Silent Night
Read: 1 Timothy 3:14-16 Great . . . we confess, is the mystery of godliness. (v. 16) Of all the Christmas carols ever written, this is one of the best-loved. In the Austrian village of Oberndorf, the assistant priest, Joseph Mohr, had written a beautiful little carol for the Christmas Eve service in 1818. In it, he envisioned the […]
The Holly and the Ivy
Read: Luke 2:22-35 And a sword will pierce through your own soul also. (v. 35) When Joseph and Mary brought Jesus into the temple to fulfill the requirements of the Law, old Simeon was waiting for them. Spirit-directed and Spirit-inspired, Simeon prophesied over the infant. But it was a mixed and somber message. Simeon expressed joy […]
O Come, All Ye Faithful
Read: Titus 2:11-15 . . . the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. (v. 13) This Christmas hymn was originally written in Latin (Adeste Fideles) by an English musician named John F. Wade, who was living in France because of his Roman Catholic faith. It was translated into English by an Anglican priest, […]
God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen
Read: Philippians 4:4-7 The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything. (vv. 5-6) To understand the message of this jaunty old English carol, the most important thing to do is to observe the comma in the title. It’s not “God rest you, merry gentlemen.” It’s “God rest you merry, gentlemen.” The gentlemen—and gentle […]
Good Christian Friends, Rejoice
Read: 1 Corinthians 15:51-57 O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? (v. 55) Here is a joyful invitation to celebrate the good news of the Christmas gospel. “Good Christian Friends, Rejoice” is another of the many hymns we owe to the linguistic and poetic gifts of John Mason Neale, a scholarly Anglican […]
Why I Read Through the Bible Every Year
Are you thinking about reading through the Bible this year? Words of Hope’s reading plan, Read the Bible in a Year, is a daily devotional that will take you through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. Order your copy through Amazon, sign up for our free daily email, or download the Words of Hope app […]
Go, Tell It on the Mountain
Read: Isaiah 40:9-11 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation. (Isa. 52:7) “Go, Tell It on the Mountain” was first printed in a collection of spirituals published in 1907 by John Wesley Work, a professor at […]
We Three Kings
Read: Matthew 2:1-12 And they fell down and worshiped him. (v. 11) The first line of this familiar carol makes three claims about the magi, and of the three only one is certainly true: they were from the Orient. This doesn’t mean they came from China or Japan; the Latin word oriens is literally “the place […]
Let All Mortal Flesh
Read: Isaiah 6:1-6 Let all God’s angels worship him. (Heb. 1:6) With this Christmas hymn we are brought into the worship of the ancient church. “Let All Mortal Flesh” was originally written in Greek and is found in the Liturgy of St. James, which may go all the way back to the early church in […]