Christmas Song #6: The Eternal One
We started by singing about the creation of the world. The angels that marvelled at God’s creative work later call us to worship the Baby in the manger.
Finally, we saw the One through whom the world was made ruling the nations, unchallenged, in His Kingdom. Yet another reason to worship!
In 1986, Jack W. Hayford took the Christmas hymn and wrote new words – making it a Resurrection Sunday hymn (Worship Christ the Risen King):
Rise, O Church, and life your voices;
Christ has conquered death and hell.
Sing as all the earth rejoices;
Resurrection anthems swell.
Come and worship, come and worship;
Worship Christ the risen King!
Once we had a Christmas-Easter service at our church (something my Dad had done) halfway between the two dates – it would have been interesting to combine the two versions, or sing one at the beginning of the service and one at the end! Why not try it one Sunday in February?
But the final verse of Angels from the Realms of Glory, one not often sung, is pure praise:
All creation, join in praising
God, the Father, Spirit, Son,
Evermore your voices raising
To th’eternal Three in One.
Come and worship, come and worship,
Worship Christ, the newborn king.
Certainly a fitting ending to a song either about creation, incarnation, or resurrection!
The Baby in the manger was God incarnate, God the Son (Isaiah 9:6; Colossians 2:9). The Father sent Him (John 17:25), the Spirit brought Him into the world (Matthew 1:18), and He accomplished the salvation of His people as a man (Matthew 1:21). Three Persons, One God, bringing salvation to a lost world. A Triune act of love.
The missions-minded author, James Montgomery, gives us a carol that in fact leads us through the Great Commission to the fulfillment of all things in the eternal Kingdom.
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.
Matthew 28:18-20
With all His disciples worldwide we wait for His return. And we do what the first disciples did, after they had watched Him ascend into Heaven: “While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. And they worshiped him…“ (Luke 24:51 (emphasis mine)).
So as you sing or listen to this Christmas carol – may you do the same! Come and worship! Worship Christ, eternal King!