You might be thinking, “Wow, what kind of question is that from a music teacher?” Well, it’s a question meant to make us think through what role music actually plays in our celebration of Christmas each year and whether it’s also important to God.
What would the Christmas season be like without music?
Imagine that it’s December…I mean, it actually is, so that shouldn’t be too hard! But now, imagine that you take away all of the music of Christmas. No “Silent Night”, “O Holy Night” or “Jingle Bells”. No Christmas cantatas, carols at church, children dressed in their best and singing in Sunday School Christmas Programs or music playing in the background while you gather with friends and family.
Would that feel different to you? Would it feel…wrong? It definitely would to me! Personally, the Christmas season just wouldn’t feel like Christmas without any of the carols or even the fun songs.
Pastor Travis Smith from Hillsdale Baptist Church in Tampa, Florida said, “It’s amazing how the birth of Christ has inspired, truly, the greatest music in the world.” I would agree with that sentiment, especially when you include such great works as Handel’s Messiah! Also, the hymns of Christmas are the only subset of hymns with their own category name – carols.
Is music important in the account of Jesus’ birth in the Bible?
You say, “yes, music is sure nice to have at Christmas…but is it biblical?” So glad you asked!
There are three instances in the Christmas story that people/angels were speaking and seem to have broken into song because they just couldn’t contain the joy they had about the promise that was being fulfilled right in front of their eyes. Let’s talk about these passages…
Mary – Luke 1:39-55
In this passage, Mary goes to visit her cousin Elizabeth just after finding out that she was to be the mother of the Promised One and that Elizabeth was also expecting a miraculous baby. In verse 46, Mary starts speaking but the style indicates that this was more of a song than a monologue. She expresses her humble and joyful response to being chosen by God for this special task.
God often chooses us to do tasks that seem overwhelming and even insurmountable. His plans for our lives may even “interrupt” our plans. However, we can humbly accept His purpose for our lives and be joyful that he would even consider using us to be some small part of His grand plan for the ages. What better way to express our submission to His will than through song?
Zacharias – Luke 1:64-79
Once again, Zacharias starts speaking and praising God but the style seems very poetic like a song. He recognizes that the events happening around him were an indication that God had not forgotten His promise but rather that He was in the middle of fulfilling it.
Sometimes in life it may seem like God has forgotten the promises He’s given us. According to our timetable and perspective, it may even be long past “possible” for God to do what He has promised to do. However, He’s never behind or late on fulfilling a promise and what joy it brings when we realize that He’s had a plan to do so all along!
The Angels and Shepherds – Luke 2:8-20
Shortly after Jesus’ birth, as we know the story, an angel appeared to shepherds who were in the fields with their sheep. After the angel shared the amazing good news that a Saviour had been born, a “multitude of the heavenly host” joined in to praise and glorify God. There’s much debate about this passage as many Christmas songs indicate that the angels sang, while the Bible only states that they were “praising God and saying”. However, the fact it states both “saying” and “praising God” as two separate actions makes me think that there was singing involved as well as speaking.
Later in the passage it recalls the shepherds returning after visiting Jesus as a baby and states that the shepherds were “glorifying and praising God” for everything they had seen and heard. Once again, I have a hard time believing that they could keep themselves from bursting into song as they realized just what a joyous occasion this was!
Do we praise God and share with others what He has done in our lives? After pondering on the depths of the Christmas story, how can we keep this good news inside or just speak about it? We should be bursting to sing of God’s goodness to and love for us evidenced in so many ways, but most importantly, by sending His Son to this earth as a babe in a manger!
One more thought…
Did you ever think about how many psalms there would be about Christmas if David and the other psalmists had lived during or shortly after the life of Christ? They wrote about EVERYTHING in their lives…and used music to express their feelings and emotions. Also, they prophesied about the coming Messiah and I can’t help but think that had they lived after His birth that they would have written a myriad of songs celebrating this joyful event!
How will you include music in your celebration of Christmas this year?
After pondering these thoughts, how will you intentionally include music in your celebration of Christ’s birth this year? I’d love to hear from you about all of the ways you incorporate music in your family’s traditions.
One new tradition you can start is to give your child the gift of being able to create Christmas music by next Christmas! With our colour-coded piano books and our online video course, (including animated stories!), and some consistent practising, by this time next year, your child could easily be playing Christmas songs and adding their own touch to your Christmas festivities! We’d love to help you reach this goal over the next year!