O come, all ye faithful
Joyful and triumphant
O come ye, oh come ye to Bethlehem
Come and behold him
Born the king of angels
Oh come let us adore him
Oh come let us adore him
Oh come let us adore him
Christ the Lord

It’s been more than ten years since Patrina and I visited Israel. There is nothing quite like visiting the places that mark the stories and the history in the Bible. We were able to walk the streets of Jerusalem and visit the Sea of Galilee, Capernaum, Nazareth and a number of other significant sites.

“O Come All Ye Faithful” is a hymn that celebrates the remarkable joy and excitement that surrounded the birth of Christ, asking us to “come to Bethlehem,” the city we visited on Patrina’s birthday. While many of us will not go to Bethlehem, we really don’t have to in order to worship and adore the King.

The line in this song, “Word of the Father / Now in flesh appearing” is taken from John’s opening verses of his gospel and speaks of Jesus’ role before His incarnation.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

John 1:1-4

And so each Christmas season as we celebrate the birth of Christ let us sing with enthusiasm! “Oh come let us adore him / He is Christ the Lord.”