As you celebrate Christmas this year, realize that you are in fact participating in the “Christ Festival.” When you break the word Christmas in two parts, you get “Christ” and “mas”, which forms the word “mass” (a festival or celebration).

As you know, each year the world leads us further and further away from having a true Christ festival. Though exchanging presents between one another is appropriate, we must really discipline ourselves to have a sincere Christ festival. A fun and very practical way we can do that is to study the Christmas carols we always sing just a bit more closely.

Most of the original Christmas carols focus on the birth and purpose of Christ. The original intent of the carols was to help Christians celebrate during their Christ festival. This was a time where all the attention was on Jesus and His miraculous conception, birth, death, resurrection, and lordship. Unfortunately, most of us are unaware of the powerful Christ messages buried in most of the popular carols. I’d like to share a few of those with you so that you can celebrate this year’s Christ festival with a renewed joy, purpose, and thanksgiving. As you read through the lyrics, get beyond your familiarity with the carols so that you can truly see what they’re saying.

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing (verse 1) Hark! the herald angels sing Glory to the new-born King! Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled!

In this carol, the angels are celebrating the new King Who will leave (has left) His peace on earth (John 14:27), and will reconcile (has reconciled) God and sinners (2 Corinthians 5:16-21). This means that Christ will make a way for God and us to fellowship again as if Adam had never sinned, and as if we had never been separated from God. No longer will God hold our trespasses against us. Instead, He’ll offer His forgiveness and mercy to us…forever!

Silent Night (verse 3) Silent night, holy night, 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.

The night Christ was born, He – at that moment – was the Son of God made flesh (John 1:14). He was the epitome of love and was pure through and through. He was the one who would redeem us from our sin and lowly state (John 3:17). Viz., Christ would restore our honor and worthiness in God’s sight through His death and resurrection. At His birth, Jesus was Lord, and still remains Lord today. Every knee shall bow and every tongue will confess this truth (Philippians 2:9-11).

 

Joy to the Word (verse 3) 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, Far as the curse is found, Far as, far as the curse is found.

This hidden verse speaks directly to Christ redeeming us from the curse of the law. How did He do this? By becoming a curse for us (Galatians 3:13). As the seed of Abraham, we have the God-given and blood-bought right [and responsibility] to live in the blessing instead of the curse (Galatians 3:29). Wherever the curse is found, the blessing from God flows there and is able to destroy it, since the curse is a work of the devil (1 John 3:8). As a result, we are no longer to let sin and sorrow grow around us. Instead, we are to vehemently resist sin (James 4:7), and live in the blessing so that we might be a blessing (Genesis 12:3).

 

We Three Kings of Orient Are (verse 3) Frankincense to offer have I. Incense owns a Deity nigh. Prayer and praising all men raising, Worship Him, God on high.

An offering, prayer, praise, and worship…these are what we should daily bring to our God (Psalm 54:6, 66:20, 100:2). Note: For the record, there were not three oriental kings. The bible states that wise men visited Jesus, not kings (see Matthew 2:1-12).

 

Do You Hear What I Hear? (verse 4) Said the king to the people everywhere, "Listen to what I say! Pray for peace, people, everywhere, Listen to what I say! The Child, the Child sleeping in the night He will bring us goodness and light, He will bring us goodness and light."

Our responsibility to pray for peace is seen in these lyrics, as well as Christ’s ultimate mission: to bring us goodness and light (Psalm 23:6, 27:13, 31:19, 66:16, 116:12, 145:7, John 1:4-9, 2 Peter 1:3). God’s goodness through Jesus Christ is what draws man to repentance (Romans 2:4). Christ brings us goodness, always! (James 1:16-17). Our job is to receive that goodness, always!