This teaching of God's electing love is no hindrance to them. You know who it's a hindrance for? It's a hindrance to those who don't want to go on their knees. It's a hindrance for those who don't want to admit their unworthiness, who don't want to admit their guilt, who are so proud that they think they can do without the Lord Jesus, or who think that they can bring something to the Lord Jesus. To them it's a hindrance, to those who are proud. But to those who say, I'm a sinner. I'm a great sinner, and it's this Jesus that I need. This is an encouraging word. After all, there's plenty of room by the manger in Bethlehem, and no one who comes to that manger is turned away. Why would He then not save you? So the angels stop singing. They return to heaven. To do what? Could it be to watch the shepherds go to Bethlehem? And as they're watching them going and coming with haste, that they rejoice in heaven and they sing in heaven. that fly to Jesus? And don't you think that they hear also a song in the heart of the shepherds? What song is in the heart of the shepherds? Don't you think it's this one? God be merciful to me. On thy grace I rest my pleats. Foul I to the manger fly. Wash me, Savior, else I die. Amen.