Gloria in Excelsis Deo!

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased!” Thus sang the multitude of the heavenly host who appeared to the shepherds on the occasion of our Lord's birth. “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” Thus said John the Baptist when our Lord came to him at the Jordan River. These exclamations are indeed fitting for the glory and splendor of the Lord of Hosts, who comes in glory.

God is indeed seated in glory upon the throne of heaven, encircled by the angels and archangels and all the company of heaven. It is He who is and who was and who is to come, the First and the Last. He is worthy of our praise, worship, glory, and thanksgiving, for He has done marvelous things. After all, it is the Lord of Hosts who created heaven and earth and all that is in them. It is He who created you and me, and every living thing. It is He who keeps the heavenly bodies in their proper motions, and keeps the earth spinning aright.

But you despise that fact. You would rather not acknowledge God as Lord. Left alone, you hardly would acknowledge God as God at all. Rather, you want to be your own author and perfector. You want to run your own life. You would much prefer to do things your own chosen ways, which probably would not often intersect with the choices of others, but probably often clash. You might remember the old song, “Anything you can do, I can do better.” That is how you, as natural man, live your lives – always trying to best the other guy, and trying your darnedest to thumb your nose at God. It is not hard to find people nowadays who do not deny God, but simply do not care. After all, I can do it myself. The Lord of Hosts is in competition with a crop of stubborn three-year-olds.

And because of your stubborn stiff-necked-ness, you run yourselves into a maelstrom of problems. Sex without love begets babies without parents. Work without purpose begets money without plans. Stuff without use begets hoarding without thought. Relations without foundation beget pain without gain. Death without life begets life without hope. Kyrie Eleison!

But in the midst of the swirling clouds of doom and despair, what is there? “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” Into the midst of a people wracked with fear and pain and death, the spotless Lamb of God, Christ Jesus your Savior breaks. Into your sorry, wretched existence in a world of sorry, wretched people “the only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ” enters and redeems you.

Jesus Christ, the Righteous One, comes from heaven and takes on your human flesh and blood. He lays aside the glory of his Godhead and takes up the Cross. In His broken flesh upon the Cross, though, the glory of God is revealed to all. The Son of God is crucified for sinful men. The perfect Lamb of God is sacrificed for imperfect sheep. In His death, Christ Jesus destroys death and the power of Satan. All the hurt, the grief, the despair, the captivity is undone in that moment. The gates of hell are shattered, and the ransomed souls are freed to eternal life. Your sins are forgiven.

So therefore we sing “Glory to God on high; and on earth peace, goodwill toward men” God has glorified His Son through the all-availing sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross. He has given peace on earth and shown His goodwill toward men. His peace is secured by the Cross, and guaranteed by Christ's glorious resurrection. His peace is poured across your lips and drunk down your throat.

Our song is not forever “Lord, have mercy!” No! Our song is “O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, that takest away the sin of the world, have mercy upon us.” We confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean, but we believe that “Thou shalt come... to save Thy people and bless Thine heritage.” But we do not simply wish and want for the salvation of mankind. It has been accomplished in Christ, and is secured forevermore. His flesh given to us puts that salvation on your tongues. His blood poured out for you quenches the hellfire within and gives life to once-dead man.

For all this, you are called to hallow the Name of God. And how do you hallow God's name? By proclaiming His wondrous Word of Life and living according to it. “Help us to do this, dear Father in heaven!” And in your lives, lived according to the Word of God, you make the angels' song your own, and you sing “We praise Thee, we bless Thee, we worship Thee, we glorify Thee, we give thanks to Thee for Thy great glory!” For His glory has been revealed to us in that He has mercy on us.

For Thou only art holy;

Thou only art the Lord.

Thou only, O Christ with the Holy Ghost,

Art most high in the glory of God the Father. Amen.