Go Tell It on the Mountain

While shepherds kept their watching
Over silent flocks by night,
Behold throughout the heavens,
There shone a holy light:
Go, Tell It On The Mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere;
Go, Tell It On The Mountain
That Jesus Christ is born.

The shepherds feared and trembled
When lo! above the earth
Rang out the angel chorus
That hailed our Saviour's birth:
Go, Tell It On The Mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere;
Go, Tell It On The Mountain
That Jesus Christ is born.

Down in a lowly manger
Our humble Christ was born
And God send us salvation,
That blessed Christmas morn:
Go, Tell It On The Mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere;
Go, Tell It On The Mountain
That Jesus Christ is born.

When I am a seeker,
I seek both night and day;
I seek the Lord to help me,
And He shows me the way:
Go, Tell It On The Mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere;
Go, Tell It On The Mountain
That Jesus Christ is born.

He made me a watchman
Upon the city wall,
And if I am a Christian,
I am the least of all.
Go, Tell It On The Mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere;
Go, Tell It On The Mountain
That Jesus Christ is born.

When we think of the shepherds, I'm sure most of us conjure the image of a docile man carrying a lamb. We picture softness, beauty, gentleness. The shepherds of art throughout history have reflected the words of Jesus, I am the good Shepherd. The good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. But within that same passage we see the shepherd fighting off wolves, using his staff to protect his own. The shepherds were men of strength; protectors, warriors, willing to sacrifice blood and limb to save the wandering sheep.

They were also the lowliest of men. Known for their vulgar, often corrupt ways, these men were seen as the unseemly of society. Thieves and gamblers these men were the social outcasts, looked down upon by the community. They were so despised and untrustworthy that they were even prohibited from bearing witness in court. It was to these shepherds, to these outcasts, to these sinners that God chose to herald His greatest news.

And these tough guys were frightened as the angel appeared. They feared and trembled at the sight of just the one angel. We don't see it recorded, but we can only imagine how much more awe-struck fear came up on them when the chorus broke out. It was in that complete and total terror that these men heard the great news. They stood in awe of the mighty power of God; they stood amazed that the promised Savior had come. And I'm quite certain that they stood amazed that God would choose to tell them. Why would He tell us? they might mutter as they make haste to the manger. Our word isn't even credible enough in court. Who will believe us?

But despite their fear, despite their shock, despite their insecurity, they hightail it out of the fields to go check out what the angels said. They leave their sheep, they leave their livelihood, and scripture says they hurried off to see the Savior Baby. We know this frenzied hurry, the one where you have just found out such amazing news that you cannot wait to tell the world. You got into the school you've been dreaming of, you are pregnant, you've met the most amazing man! You have to tell someone, anyone! Shout it from the rooftops, or a more modern take, post it on Facebook post haste! There is an urgency in us when we have good news; we can't help but take it to the world.

The shepherds did just that. First they go and validate the good news, and Mary is so grateful they did. She treasures their words in her heart. But as soon as they've worshiped the Christ Child, they are in the town square stopping everyone, sharing the good news of their Savior. They tell it on the mountain, over the hills, everywhere. They have just seen angels! And what the angels proclaimed was true! They saw it with their own eyes! The Savior is really here! And He's a baby!

Do you wonder, as I do, if anyone believed them? Do you wonder, as I do, if a queue formed outside of the stables after the shepherds shared their testimony? Do you wonder, as I do, if the shepherds even led some people right to Jesus? Was anyone buying it? Did people come and stare just as they did once Jesus began His ministry? We don't get to know. We don't get to know if the word of the shepherds made any difference. We don't get to know if the people were changed as the shepherds were that night.

Because the shepherds were profoundly changed. The God of the universe had revealed His plans to them, to them, the least of all. God chose to come to the outcast; He chose their rugged, sinful hearts as the first site of transformation and redemption. Jesus, after all, had not come to well, He had come to the sick. I love the last verse of this song; I honestly had never heard the words before tonight, but they are so profoundly humbling and powerful: He made me a watchman upon the city wall, and if I am a Christian, I am the least of all.

If I am a Christian, I am the least of all. If God's good news has fallen upon me and transformed me that can only mean that I am the least of these. Jesus came for the sick, so if I know Him then I must be desperately sick. He came to the harlot and the thief and the tax collector, so I must be counted among them. In order to know the absolute transformational love of the Savior, we must first know the absolute depravity of our own souls. Without the humility of bowing our knees, of admitting our brokenness and sin, we cannot understand why a Savior is necessary. Jesus comes to the shepherds and the prostitutes and the tax collectors because they are painfully aware of how broken they are. It doesn't take any detective work to see it; they know they need a Savior. And thus, the arrival of this Savior is the best news they have ever heard. The weight of their brokenness has ended; it is no longer upon them to try and fix it. Jesus came to do that, and that is the best news they have ever known!

So they go tell it on the mountain that Jesus Christ is born. They tell every person they meet. It's the first thing they blurt out of their mouths at a dinner party, and at the market place, and at the next family gathering. They cannot help but share this incredible news. God sent us salvation that blessed Christmas morn! This our story, this is our good news. It is with fear and with trembling that we go and share of the greatest love our hearts have ever known. It is with certainty that we will be laughed at by some; after all, who are we to speak truth? It is with the unknown outcome of how people will respond--will they brush us off and move on or will they queue up at the manger? We just don't know. But regardless of their response, we must let the good news of great joy that will be for all people pour forth from us. We must because the good news has come to a bunch of lowly shepherds and we are counted among them. He chose us as recipients of His good news. That kind of love and confidence begs us to go. And go we must.