Christmas Hymns, theology so simple even your kids can understand it!

I love Christmas music! Not so much on "We wish you a merry Christmas" or "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas," etc... but rather the real songs like "Hark the Herald Angels Sing." These beautiful hymns not only are pretty to listen to, but they teach true and accurate theology. I'd like to take the lyrics of a few of my favorite songs and show you the beauty.

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!

Refrain: O come, let us adore Him; O come, let us adore Him; O come, let us adore Him, Christ, the Lord!

Sing, choirs of angels; sing in exultation; sing, all ye citizens of heav'n above! Glory to God, all glory in the highest![Refrain]

Yea, Lord, we greet Thee, born this happy morning; Jesus, to Thee be all glory giv'n! Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing!

These words are so simple, yet they pack such a powerful punch with the truth. Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing. How can we not bow down and worship our Lord and Savior at that thought?

Angels From The Realms Of Glory

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.

Refrain: Come and worship, come and worship, Worship Christ, the newborn King.

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.

Sinners, wrung with true repentance, Doomed for guilt to endless pains, Justice now revokes the sentence, Mercy calls you; break your chains.

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:

All creation, join in praising God, the Father, Spirit, Son, Evermore your voices raising To th’eternal Three in One.

This song teaches us about God residing with us through Jesus Christ. It speaks on the return of Christ in glory and all nations bowing down to Him. Finally it teaches us about what it'll be like in eternity with Christ in the New Heaven. Take a moment and let these lyrics soak, meditate on these truths.

Joy To The World

Joy to the world, the Lord has come Let earth receive her King Let every heart prepare Him room And heaven and nature sing, and heaven and nature sing And heaven, and heaven and nature sing Joy to the world, the Savior reigns Let men their songs employ While fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains Repeat the sounding joy, repeat the sounding joy Repeat, 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, far as the curse is found Far as, 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, and wonders of His love And wonders, wonders of His love

If you hear this song on the radio, a lot of times you'll only hear verses 1, 2 and 4, which means verse 3 might seem a little strange. It almost seems out of place. I mean, why on Earth would we want to talk about thorns and sin in a song that's all about joy? Isn't worship all about good things and feeling good? While most of the lyrics of this song are very joyous, I want you to really consider how big of a deal it is that the curse of sin will be broken in the end through Jesus.

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!"

This is my favorite Christmas song of all time! The line of "God and sinners reconciled..." brings me to tears and in times of sin will bring me to repentance. This is a true song of triumph and it teaches us what's going on in God's plan for salvation. Christ was born of a virgin, this we know to be true. Christ is God incarnate, veiled in flesh the Godhead see. It pleased Christ to dwell with man to seek and save that which is lost. He deliberately laid His glory down to redeem us from the pit of hell. Our enemies are defeated through the arrival, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we have victory!

This, my friends, is exactly what Christmas is all about.