Christmas Meditations: Carols

As I've been thinking about Advent, I've also been thinking about Christmas songs with deeper meaning than those describing the circumstances of Christ's birth--though the story certainly is important and many of those songs are beautiful--or the secular Christmas songs which are fun but completely miss the true meaning of Christmas. I know there are modern Christmas songs which have deep theological meaning and which explore the themes of Christ's incarnation, death, resurrection, and second coming, but I want to just look at some of the traditional Christmas carols.

First, four complete Christmas carols in which the gospel is especially clear.

My favorite Christmas carol, "Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus":

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 for ever, 

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.

I love all of the names for Christ and the allusions to Scripture in "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel":

O come, O come, Emmanuel,

And ransom captive Israel,

That mourns in lonely exile here

Until the Son of God appear. 

Rejoice, rejoice! Emmanuel 

Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, O come, Thou Lord of Might,

Who to Thy tribes, on Sinai’s height,

In ancient times didst give the law, 

In cloud, and majesty, and awe.

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 Dayspring, 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, Thou Wisdom from on high,

And order all things, far and nigh;

To us the path of knowledge show, 

And cause us in her ways to go.

O come, Desire of nations, bind

In one the hearts of all mankind;

Bid Thou our sad divisions cease, 

And be Thyself our King of peace.

This Christmas carol advent shows all of the Scripture references alluded to in "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 newborn King!"

Christ by highest heav'n 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 Emmanuel

Hark! The herald angels sing

"Glory to the newborn King!"

Hail the heav'n-born Prince of Peace!

Hail the Son of Righteousness!

Light and life to all He brings

Ris'n 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

Hark! The herald angels sing

"Glory to the newborn King!"

"Angels from the Realms of Glory":

Angels from the realms of glory

Wing your flight o’er the earth.

Ye who sang creations story

Now proclaim Messiah’s birth. 

Come and worship, come and worship, come and worship,

Worship Christ the newborn King. 

Shepherds in the fields abiding

Watching o’er your flocks by night.

God with man is now residing

Yonder shines the infant light 

Saints before the altar bending,

Watching long in hope and fear.

Suddenly the Lord descending

in His temple shall appear. 

Below are selections from some Christmas carols that emphasize the gospel and Christ's return. I've included just the pertinent parts of the carols here and I've provided links to the complete lyrics.

From "O, Little Town of Bethlehem":

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.

From "O Holy Night":

O holy night! The stars are brightly shining. 

It is the night of the dear Savior's birth. 

Long lay the world in sin and error pining, 

Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.

The King of kings lay thus in lowly manger, 

In all our trials born to be our Friend. 

He knows our need, to our weakness is no stranger. 

Behold your King, before Him lowly bend.

From "Joy to the World":

Joy to the world! The Lord is come. 

Let earth receive her King.

Let every heart prepare Him room, 

And heaven and nature sing.

No more let sins and sorrows grow,

nor thorns infest the ground;

He comes to make His blessing flow

far as the curse is found.

From "Silent Night":

Christ the Savior, is born!

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.

Jesus, Lord, at thy birth.

From "Go, Tell It on the Mountain":

Down in a lowly manger

Our humble Christ was born

And God sent 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.

From "What Child is this?":

Nails, spear shall pierce Him through,

The cross be borne for me, for you.

The King of kings, salvation brings, 

Let loving hearts enthrone Him.

From "We Three Kings":

Myrrh is mine: Its bitter perfume

Breaths 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!

Sounds through the earth and skies.