The Light of Light Descendeth

December is here, and the signs of Christmas are popping up all over—outdoor lights, holiday music at the store, and Christmas cards now beginning to arrive in the mail.  ’Tis the season!

During Advent I love to revisit classic, even ancient, Christmas music.  Like “Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence.” This ponderous fourth century carol portrays the incarna­tion from heaven’s point of view:  the Son of God departs from heavenly majesty, plunging down, down, down into our lost world.  Verse three imagines the myriads of angels watching in wonder as it all unfolds:

Rank on rank the host of heaven; Spreads its vanguard on the way,

As the Light of light descendeth; From the realms of endless day,

That the powers of hell may vanish; As the darkness clears away.

Just think:  for ten million ages in glory they’d stood and sung and flown in awe of the eternally supreme Son of God.  But now all is changed:  the angels witness his descent—a grave humilia­tion—into lowly birth and toward a despicable cross.  It’s breath­taking.  Just consider the lengths to which God goes in order to remove sin’s affront to his glory and to rescue a ruined people!

The seraphim (Isa 6:2-3) and cherubim (Gen 3:24) cover their faces in astonishment at God’s staggering, self-giving love:

At His feet the six wingèd seraph; Cherubim with sleepless eye,

Veil their faces to the presence; As with ceaseless voice they cry:

Alleluia, Alleluia; Alleluia, Lord Most High!

It’s great to enjoy the light-hearted, festive side of the Christmas season.  But it’s also deeply therapeutic to ponder the gravity of what unfolded with the Messiah’s first Advent!  “O come, let us adore Him”—adore with vigorous praises, and adore in silence:

Let all mortal flesh keep silence; And with fear and trembling stand;

Ponder nothing earthly minded; For with blessing in His hand,

Christ our God to earth descendeth; Our full homage to demand.