When I was a child, I looked forward to Christmas. I have fond memories of my father putting up the Christmas tree and my little sister helping to decorate it. My mother would help or sometimes sit nearby and watch, sipping her chai with a blanket around her because the house felt colder after it snowed. Once my father finished decorating the tree and my sister plugged in the lights, I would get excited to see my mother pull out a few gifts covered in bright-colored wrapping paper and place them under the tree. My eyes would light up with joy when one or two of the gifts would have my name on them. And in the background of all the preparation and celebration, my father continuously played Christmas hymns on his record player. These wonderful moments run through my memory every time I hear or sing these songs, and even though the memories are now bittersweet for me (both of my parents have passed away), the songs still hold a special place in my heart. I loved them when I was a child, and as an adult, I've come to appreciate the depth of theology they hold in each line.
I have so many favorites that I cannot cover them all in this article. Also, our church is presenting a series on Christmas songs during these few weeks, covering details about the history of the songs and the heart of all those involved (lyricists, translators, composers, musicians) who brought them to us as well as the theology each song holds. Below are a few of my favorites:
Angels We Have Heard on High
Angels we have heard on high
Sweetly singing o'er the plains
And the mountains in reply
Echoing their joyous strains
Gloria in excelsis Deo!
Gloria in excelsis Deo!
An Irish Roman Catholic priest named James Chadwick loosely translated this song set to the tune of an old 18th Century French carol. The song depicts the events from Luke 2:8-20 where angels appeared to a group of shepherds and declared the birth of Christ. “Gloria in excelsis Deo!” is Latin for “Glory to God in the highest” (v14 NKJV). Growing up, I enjoyed singing and listening when the congregation hits the song’s melismatic chorus (singing the word “Gloria” over sixteen different notes). It was the only time that an Indian church, with people who mainly spoke Malayalam, sang an English carol with a Latin refrain. It was amazing to witness how God united his people through song.
O Come, All Ye Faithful
O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant!
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem;
Come and behold him
Born the King of Angels:
O come, let us adore Him, (3×)
Christ the Lord.
Though this song is attributed to various authors, the most common is John Francis Wade, an English Catholic exiled to France in the 18th Century. Originally written in Latin, the song’s most common translation is by Frederick Oakeley, an English Roman Catholic priest. The song invites all those who are “faithful, joyful, and triumphant” to come and give adoration to Jesus, “the King of Angels.” Like the song Angels We Have Heard on High, it also has the line “Glory to God, glory in the highest” translated from Latin. The line that elevates my soul is in the 3rd stanza (or 4th, depending on the version). The line “Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing!” is a reference to the beginning of the Gospel of John. Chapter 1 verse 1 states, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Jesus is described as the Word of God, alluding to the fact that all things were created through him (God’s Word uttered in creation), and that Jesus will fulfill the Old Testament laws (God’s Word revealed through the prophets). “Now in flesh appearing” is a direct reference to verse 14, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” Singing that line creates a powerful image of who the baby is, the form he took for us, and what he came to earth to do.
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Hark! The herald-angels sing
"Glory to the newborn king;
Peace on earth and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled"
Joyful all ye nations rise,
Join the triumph of the skies
With the angelic host proclaim
"Christ is born in Bethlehem"
Hark! The herald-angels sing
"Glory to the new-born king"
This is my most favorite Christmas song. It was originally written in the 18th Century by Charles Wesley (brother of John Wesley), and later altered by George Whitefield (one of the founders of the Methodist Movement), then put to music by Felix Mendelssohn (a German composer and musician). The song tells of a chorus of angels singing praise and glory to God at the birth of Christ. Every line is rich with theology. The fourth stanza has the line “Rise, the woman’s conquering seed, Bruise in us the serpent’s head” which refers to the fall of man in Genesis. Adam and Eve sinned against God, and all of humanity suffered because of them. God turns to Satan, who is in the form of a serpent that tempted Eve and says, “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel” (Genesis 3:15 NIV). God shows mercy during his judgment, knowing that his son will be the conquering seed that will bruise both the serpent and the effects of sin (prophecy of Jesus’ final victory over Satan). The rest of the fourth stanza continues with “Adam’s Likeness now efface, Stamp Thine image in its place; Second Adam from above, Reinstate us in Thy Love” which not only refers to what God has promised us in Genesis but also emphasizes what Paul teaches us in Romans Chapter 5. Paul states that just like the sin of Adam resulted in condemnation and death for all people, the righteous act of Jesus resulted in the justification and life for all people. “For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous” (Romans 5.19 NIV). Adam’s sinful nature and its hold on us are erased, and through Christ (second Adam), we are no longer separated from God. Jesus was born to “raise the sons of earth; Born to give them second birth” (end of 3rd stanza). This refers to Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus in John Chapter 3:1-21 about being born again in the spirit (“second birth”) in order to enter the kingdom of God. All of this was God’s plan from the beginning and a fulfilled promise from Genesis. It is no wonder that the song’s first stanza contains “God and sinners reconciled…Joyful all ye nations rise, Join the triumph of the skies; With the angelic host proclaim, ‘Christ is born in Bethlehem.’” The triumph is not only because Christ is born, but that God has fulfilled his promise to a groaning world. Through Jesus, the promised Messiah, the one who will become the sacrificial lamb on the cross and atone for the sins of all people, we will be once again reunited with God. The words of this powerful song beautifully explain the Gospel message.
There are still many more songs on my favorite’s list like God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen, O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, O Holy Night, The First Noel, Thou Didst Leave Thy Throne, etc.This season when these beloved hymns of Christ’s incarnation are played even on secular radio stations, I hope you take the time to reflect on every line and every word, remembering the gift that was given to all of us through the birth of Jesus.