 On
Christmas Eve 1818, the German carol "Stille Nacht!
Heilige Nacht!" was sung for the very first time in
St. Nikolaus Church in the tiny village of Oberndorf,
eight miles north of Salzburg, Austria. The
popularity of "Silent Night" can almost be termed
miraculous. There was no celebrity to sing at the
world premiere and no mass-communication system to
spread the song's fame. Yet its composer reported
that the "simple composition... instantly met with
approval." It has since gone on to become one of the
world's most beloved carols.
We may never know the exact
circumstances, but before that Christmas Eve
service, the young priest Joseph Mohr asked organist
Franz Gruber to compose a tune to accompany his
lyrics, a poem Mohr had written two years earlier.
Around 1819, an organ builder from Fugen, named Carl
Maraucher, heard about the carol when he was in
Oberndorf. He liked the carol so much that he
brought "Silent Night!" back with him to his home
town, and from there it spread all over the world,
reaching American shores for the first time in 1839,
when the Rainer singers from Austria performed it in
New York City. It's powerful message of heavenly
peace has crossed all borders and language barriers,
having been translated into over 300 languages. Now,
nearly 200 years later, "Silent Night!" is an anchor
for Christmas celebrations throughout the world.
Three of the six verses of
the carol appear on this tract and reflect Joseph
Mohr's spiritual joy. Oh, that the real meaning of
Christmas would grip us this season as it did him!
As you consider the angel's
proclamation: "For unto you is born this day in the
city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord"
(Luke 2:11), remember that these words are for you,
just as much as they were for the shepherds who
first heard them. Jesus' birth in Bethlehem on that
silent night signaled the beginning of His earthly
mission to save us from our sins. This mission
included His sacrificial death on the cross, His
glorious resurrection on Easter morning, and His
ascension into heaven forty days later to reign as
the eternal King of Kings and Lord of Lords. And the
reason for His coming to earth? Love. He loved us
that much! "For God so loved the world, that he gave
his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in
him should not perish, but have everlasting life"
(John 3:16).
If you do not know the
peace of a personal relationship with the One whom
"Silent Night!" praises, the Christ of Christmas,
you can open your heart right now, wherever you are,
and experience that peace firsthand. Simply pray,
"Dear Jesus, I understand and believe that You came
to earth, died on the cross, and rose again, all out
of love for me. Please forgive my sins, take control
of my life, and be my Savior forever." That decision
will make this Christmas one you'll never forget.
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!
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!
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! |
