The Gospel in the Carol

The Christmas season is filled with music. We hear carols everywhere we go, and sometimes we sing them so often that the true power of the words fades away. But many of these hymns hold the core gospel message within their verses.

Take, for example, the beloved carol, "O Holy Night." Written in 1847, the words are a masterpiece of theology. Listen to the passion and truth in these lines:

• "Long lay the world in sin and error pining, till He appeared and the soul felt its worth."

• "A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices, for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn."

• "Chains shall He break, for the slave is our brother; and in His name all oppression shall cease."