For Sunday school at Saucon Bible Fellowship Church this month, we have been doing what's called hymnology for particular Christmas hymns. Hymnology is the scholarly study of religious hymns and songs, and I found it to be quite interesting because I love history and I'm a nerd at heart. My goal for this post is to examine the origin, historical significance, and Scripture behind
Silent Night.
I'm currently sitting with my feet propped up on a coffee table and listening to my new favorite recording of the hymn by
The Glass Child, who is a Swedish musician now residing in Bristol, in order to get in the right mindset for typing these words. The simplicity within the recording, along with the power of her vocals give me chills almost every time I listen to it, especially on the line, "Son of God, love's pure light." It's as if she is bringing the majesty of that moment to life out of the silence of that night so long ago.
Silent Night, or
Stille Nacht,
actually dates back to 1816. It was originally written in German by Joseph Mohr in 1816, but the music composition by Franz Gruber didn't develop until 1818. It was first sung at the 1818 Christmas Eve service in Oberndorf, Austria. It's popularity soon spread with the help of traveling musicians, being published as a hymn in 1838, and being translated into the English language in 1863. It has since become a Christmas staple for people around the world.
A surreal moment in history where
Silent Night stands out took place during The Great War, specifically in 1914. It was a war that many thought would be over by Christmas, but alas, both sides were still heavily entrenched on the Western Front come Christmas eve of that year. Remarkably, on that evening, it is said that the Germans began lighting candles and make-shift tannenbaums while singing a stirring rendition of
Stille Nacht. The British couldn't believe their eyes and ears, but soon both sides were singing, each in his own language. A truce was suggested, and leaders from both sides entered no-man's-land to shake hands. For that Christmas, enemies became friends, sharing pictures and gifts. Time was set aside for a soccer match, but more importantly, to bury the dead. Though it only lasted for that day, it's considered a miracle that such a truce was even possible during such a fiercely fought war. I would definitely recommend that you all watch the French film,
Joyeux Noël, which depicts that miracle from 98 years ago and the moving rendition of
Silent Night that took place that night.
Now I think it's time to begin a methodical dissection of the lyrics and the powerful meaning behind these carefully crafted words. The first verse goes as follows:
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
This verse mentions key points, such as the mother being a virgin and her child being a Holy infant. This clearly points to
Luke 2:6-7, which states, "
And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn." Earlier in
Luke 1:26-38, it is revealed that Mary is with child, even though she's a virgin, because she was blessed by the Holy Spirit to conceive the Savior of the world. Not only was this a miracle, but it fulfilled the prophecy revealed in
Isaiah 7:14 that said, "
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel."
Verse two continues with the following:
Silent night, holy night
Shepherds quake at the sight
Glories stream from heaven afar
Heavenly hosts sing Hallelujah
Christ, the Savior is born
Christ, the Savior is born
Immediately, I take note of the fact that the shepherds were uneasy about what had been revealed to them from heaven. This imagery lines up perfectly with what is written in Luke 2:8-9, which reveals that, "And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear." The angel does reassure the shepherds to not be afraid and that they come bearing good news from heaven about a Savior being born in a manger. The angel and heavenly hosts were extremely exuberant, which is outlined in Luke 2:13-14 ~ "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 among those with whom he is pleased!'"
The third and final verse goes as follows:
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
When analyzing this verse, one must first turn to John 1:9, which says, "The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world." This statement was describing Jesus as the true light, much like the "love's pure light" from the verse. Continuing through the verse, the "dawn of redeeming grace" clearly points to the words within Romans 3:24 that say, "And are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." The light of the world is also our great Redeemer; through Him our grace is found. One must also not forget that Jesus was the Lord upon birth, which is depicted in Luke 2:11 ~ "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord."
In light of the link to Scripture, we should remember that God fulfilled His promises to the people of Israel on that silent night with the birth of Jesus in that lowly manger. God blessed us with His Son in order to save us. Upon the birth of Jesus, the world was blessed with a Lord, Savior, and Redeemer. The words of this simple hymn really drive this point home, and it is my hope that more people will examine the powerful meaning behind the lyrics as they sing them. They tell part of the most important and lifesaving story that exists.
This Christmas, be in the mindset of Relient K. In their song,
I Celebrate the Day, they ponder the true meaning behind the birth of Jesus. They question whether He felt the impact from His own birth into this fallen world. It's profound that they say the following:
And the first time
That You opened Your eyes did You realize that You would be my Savior?
And the first breath that left Your lips
Did You know that it would change this world forever?
Even more profound is how the song ends with these lyrics:
And I, I celebrate the day
That You were born to die
So I could one day pray for You to save my life
During Christmastime, instead of dwelling on the stress of shopping, writing cards, baking cookies, and trying to make plans to visit friends and family, focus on the magnificent miracle of the birth of Jesus. Celebrate His coming into the world in a humble manner so that He could be your Lord and Savior. Without Jesus as our Redeemer, we have no hope of eternal life. Christmas is a time to celebrate the great impact of Jesus on that silent night over 2000 years ago. Take the time to concentrate on that fact the next time you listen to a rendition of Silent Night.
Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!
Resources:
Origins of Silent Night
The Center for Church Music, Songs, and Hymns
The Truce of Christmas, 1914 by Thomas Vinciguerra
