O Come All Ye Faithful

First Published December 21, 2011

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;

O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.
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One of the most beloved Christmas carols is “O Come All Ye Faithful.” The Latin lyrics “Adeste Fideles,” are attributed to John F. Wade, and the English translation is by Frederick Oakeley. I’ve sung those words many times, yet I still wonder what they may have really meant. How does this carol written almost 700 years ago continue to have an impact on us today?
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God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
I Corinthians 1:9
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I believe that the first phrase reflects a loud proclaimed invitation to focus your spiritual journey on the wondrous birth of Jesus Christ. This is opened to “All Ye Faithful.” Does this refer to all who are in Christ? Or perhaps, is this arms-opened invite for everyone who seeks to trust God’s own faithfulness? I think the latter gives mankind hope through God’s kept his promise of redemption through the birth of his Son.

Next, the verse tells of our attitude. We are “joyful and triumphant” [!!!] We are then urged to remember that the earthly beginnings of Jesus were real. Bethlehem is a real place, but Jesus is of royal lineage. He was “born the King of angels.” Then a simple reiterated command shapes the rest of the verse. “O come, let us adore Him.”

If you are drawn to read more verses, consider the Center for Church Music, http://songsandhymns.org/hymns/detail/o-come-all-ye-faithful.

This Christmas season; let’s remember God’s faithfulness to us and to respond to the celebration of his Son’s birth with our own faithfulness in Him.
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O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.

Copyright 2011 Karen Vaughn