“A Truly Silent Night”
Text: Luke 2:1-20
12-14-2025
Grace, mercy, and peace be unto you from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. While using some humor, I think the kids did a good job helping us reimagine what that first Christmas was really like. With those thoughts in mind, I’d like you to think about the manger scene. Aside from the hay, the animals, the dust, the dirt, and the smells, what would you have heard? Well, if our first hymn is any indication, then it was very quiet there in the stable. In “O Little Town Of Bethlehem” verse 3 says, “How silently, How silently the wondrous gift is given.” And then in the song, “Away In A Manger” the kids sang in verse 2: “The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes, But little Lord Jesus no crying He makes.” At the end of our service, we will be singing “Silent Night.” If you do some checking you’ll find that many of our Christmas hymns and carols depict the stable and the surrounding area of Bethlehem in the same way.
Judging by the lyrics of these Christmas songs it would appear that everything was quiet, calm, and nearly silent on that holy night when Christ was born. Do you buy that? Besides the cattle softly lowing and chewing on some hay, was it truly “silent”? If you can ponder that question without a bunch of nostalgia filling your mind, you’ll quickly see that the answer is a definite “No!” Think about it. The natural response of a baby is to cry when it’s born. And since the Christ Child was fully human—just like you and me—He most certainly cried when He was hungry or when His diaper was wet. Not to ruin your sentimental thoughts about Christmas, but that business about the “little Lord Jesus, no crying He makes” is way off target.
Now I’ll grant you that 2,000 years ago Mary & Joseph didn’t have to listen to the noises of a city like we have today. In rural town like Paullina, usually you won’t hear sirens or gunshots during the night {hopefully.} But in some small towns you can still hear the train going by or a semi-truck down-shifting or a dog barking. Even at our house out in the country we can hear cars and trucks as they travel on the highway a mile away. Bethlehem didn’t have any of that. And yet, with all the extra people who were there because of the census, it was probably not totally quiet and still.
Add to all that what St. Luke tells us about that night. When the angels came to announce the birth of Jesus to the shepherds, they broke the silence of the quiet night air just outside of Bethlehem. You can be sure they didn’t whisper their songs of praise! But maybe all that commotion was just out in the fields where no one else heard it? Possibly, but we know those shepherds didn’t stay put. They went to Bethlehem to find the newborn Christ Child. It’s not a stretch to say that they had to wake a few people up to locate Him. And we know that when they left the stable after seeing Jesus, they were certainly not silent or quiet. They told everyone what they had seen and heard.
So, are all those hymns and songs that I mentioned earlier off base? No, not really. Especially not if you understand the deeper meaning of the word “silent.” If you think only in terms of a lack of noises, then these songs have it all wrong. But if you understand the word in a spiritual sense then that holy night was indeed “silent.” You see, in the Bible, the word silent often conveys the idea of being still—still inside your heart, mind, and soul. All throughout the Old Testament, the word “still” carries with it a sense of calm and peace as God’s people experience His presence. For example, when Israel was being chased by the Egyptian army, they found themselves trapped with their backs up against the Red Sea. They were frantic. But through Moses, God told the people to be still and watch as He did His mighty work to save them. (Exodus 14:13-14) All they had to do was trust in Him. Psalm 46:10 expresses the same thing when the Lord is quoted as saying, “Be still and know that I am God.” That stillness comes from trusting in God. It brings peace to a believer’s heart during times of conflict or struggle.
Admit it, we could all use some more of that silent stillness—during Christmastime and every day of our lives. The devil is shrewd though. At this time of the year, when God wants us to experience the inner peace and joy of that “silent” night, Satan does his level best to steal it away. Our holiday schedules are hectic, to say the least. We have to fight our way through noisy traffic and crowds to buy the gifts that we give, supposedly to celebrate our peace and joy. Sadly, that whole process leaves us with very little stillness in our hearts and minds. The devil likes to frazzle our nerves and increase tensions. Of all the places where we should be able to share God’s greatest gift of stillness within our souls, it ought to be in the warmth and safety of our homes. And yet, that peace and quiet is often shattered with cutting words, short tempers, arguments, and hurt feelings.
God doesn’t want His gift of spiritual stillness to be destroyed. We can regain it if we’ll only take the time to be still before Him. We do that whenever we speak the Confession in the Divine Service as we begin our worship. We regularly pause for a moment of silent reflection, just between us and God. He wants us to be still before Him so that He can restore to us His peace and quiet in our souls through the assurance of the forgiveness of all our sins. And that’s not the only time that you can take advantage of that quiet time here in our services. As you hear God’s Word spoken throughout the service, let it bathe you in His calming voice. As you wait during the Distribution of Holy Communion, take the time to be still and let God calm your soul as you prepare to receive Christ’s body and blood and the assurance of His forgiveness. People may be singing hymns around you, but even so, you can experience His stillness in your soul. And as we receive God’s peace in the Benediction, He wants your heart and mind to feel the calm and stillness that His blessing brings. If you’ll take the time to diligently seek this wondrous gift from God, then you’ll be able to rejoice as you experience the true meaning of our last hymn, “Silent Night.” Even in our noisy, chaotic world, you will be able to experience a truly Silent Night. Not just on Christmas Eve, but every day of the year, knowing that the Prince of Peace has been born to make peace between you and God. May God bless you with His silent stillness in your hearts and minds as you rejoice at our Saviors birth. Amen.
Soli Deo Gloria