Daily Devotion: Oh Come, All Ye Faithful

Bible Reading:  Luke 2:1-14

Key Verse: Verse 11 “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”

Key Words: For unto you is born this day

One of the favorite Christmas hymns is “O Come, All Ye Faithful.”

The original Latin text consisted of four stanzas.  The first calls us to visualize anew the infant Jesus in Bethlehem’s stable. The second stanza is usually omitted in most hymnals, but it reminds us that the Christ-child is very God Himself:

 

God of God and Light of Light begotten,

Lo, He abhors not the Virgin’s womb;

Very God, begotten, not created-

O come, let us adore Him.

 

The next stanza pictures for us the exalted song of the angelic choir heard by the lowly shepherds. Then the final verse offers praise and adoration to the Word, our Lord, who was with the Father from the beginning of time.

For many years this hymn was known as an anonymous Latin hymn. Recent research, however, has revealed manuscripts that indicate that it was written in 1744 by an English layman named John Wade and set to music by him in much the same style as used today. The hymn first appeared in his collection, Cantus Diversi, published in England in 1751. One hundred years later the carol was translated into its present English form by an Anglican minister, Frederick Oakeley, who desired to use it for his congregation. The tune name, “Adeste Fideles,” is taken from the first words of the original Latin text, and translated literally means “be present or near, ye faithful.”

 

O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant

come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem;

come and behold Him, born the King of angels:

 

Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation;

sing all ye bright hosts of heav’n above;

glory to God, all glory in the highest:

 

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.

 

Chorus:

O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him,

O come, let us adore Him, Christ, the Lord.

What to do:
✞ God was faithful in sending His Son.  His Son was faithful in coming, and we should be faithful in serving telling others about the saving grace of Jesus.

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