Our hymn for Christmas Eve is “Silent Night.”
Verse one: Silent night, holy night! All is calm, all is bright round yon virgin mother and child. Holy Infant, so tender and mild, sleep in heavenly peace, sleep in heavenly peace.
Verse two: Silent night, holy night! Shepherds quake at the sight. Glories stream from heaven afar, heav’nly hosts sing, Alleluia! Christ, the Savior, is born! Christ, the Savior, is born!
Verse three: Silent night, holy night! Son of God, love’s pure light radiant beams from thy holy face with the dawn of redeeming grace, Jesus, Lord, at thy birth, Jesus, Lord, at thy birth.
Silent night. It is late in the evening. The little town of Bethlehem is settled down for the night. The sheep are sleeping. The shepherds are dozing.
Silent night. It is late in the evening. Everyone is exhausted. It’s been another stress-filled day. Parents working long hours. The long drive home. Making dinner. Chasing to practices. Doing homework. Finally, everyone is in bed sleeping soundly.
Silent night. It is late in the evening. The house is finally quiet after all the arguing. Parents fighting. Kids screaming. Baby crying. The dog howling. Everyone is in bed, but no one is sleeping. They’re all too upset with each other.
Silent night. It is late in the evening. The house has been quiet for a while. Everyone is in their individual rooms, playing on their phones, ignoring all their family members. They’re too self-absorbed and indifferent to show love and care for the others in the household.
Insert your own silent night. The silence of depression. Or heartache. Or mourning. Or fear.
The silent night sickens you when all you can hear is your own voice. Or tears.
The long silent night was broken in the beginning when the Father spoke the universe into existence with his Word. Millennia later that Word was made flesh in the holy infant so tender and mild.
One dark, silent night God stepped into our darkness. The Word had not only been spoken but was now made flesh.
Holy night. “This is how God’s love for us was revealed: God has sent his only-begotten Son into the world so that we may live through him” (1 John 4:9). Holiness sent to earth to make us holy through the only-begotten Son.
“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light. For those living in the land of the shadow of death, the light has dawned” (Isaiah 9:2). The dark night was illuminated by the glory of the Lord that shone around the angels. The silent night was broken by the song of the angelic multitude, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward mankind” (Luke 2:14).
Holy night. The holy Son of God entered our world. Despite your exhaustion, there is excitement to welcome the Christ into your home.
Because of your anger, the holy Christ entered our world to receive all the anger, shouting, and yelling upon himself. Then he could return peace on earth and good will toward mankind.
Because of your indifference, the holy Christ was not indifferent. He stepped into this cold, uncaring world to demonstrate the warmth of his divine love. “If we love one another, God remains in us and his love has been brought to its goal in us” (1 John 4:12).
All is calm. The Word was spoken. God has come. So there’s nothing to worry about. God’s silence is filled with his pronounced promises through Christ. Our black night has been filled with the glory of the Lord in our midst here in Word and Sacrament, prayer and hymn. Our poverty has been replaced with the inheritance won by the faithful Son of God. Our sin, shame and striving are exchanged for forgiveness, honor and rest in Christ.
All is bright. Enlightened by the Word, we see clearly now. Your night may seem darker than ever. But as our candles shine brighter tonight in the darkness of the church, so the Light of the Christ shines brighter in your darkness. “The real light that shines on everyone was coming into the world” (John 1:9).
Sleep in heavenly peace. Christ has come. Your sins are subtracted. Your flaws are forgiven. Your guilt is gone. Christ is the connection between heaven and earth. He is the reconciliation between Creator and creation. Rest because all is calm. Rest because Christ stilled the hand of death and crushed the devil. His eternal victory is yours. Rest because all is bright.
Sleep in heavenly peace.