O Come All Ye Faithful / David Jeremiah

O Come All Ye Faithful “Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.” 1 Corinthians 4:2 Although it was originally written in Latin in 1751, by the 1800s “O Come All Ye Faithful” was known as a Portuguese hymn. Not because it was Portuguese in origin but most likely because it was often performed at the Portuguese embassy chapel in England.1 At one point the carol became so popular in Scotland, that “apprentice boys whistled it in every street” and “the blackbirds in the square joined in the chorus!”2 Like many Christmas carols, the lyrics gradually changed over the years before becoming the words we know today. But the phrase “all ye faithful” goes back to the very first Christmas. Joseph and Mary were given an assignment by God: Be a steward of the life of God’s Son. And they did what is required of all stewards—they were faithful (1 Corinthians 4:2). They weren’t chosen for this assignment because they were perfect but because they were willing, obedient, and faithful. Those traits of Mary and Joseph make them a model of faithfulness for us this Christmas.

Recommended Reading: Matthew 1:18-25

There is a Christmas assignment, for us all: to bring the living Christ into the world around us and reveal Him to those who don’t know Him. We are already stewards of many responsibilities: marriage, family, finances, the grace of God in us, the gifts of God given to us, the Spirit and the Word of God. In all these, we must be found faithful. But this Christmas, let us consider the faithfulness of those original Christmas parents. They brought Jesus Christ into the world physically. Now it is our task to take Him into all the world spiritually. As Christmas approaches in a few days, brainstorm one way you can share the Good News of Christ with others this Christmas. Perhaps you can include a Gospel tract with a plate of Christmas goodies for your neighbor. Or you can invite an unsaved family member or friend to the Christmas Eve service at your church. As we wait for Christmas Day, let us faithfully tell others of the gift of Jesus. 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! O come, let us adore Him! O come, let us adore Him! O come, let us adore Him—Christ, the Lord!  1 Chris Fenner, “Adeste Fideles,” Hymnology Archive, October 29, 2022. 2 Benjamin Ivry, “The History of a Christmas Classic, ‘O Come, All Ye Faithful,’” American: The Jesuit Review, December 10, 2021.