In this series on the carols of Christmas we’ll explore the stories behind some of our best-loved Christmas music. This week: O Come, O Come Emmanuel, a hymn based on ancient Latin texts. The title and first verse reflect an ancient prophesy about someone who’d be born and bear the name Emmanuel, or God with us. Who could this be? The Christmas story makes the identity of this one clear. We’ll learn how we can celebrate the astonishing truth that God came to be with us in his Son, Jesus Christ, and we’ll learn how that truth can change the way we live today.

Any time angels show up it is a big deal. They showed up a number of times before Jesus was born and then showed up in vast numbers when he was born. Why were they there? What was their message? Does it matter today? We’ll consider these questions in this week’s message on the Carols of Christmas.

How did a poem written by a non church-going French man become one of America’s most beloved Christmas carols? Why did its message offend churches throughout the American South? What message does it contain that is relevant today? Why is it that we respond so powerfully to it whenever we sing it? These are questions for this week’s message in our series, the Carols of Christmas.

Christmas and the feeling of joy should be inseparable when we realize what happened at the first Christmas. Joy was the theme of the angel when he announced Jesus’ birth to the shepherds, and joy was experienced by everyone who saw the baby Jesus and understood who he was. The carol Joy to the World is sometimes said not to be a song about Christmas. While it speaks of things that are not yet universally and fully experienced, it is firmly based on Luke 2:10-11 and rightly expresses our joy at the birth of Jesus. We conclude our reflections on the carols of Christmas with this beloved Christmas carol.