“Come, let us shout joyfully to the LORD, shout triumphantly to the rock of our salvation!”
Why do we sing Christmas carols?
Carols began as pagan songs that were sung during the winter solstice. Carols, joyful songs, lifted spirits during the long, cold, dark winter months. By the late Middle Ages, when most of our Christmas traditions began, carols were associated with Christmas and the birth of Jesus. During the Middle Ages, most people were not able to read and write. Singing songs about the birth of Jesus was a great way to teach religious truths to people who were unable to read.
Today, Christmas carols are joyous songs meant to celebrate the birth of Jesus. The darkness of sin has been broken by the light of Christ coming into the world. Jesus doesn’t merely lift our spirits but He gives us new life, new hope, and a new identity. Psalm 95:1 says, “Come, let us shout joyfully to the LORD, shout triumphantly to the rock of our salvation!” Our joy comes from the Lord of our salvation. The Rock of our salvation came into the world as a baby and was laid in a manger. The joy, worry, pain, and anxiety that came with Jesus’ entrance into the world was the first step of his earthly ministry that would make salvation available to the entire world.
[Read: Why Do We Put Lights On A Christmas Tree?]
Christmas carols align our minds with our hearts – our knowledge of salvation with the joy of salvation.
Live It:
- What is your favorite Christmas carol?
- How does it remind you of the hope that is found in Jesus?
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Chase Snyder
Writer, Pastor
