The First Noel

I’m a preacher’s kid.  Sometimes during the Christmas season, my dad would let the congregation pick a few songs to sing.  There were always lots of hands in the air.   So in order to leave time for the sermon, we would just sing the first verse or two of the song.  Your might have experienced something different, but most of us only know the first verse or two of Christmas carols.  By the third or fourth verse, it’s vaguely familiar.  And you are pretty sure there is no fifth or sixth verse of ­any Christmas carol.

I bet you all can sing the first verse of the First Noel without even thinking about the words.  “…the angels did say…”  It’s a song about angels and shepards (verse 1), and the star (verse 2), and the wise men (verse 3), and seeing Bethlehem (verse 4), and seeing the babe (verse 5).  It’s all about observing the different facets of Christmas.  And you might not know all the words, but you are nodding right along – like I was!

 Until verse six – BANG!  The punch!  The whole point of Christmas:

Then let us all with one accord

Sing praises to our heavenly Lord,

That hath made heaven and earth of nought,

And with his blood mankind has bought.

Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel

Born is the King of Israel.

It’s about atonement – it’s about forgiveness – it’s about sacrifice – it’s about a gift beyond calculation.  It’s about God breaking into our world to provide a path back to His holiness.

The First Noel – the first Christmas – the greatest gift the world has ever seen – sleeping in a manger.

Born is the King.