Draw near to God and He will draw near to you (James 4:8a)
(Sorry this didn’t go out, yesterday! There was a technical/operator issue!)
Merry Christmas! Today is the day when believers everywhere pause to honor the Baby in the manger. Amidst the hustle and the bustle of gifts and parties, ugly sweaters, and white elephants, pause. Come, all ye faithful followers. Let us join with the faithful worshipers at that holy manger.
Today’s hymn harkens back to the 18th century and a music businessman named John Francis Wade. By the presentation of the words, the presumed message bearer in this song was a shepherd, an angel, or a wise man. This messenger had seen, first-hand, what the Lord had done and wanted others to see, as well!
There are several phrases in this hymn that stand out to me.
O come all ye faithful
While yesterday’s hymn was a request for Jesus to come save the waiting world, these words call all who worship God to come and meet His Son.
Joyful and triumphant
I love this reminder that God’s people can be joyful amidst every circumstance. Additionally, because of God’s power within us, we can walk in victory!
O come ye, o come ye to Bethlehem
This call to come is spoken not once, but twice. This increases its impact and its urgency. It called the people of old to Bethlehem, and it calls us back to the manger.
Come and behold Him
There are two important parts to this invitation. Come. Intentionally move from where you are to where He is. But here is my favorite part: Come AND! Come, and behold Him. To behold something is to stop and pay attention, to look at it with awestruck wonder. This should be the position of our hearts as we approach that manger this Christmas season.
O come, let us adore Him
Here, we see another two-part command. Come to the manger, AND when you get there, adore Him. To adore someone means to love, respect, and honor them. In this case, it even means to worship Him!
Sing choirs of angels
Sing in exultation
O sing all ye citizens
Of heaven above
Here, we see another call to the faithful; this time, to the angels. This invitation calls them to sing and adore the Christ Child. I love how it addresses ALL the inhabitants of heaven. Jesus deserves the praise and worship of every living being. I especially like this section of the hymn because I can see and hear the angels, in all their glory, proclaiming the praises of this holy Babe.
Yeah, Lord, we greet Thee
Born this happy morning
Jesus to Thee be all glory
Word of the Father
Now in flesh appearing
This final section is a bold proclamation of the truth of the birth of Christ, the fulfillment of all that had been spoken about Him for hundreds of years. Yes, Lord, we see you. We recognize your holy, supernatural birth. We celebrate this history-making day. We know that the Word was made flesh and delivered to the waiting world. We give you all the glory, honor, and power forever. Amen!
I do not own the rights to this song or this recording, but please give it a listen with these new thoughts in mind.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vqpuD6LTr8 O Come All Ye Faithful (Alison Krauss)