Gloria in Excelsis - The Song of the Angels

My heart is steadfast, O God. My heart is steadfast. I will sing and I will make music (Psalm 57:7). Amen.

It was a quiet, idyllic evening outside of Bethlehem. Shepherds were gently caring for their sheep. The bright stars were twinkling in the dark sky.

Ugh. I don't think so. That's the way our Christmas cards portray the scene. But let's set aside our western sentimentality and romanticism to paint the real scene for first century shepherds in Palestine.

Shepherds were among the lowest of the social classes. They didn't own the flocks. The owners were asleep in their comfortable Bethlehem beds. Shepherds were minimum wage earners. Their work kept them continually dirty and smelly. That's because they were continually in contact with dirty and smelly sheep. They had to deal with wounds, injuries, insects, predators, and manure. Their work made shepherds perpetually ceremonially unclean. So, they were treated as outsiders.

Shepherds were also considered dishonest. There was the ongoing temptation for shepherds to make a little more money on the side. For the shepherds to tell the owners that a sheep had been lost, stolen or eaten. Then to sell the wool or the sheep. So, it was forbidden to buy wool, milk or a lamb from a shepherd on the assumption that this was stolen property. Shepherds had a reputation – either deserved or undeserved – of being dishonest. They were on the lowest rung of society – along with tax collectors and prostitutes.

The birth announcement of the Son of God doesn't come to kings or queens, emperors or high priests. The proclamation of the Savior of the world doesn't come to the religious, political or social elite. This announcement comes to lowly shepherds out in their fields at night. This is a proclamation that is given to the lowest of society. It's meant for people like us!

The announcement of the arrival of the Good Shepherd is first given to shepherds. The proclamation of the Lamb of God is heard first by literal little lambs. The King of all creation comes among the lowliest of all creation – shepherds and sheep.

This was no ordinary birth, because this was no ordinary baby. He was certainly a very real baby – a crying, hungry baby that wanted his mother's milk and later needed his diaper changed. This was no ordinary baby because he was at the same time Mary's Son and God's Son. He was God incarnate – divinity wrapped in humanity. He is God in the flesh, the Savior, Christ the Lord, who was born to live perfectly, die innocently, and rise gloriously to remove sin from everyone – from Bethlehem shepherds to Roman emperors.

From the millions of the angelic host, one angel is given the unique privilege in history to make an announcement to humanity. "Do not be afraid. For behold, I bring you good news of great joy, which will be for all people: Today in the town of David, a Savior was born for you. He is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger" (Luke 2:10-12).

This angel had every right to say, "Listen up, you bums! If only you had been better and done better, God wouldn't have had to do such a drastic thing. He has given his only begotten Son to you, gift-wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a feeding trough for cattle. You'd better appreciate it!" The angel had every right to say that … but he didn't.

Instead, he announced the gospel – the good news – of the long-awaited Savior first promised to Adam and Eve, then to Abraham and Sarah, then to King David and later to King Ahaz. The fulfillment of that promise was here. This is a message of joy – not happiness. There's a difference. Happiness is based on inner feelings and our response to outward actions. Happiness is a temporary, external feeling. Joy is a deeper, lasting state of contentment that is unaffected by feelings or circumstances.

This good news is meant for all people. We know from experience how vicious middle school, high school, college, and the military can be. Girls can be mean, spiteful, and exclusive. Guys can be combative and hurtful when they're attempting to be humorous. It's hard to fit in. It can feel like nobody wants you in their little friend group. It can be lonely when you're excluded from the cool kids' table.

The message of the Savior is for all people – the rich and powerful, the lowly and poor, the cool kids and jocks, the nerds and geeks, the extroverts, introverts, and outcasts.

The angel gives directions to the shepherds on how to find this newborn Christ and Lord. This baby will be found in Bethlehem, the town of David. He'll be lying in a manger, because there was no room for the holy family in the Bethlehem inn. He'll be wrapped in swaddling cloths, kept warm and snuggly.

"Suddenly, there was with the angel a multitude from the heavenly army, praising God" (Luke 2:13). After thousands of years of waiting, "suddenly" the wait for the Messiah is over. After the angel Gabriel announced to Mary and then to Joseph about the birth of the Christ, suddenly he's here. After announcing that the shepherds didn't need to be afraid of this lone angel, suddenly the sky above the Bethlehem pastures explodes with glory from a multitude of God's heavenly army. God had chosen his best angelic messenger to appear to the shepherds. Then he chose his best singers to be in the angelic choir. They belted out, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward mankind" (Luke 2:14).

This song in Latin is Gloria in Excelsis, meaning "Glory in the highest." We sing this song on Sunday mornings after the confession and absolution. We confess our sins to God, then we hear the pastor announce that our sins have been forgiven by the atoning sacrifice of Jesus the Christ. This announcement of Jesus' forgiveness establishes peace in our hearts, that then produces praise on our lips.

We join with those in the worship service, as well as the heavenly choir of saints and angels, to praise our Triune God. Just as the angels praised Jesus at his birth, so we praise Jesus as the Son of God, the Good Shepherd who laid down his life for his sheep, and the Lamb of God who shed his blood on the altar of the cross. Martin Luther said of the Gloria in Excelsis that we sing in worship, "It did not grow, nor was it made, but it came from heaven."

Gloria in Excelsis. Glory to God in the highest. Glory to the God who is on high, exalted above the world, the ruler over all that exists. Glory to the God who gives his greatest gift of his Son to an undeserving world. Glory to the God who places himself under his own law to save his lawless children. Glory to the God who will one day endure his own wrath to rescue his rebellious children from God's righteous wrath. Glory to the God whom the universe cannot contain, yet he had contained himself within the womb of Mary for nine months. Glory to the God who left his eternal seat on his golden throne, surrounded by saints and angels to born in time and laid in a manger surrounded by Saint Mary and Saint Joseph.

"On earth peace, good will toward mankind." This is a world in desperate need of peace. The past few days are evidence of this. Islamic terrorists killed 15 people at a Hanukkah Festival in Australia. Two people were murdered and nine more injured at a mass shooting at Brown University. Princess Bride director, Rob Reiner and his wife were stabbed to death in their home, apparently by their son.

Jesus comes to bring peace. It is a peace that the world cannot bring. His peace stops this kind of violence when hearts are converted by the Holy Spirit. This is a peace of sins forgiven, heaven won, and reconciliation with the glorious Triune God. Peace enjoyed in this world wherever the Spirit teaches hearts to trust the Father's goodwill revealed in the person of Mary's Son.

Is it any wonder such a large delegation of heaven's army would join this Christmas choir? Is it any wonder as Christmas 2025 dawns – with all this year's perplexing problems – that this message of glory to God and peace on earth still needs to be sounded to comfort our own hearts? It is any wonder that the rest of this weary world needs to hear and sing the Gloria in Excelsis? God's goodwill through this infant is an invitation that was first given to shepherds. That means this announcement is meant for everyone.

Remember, this was a one-time performance by the angelic choir. The angel army has no second concert planned.

Instead, God has called his baptized saints to be his new heralds. We Lutherans are especially called to sing. We'll be singing nine hymns on Christmas Eve and five more hymns on Christmas Day. We sing the Gloria in Excelsis in our Sunday morning liturgies. We saintly singers are privileged to repeat the refrain again and again, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward mankind." Amen.

Be exalted above the heavens, O God. Let your glory be over all the earth (Psalm 57:11)