Christmas Songs

I like Christmas. And Easter. But it is Christmas now so that is what I’m thinking about. The carols and hymns of Christmas thrill me to my core. The melodies uplift—and the lyrics! O the truth wrapped in a simple Christmas tune. Take one of my favorites What Child is This? that we sang Sonday.

Nails, spear shall pierce Him through,
The cross be borne for me, for you
Hail, hail the Word made flesh
The Babe, the Son of Mary.”

Or God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen which says

Remember, Christ, our Saviour
Was born on Christmas day
To save us all from Satan's power
When we were gone astray
O tidings of comfort and joy!

(Maybe He wasn't born on Christmas day, December 25, but that doesn't really matter does it?  All that matters is that He was born.)

Then there's We Three Kings of which we tend only to sing the first and last verses.  But it's the middle ones that are the best.  Each verse describes the gifts brought by the wise men and what the meaning of it was.  Gold for the King, Frankincense for the Deity, Myrrh for the Sacrifice.

And what about this verse, rarely seen, from O Come All Ye Faithful

God of God, Light of Light,
Lo! he abhors not the Virgin’s womb;
Very God, Begotten not created

Christmas songs are more than Frosty the Snowman and Jingle Bells.  Many of the hymns and carols are rich with theological truths about the God who became man to take away the sins of the world.  Add to that the beauty of the meoldies and you have a marvelous mix.

I wish we would sing Christmas songs all year round. I think we often need the reminder of just what we’ve been given. Christmas reminds us that God came to earth. Easter reminds us of the cost paid for our redemption. I need to recall those awesome facts more than just once a year.