Joyful, all ye nations, rise, Join the triumph of the skies; With th' angelic host proclaim, "Christ is born in Bethlehem." 

One of my favorite things about Christmas time is how it brings us back to basics. The Christmas carols, sermons, and birth-of-Jesus-themed Bible passages always draw me back to the simple but powerful truths of who Jesus is and why He came. "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" is one of my favorite Christmas carols to help me meditate on those themes. Let's dive into some truth from Jeremy Riddle's rendition of this Christmas classic.

#1 Jesus is Savior

Peace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled.

Romans 5:6-11 says, "But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God's sight by the blood of Christ, He will certainly save us from God's condemnation. For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of His Son while we were still His enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of His Son. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God."

God sent Jesus into the world to be the sacrifice for our sins and because of His sacrifice, our relationship with God that was broken by sin can be repaired when we repent and put our faith in Jesus. Jesus takes us sinners and reconciles us to God. Where there was enmity with God because of sin on our part, Jesus makes a way for there to be peace between God and humanity through faith in Him. 

Because Jesus came into the world, each of us can be forgiven of our sins and know God personally in relationship. The birth of Jesus demonstrates God's love for us and how committed He is to having relationship with the people He created. He is the God who draws us to Himself even though we have strayed from Him. Even more, He is the God who comes near to us in order to accomplish that. John 1:1-14 is another great passage to read about God coming near.

#2 Jesus is King

Hark! the herald angels sing, "Glory to the new-born King! 

As we celebrate the birth of Jesus at His first coming, sometimes we forget to think about the implications of Jesus' second coming. Jesus was born not only as the Savior of the world, but also as the King of the world.

As the lyrics say, He is "the prince of peace, the Son of righteousness." When He returns to rule as King, we will live in a world where Jesus dwells with His people forever, a world filled with God's righteousness and peace, a world with no more sin, suffering or sorrow. (2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:3-4)

For every believer in Jesus, that is a real hope that we get to look forward to one day! Although "King" is fully part of Jesus' identity and nature now, not everyone recognizes it yet and He is not yet physically present governing the earth. One day, though, the whole world will recognize the fullness of who Jesus is. (Isaiah 9:6-7)

Final Thoughts

During Christmas, we get to meditate on the fact that Jesus has come at His birth but also the fact that He will come again at His return. Spend some time thinking about Jesus as Savior and King this Christmas season. 

"Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" can be found on Jeremy Riddle's latest Christmas EP, Joy To The World (Live). Buy it on Apple Music or stream it on Spotify. Read the full lyrics to "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" here.