Veiled in flesh, the Godhead see

Having sung them all my life, I find that Christmas carols come too easily, become rote, but suddenly I’m rediscovering them. What triumph is in them! “God rest ye merry! For unto us a Savior is born! God rest ye merry!”

The last verse to “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” goes,

“Come, Desire of nations, come!

Fix in us Thy humble home;

Rise, the woman’s conquering seed;

Bruise in us the serpent’s head;

Adam’s likeness now efface;

Stamp Thine image in its place:

Second Adam from above,

Reinstate us in Thy love.”

What theology! What beauty. Desire of nations—though they do not know it. The woman’s conquering seed. Adam’s sinful likeness effaced, with Jesus’ image stamped in its place. The end of the second verse says,

“Veiled in flesh, the Godhead see;

Hail the incarnate Deity!

Pleased as man with men to dwell…”

And the beautiful imagery of the third verse, echoing Luke 1.78-79, “the rising sun will come to us from heaven”:

“Hail, the heaven-born Prince of Peace!

Hail the Sun of Righteousness!

Light and life to all He brings,

Risen with healing in His wings.

Mild He lays His glory by,

Born that man no more may die.

Born to raise the sons of earth,

Born to give them second birth.”

It gives me a triumphant sense of history and prophecy and fulfillment, of Christ’s glorious work, of all the exquisite paradox and Truth. It reminds me that Christmas isn’t just a delightful holiday with delightful activities but a time of awe and delight and wonder and pleasure in Christ.