Singing in the Darkness

Dennis Tuuri

Outline: Singing in the Darkness Luke’s Four Christmas Songs Introduction – Christmas songs Psalm 98 A Psalm. Section 1- God’s New Gospel to Israel (earth) 1 Oh, sing to the Lord a new song! For He has done marvelous things; His right hand and His holy arm have gained Him the victory. 2 The Lord has made known His salvation; His righteousness He has revealed in the sight of the nations. [Nations] 3 He has remembered His mercy and His faithfulness to the house of Israel ; [ Israel ] All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. [ Israel ] Section Two - Call For Praise 4 Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth ; Break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises. 5 Sing to the Lord with the harp, With the harp and the sound of a psalm, 6 With trumpets and the sound of a horn; Shout joyfully before the Lord, the King. Section 3 - God’s New Gospel to the Nations 7 Let the sea roar, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell in it; [ Nations] 8 Let the rivers clap their hands; [ Nations] Let the hills be joyful together before the Lord, [ Israel ] 9 For He is coming to judge the earth [ Israel ] . With righteousness He shall judge the world [ Nations], and the peoples with equity. Magnificat Luke 1:46-55 46b “My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. 48 For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed. 49 For He who is mighty has done great things for me, And holy is His name. 50 And His mercy is on those who fear Him From generation to generation. 51 He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. 52 He has put down the mighty from their thrones, And exalted the lowly. 53 He has filled the hungry with good things, And the rich He has sent away empty. 54 He has helped His servant Israel , In remembrance of His mercy, 55 As He spoke to our fathers, To Abraham and to his seed forever.” Benedictus Luke 1:68-79 68 “ Blessed is the Lord God of Israel , For He has visited and redeemed His people, 69 And has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David, 70 As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets, who have been since the world began, 71 That we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us, 72 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers And to remember His holy covenant, 73 The oath which He swore to our father Abraham: 74 To grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve Him without fear, 75 In holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life. 76 “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest; For you will go before the face of the Lord To prepare His ways, 77 To give knowledge of salvation to His people By the remission of their sins, 78 Through the tender mercy of our God, With which the Dayspring from on high has visited us; 79 To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, To guide our feet into the way of peace.” Gloria in Excelsis, Luke 2:14 14 “ Glory to God in the highest, And on earth Peace, goodwill toward men!” Nunc Dimitis, Luke 2:29-32 29 “Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, According to Your word; 30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation 31 Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, 32 A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel .”