The Christology in Christmas Carols

Featured below is a compendium of some of my favorite lyrics from various Christmas carols.  One could actually build a strong, biblically solid doctrine of Christ (Christology) just from reading this assortment of stanzas.  (This should come as no surprise to us since the theology underlying these classic hymns was derived directly from holy Scripture.)  It is interesting how, when we isolate the words of a song from its well-known melody, we can often discover (or rediscover) profound theological truths that tend to get lost in or obfuscated by the musical accompaniment that has become overly familiar to us.  That being the case, I challenge you to try your hardest not to sing these lyrics or to hum the melodies traditionally associated with them.  Instead, carefully read and ponder the words as you would if you were reading the Bible — just don’t consider them equal to Scripture, because their authors were not divinely inspired in the way the biblical authors were. 

I hope this will be a blessing to you as you contemplate the true meaning of Christmas and the Messiah’s glorious Incarnation (i.e., the act/event in which God the Son became fully human while never ceasing to be fully God).  Bear in mind that the only reason we can rejoice and celebrate Jesus’ First Advent (i.e., His first coming or arrival to Earth in the flesh) is because of Jesus’ bodily resurrection and the divine guarantee of His Second Advent.  Yes, Christ will come to Earth again; and the next time He does, He will judge and reign over the entire universe as King of kings and Lord of lords forevermore and will put all wrongs to right.  That is the promise of Christmas for all who trust Him as Savior and Lord. 

 The question is, do you?

[Note:  Emmanuel/Immanuel is an important title of Christ that means “God with us.”]

O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear

O come, Thou Rod of Jesse
Free Thine own from Satan’s tyranny
From depths of hell, Thy people save
And give them victory o’er the grave

O come, Thou Day-Spring
Come and cheer our spirits by Thine Advent here
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death’s dark shadows put to flight

O come, Thou Key of David
Come and open wide our heavenly home
Make safe the way that leads on high
And close the path to misery

O come, O come, Thou Lord of might
Who to Thy tribes on Sinai’s height
In ancient times did’st give the Law
In cloud and majesty and awe

O come, Desire of nations
Bind all peoples in one heart and mind
Bid envy, strife, and quarrels cease
Fill all the world with heaven’s peace

Rejoice!  Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel 

[Author:  Translated from a 12th-century Latin hymn into English by John M. Neale, 1851, and Henry S. Coffin, 1916]

Let all mortal flesh keep silence
And with fear and trembling stand
Ponder nothing earthly-minded
For with blessing in His hand
Christ, our God, to earth descendeth
Our full homage to demand

King of kings, yet born of Mary
As of old on earth, He stood
Lord of lords in human vesture
In the body and the blood
He will give to all the faithful
His own self for heavenly food

Rank on rank, the host of heaven
Spreads its vanguard on the way
As the Light of light descendeth
From the realms of endless day
That the powers of hell may vanish
As the darkness clears away

At His feet, the six-winged seraph
Cherubim with sleepless eye
Veil their faces to the presence
As with ceaseless voice, they cry:
“Alleluia!  Alleluia!  Alleluia, Lord Most High!”

[Author:  Liturgy of St. James]

Come, Thou long expected Jesus
Born to set Thy people free
From our fears and sins, release us
Let us find our rest in Thee

Israel’s strength and consolation
Hope of all the earth, Thou art
Dear Desire of every nation
Joy of every longing heart 

Born Thy people to deliver
Born a Child and yet a King
Born to reign in us forever
Now Thy gracious kingdom bring

By Thine own eternal Spirit
Rule in all our hearts alone
By Thine all-sufficient merit
Raise us to Thy glorious throne

[Author:  Charles Wesley]

Gentlemen, let nothing you dismay
Remember Christ, our Savior, was born on Christmas Day
To save us all from Satan’s power
When we were gone astray

From God, our Heavenly Father, a blessed angel came
And unto certain shepherds brought tidings of the same
How that in Bethlehem was born the Son of God by name

“Fear not,” then said the angel, “Let nothing you afright; this day is born a Savior of a pure virgin bright to free all those who trust in Him from Satan’s power and might!”

Now to the Lord sing praises, all you within this place
And with true love and charity, each other now embrace
This holy tide of Christmas doth bring redeeming grace!

O tidings of comfort and joy!
Comfort and joy!

[Author:  Unknown; 18th-century English carol]

[First Advent]

Angels from the realms of glory
Wing your flight o’er all the earth
Ye who sang creation’s story
Now proclaim Messiah’s birth

Shepherds in the field abiding
Watching o’er your flocks by night
God with us is now residing
Yonder shines the infant Light

Sages, leave your contemplations
Brighter visions beam afar
Seek the great Desire of Nations
Ye have seen His natal star

Saints before the altar bending
Watching long in hope and fear
Suddenly, the Lord descending
In His temple shall appear

Come and worship!
Come and worship Christ, the newborn King!

[Second Advent]

Though an infant now we view Him
He shall fill His Father’s throne
Gather all the nations to Him
Every knee shall then bow down

Come and worship!
Come and worship Christ, the newborn King!

[Author:  James Montgomery (stanzas 1–4, 1816; stanza 5 attributed to The Christmas Box, 1825)]

O Come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant!
Come and behold Him
Born the King of angels

God of God
Light from Light eternal
Lo, He abhors not the virgin’s womb
Very God
Begotten, not created

Lo!  Star-led chieftans
Magi, Christ adoring, offer Him frankincense, gold, and myrrh
We to the Christ Child bring our hearts’ oblations

Child, for us sinners, poor and in the manger
We would embrace Thee with love and awe
Who would not love Thee, loving us so dearly?

Sing, choirs of angels!
Sing in exultation!
Sing, all ye citizens of heaven above, “Glory to God!  All glory in the highest!”

All hail!
Lord, we greet Thee
Born this happy morning
O, Jesus, forevermore be Thy name adored
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing!

O come, let us adore Him!
Christ, the Lord!

[Author:  John Francis Wade, ca. 1743; translated into English by Frederick Oakley, et al., 1841]

Silent night
Holy night
All is calm
All is bright ’round yon virgin mother and Child
Holy infant, so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace

Shepherds quake at the sight
Glories stream from heaven afar
Heavenly hosts sing, “Alleluia!  Christ the Savior is born!”

Son of God
Love’s pure Light
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace
Jesus, Lord at Thy birth!

Wondrous star, lend they light
With the angels, let us sing, “Alleluia to our King!”

[Author:  Joseph Mohr, 1816; translated into English by John Freeman Young, et al., 1863]  

Hark!
The herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King!  Peace on earth and mercy mild; God and sinners reconciled!”

Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Son of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings
Risen with healing in His wings

Mild, He lays His glory by
Born that man no more may die
Born to raise the sons of earth
Born to give them second birth

Christ, by highest heaven adored
Christ, the everlasting Lord!
Late in time, behold Him come
Offspring of a virgin’s womb

Veiled in flesh, the Godhead see
Hail the incarnate Deity!
Pleased as man with man to dwell
Jesus, our Immanuel

Come, Desire of Nations, come
Fix in us Thy humble home
Rise, the woman’s Conquering Seed
Bruise in us the serpent’s head

Now display Thy saving power
Ruined nature now restore
Now in mystic union
Join Thine to ours, and ours to Thine

Adam’s likeness, Lord, efface
Stamp Thy Image in its place!
Second Adam from above
Reinstate us in Thy love

Let us, Thee, though lost, regain
Thee, the Life, the inner man
O, to all, Thyself impart
Formed in each believing heart

[Author:  Charles Wesley, 1739]
[Selected verses later amended slightly by George Whitefield, et al., 1753]

How silently, how silently the wondrous gift is given
So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of His heaven
No ear may hear His coming
But in this world of sin 
Where meek souls will receive Him still
The dear Christ enters in

O, holy Child of Bethlehem
Descend to us, we pray
Cast out our sin and enter in
Be born in us today!

We hear the Christmas angels
The great glad tidings tell
O, come to us
Abide with us
Our Lord, Immanuel

[Author:  Phillips Brooks, 1868] 

Born a King on Bethlehem’s plain
Gold I bring to crown Him again
King forever, ceasing never
Over us all to reign

Frankincense to offer have I
Incense owns a Deity nigh
Prayer and praising
All men raising
Worship Him, God Most High

Myrrh is mine, its bitter perfume
Breathes a life of gathering gloom
Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying
Sealed in the stone-cold tomb

Glorious, now behold Him arise!
King and God and Sacrifice
“Alleluia!  Alleluia!”
Earth, to heaven, replies

[Author:  Rev. John Henry Hopkins, Jr., 1857]

Thou didst leave Thy throne and kingly crown
When Thou camest to earth for me
But in Bethlehem’s home was there found no room
For Thy holy Nativity

O, come to my heart, Lord Jesus
There is room in my heart for Thee

Heaven’s arches rang when the angels sang
Proclaiming Thy royal degree
But of lowly birth didst Thou come to earth
And in great humility

The foxes found rest, and the birds their nest
In the shade of the forest tree
But Thy couch was the sod, O Thou Son of God
In the deserts of Galilee

Thou camest, O Lord, with the living Word
That should set Thy people free
But with mocking scorn and crown of thorn
They bore Thee to Calvary

When the heavens shall ring and her choirs shall sing
At Thy coming to victory
Let Thy voice call me home, saying, “Yet there is room; there is room at My side for thee.”

My heart shall rejoice, Lord Jesus
When Thou comest and callest for me

O, come to my heart, Lord Jesus
There is room in my heart for Thee

[Author:  Emily Elizabeth Steele Elliott, 1864]

Then let us all with one accord
Sing praises to our heavenly Lord
That hath made heaven and earth of nought
And with His blood, mankind has bought

[Author:  Unknown; 19th-century English carol]

Joy to the world!  The Lord is come
Let Earth receive her King
Let every heart prepare Him room
And heaven and nature sing!

Joy to the earth!  The Savior reigns!
Let all their songs employ
While fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains
Repeat the sounding joy

No more let sins and sorrows grow
Nor thorns infest the ground
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the Curse is found

He rules the world with truth and grace
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness and wonders of His love!

[Author:  Isaac Watts, 1719]

O holy night!
The stars are brightly shining
It is the night of our dear Savior’s birth

Long lay the world in sin and error
Pining, till He appeared and the soul felt its worth!

A thrill of hope
The weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn

Fall on your knees! 
O hear the angel voices
O night divine,
O night when Christ was born!

The King of kings lay thus in lowly manger
In all our trials, born to be our Friend
He knows our needs
To our weakness is no stranger

Behold your King!
Before Him, lowly bend
Behold your King!
Before Him, lowly bend

Truly He taught us to love one another
His law is love and His gospel is peace 
Chains shall He break, for the slave is our brother
And in His name, all oppression shall cease!

Sweet hymns of joy, in grateful chorus raise we
With all our hearts, we praise His holy name!

Christ is the Lord!
O, praise His name forever!
His power and glory evermore proclaim!
His power and glory evermore proclaim!

[Author:  Placide Cappeau, 1847; translated into English by John Sullivan Dwight, 1855]