My baby sister was born a few days before Christmas, and she was named Carol. Like the music she is named after she sang beautifully. I thinking of her a lot lately for she graduated to heaven this year and now gets to celebrate Christmas with JESUS HIMSELF. So many things get me thinking of my sister and Christmas caroling which I have always loved is one of them.
A CAROL is a ring dance. Being denied the opportunity to sing in the churches, the people used to sing outside. While the people were dancing (caroling) tunes and words were made up by one or more bystanders from the Nativity incidents. This accounts for occasional inaccuracies like the shepherds seeing the star.
Like folk songs, Christmas songs narrate, and they have come directly from the hearts of the people so that the authors of both words and music have been forgotten.
Tradition has it that Pope Telesphorus (Pope from 125-136) decreed that all should carol (dance and sing in the streets) Gloria in excelsis Deo on the birthday or our LORD. As the people sang and danced to Gloria in excelsis Deo, one or another added the lines of the verses and Angels we Have Heard on High) truly became the 1st Christmas song. This decree inaugurated the custom of celebrating the Nativity with singing of CAROLs.
Now, in France all Christmas songs are called NOELs. Some have associated this word with the Latin novella (news) but more likely it came from nadal an altered form of the Latin natialis (birthday). How fitting… the 1st NOEL (birthday!)
Wow! To think that our eternal GOD the Son, Creator of heaven and earth had a birthday (the mystery of HIS taking human form)! No wonder the people danced and sang in the streets.
I love to sing Christmas carols and make JESUS a birthday cake each year decorating it with a center of yellow tinted coconut (hay) and a toy child figure (JESUS) a little lamb and cow looking down on HIM.
But JESUS came not to be a baby, but to grow up experiencing all we experience so that we could know HE really understands (Hebrews 4:14-16) and to die on the cruel cross carrying every human sin (past, present and future) to defeat the devil and blot out the record of our sins (Colossians 2:14-15) so that whoever chooses to believe that WORD of GOD and will confess that JESUS is LORD of all and GOD the FATHER raised HIM from the dead will be saved eternally to live with JESUS (John 3:16, 36, Romans 10:9-10, 13).
I love the old, old carols, like Angels we have heard on high. But one of my favorite songs at Christmas is a relatively new one: “Mary did you know?” It shows that JESUS is GOD and put aside HIS glory to take on the form of man and die for our sin that we might be reconciled to GOD the FATHER. The line that always thrills me most is….”did you know that when you kissed your little baby, you kiss the face of GOD”.
Mary did you Know? (lyrics follow)
Mary did you know that your baby boy will one day walk on water?
Mary did you know that your baby boy will save our sons and daughters?
Did you know that your baby boy has come to make you new?
This child that you’ve delivered, will soon deliver you.
Mary did you know that your baby boy will give sight to a blind man?
Mary did you know that your baby boy will calm a storm with his hand?
Did you know that your baby boy has walked where angels trod?
And when you kiss your little baby, you have kissed the face of God.
The blind will see, the deaf will hear and the dead will live again.
The lame will leap, the dumb will speak, the praises of the lamb.
Mary did you know that your baby boy is Lord of all creation?
Mary did you know that your baby boy will one day rule the nations?
Did you know that your baby boy is heaven’s perfect Lamb?
This sleeping child you’re holding is the great I am.
Looking unto JESUS the Author and Perfecter of my faith (Hebrews 12:2)
Hugs
Sharon
wakemyear 