It’s difficult to say the title of this blog without immediately singing the melody, isn’t it? It’s a lovely one and, if you’re anything like me, you can sometimes glaze over the words in favor of the music. It’s not that I don’t sing the words or understand them while I’m singing them, it’s just that I don’t always focus enough on them, sad to say.

So, to remedy this in me, the Holy Spirit will force me to take pause, as He has this Christmas morning. Our Christmas Eve celebration with family was truly a wonderful blessing and I’m looking forward to today’s festivities; however, here I am writing this to you at 5am, while it’s still dark outside. I love it, though, because it’s quiet time with Him, alone. I feel connected.

The song O Holy Night has an interesting background, having its beginnings in 1843 Roquemaure, a small town in Southern France. Placide Cappeau, a poet commissioned by his parish priest to write a poem for the Christmas Mass, penned Cantique de Noel (translates “Song of Christmas”), the song’s original title. It was later set to music by composer Adolphe Adam. The English version, with small changes to the initial melody, is by John Sullivan Dwight. It became famous in 1906 when Reginald Fessenden made it the first Christmas song ever played on the radio.

I invite you to read the words without singing them (I warn you, it’s harder than it sounds – lol).


O Holy Night!

The stars are brightly shining

It is the night of the dear Savior's birth!

Long lay the world in sin and error pining

Till he appear'd and the soul felt its worth.

A thrill of hope the weary soul rejoices

For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!



Fall on your knees

Oh hear the angel voices

Oh night divine

Oh night when Christ was born

Oh night divine
Oh night divine



Led by the light of Faith serenely beaming

With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand

So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming

Here come the wise men from Orient land

The King of Kings lay thus in lowly manger

In all our trials born to be our friend



Truly He taught us to love one another

His law is love and His gospel is peace

Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother

And in His name all oppression shall cease
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,

Let all within us praise His holy name

Cappeau’s inspiration for O Holy Night was the following passage from the Gospel of Luke.

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.

And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”

And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
...

And [Simeon] came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.”

And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”
- Luke 2:1-20; 27-35

O Holy Night…the night in which our Savior was born. Phew. What a night that must’ve been. What a purpose He fulfilled.

Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.
- Isaiah 53:4-5

According to Holy Scripture, on that holy night two thousand plus years ago, Jesus was born to die for us, for our healing. Holy means set apart for God’s purposes.

Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.
- Isaiah 53:10-12

What a night it was – holy, indeed, set apart to set in motion God’s salvific plan for the ages. It’s difficult to comprehend. In fact, it’s impossible to fully grasp the depths that God has gone to save us.

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
- Romans 5:6-8

We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
- Romans 6:4

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit.
- 1 Peter 3:18

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.
- 1 Peter 2:24

Oh, what a night it was! Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift (2 Corinthians 9:15)!

O Holy Night!

The stars are brightly shining

It is the night of the dear Savior's birth!

Love in Christ,

Ed Collins