Glory to the Newborn King

Christmas Hymns have some of the richest theology you can find in congregational song. Perhaps it is because it is hard to sing about the incarnation without going on to explain Jesus' full ministry and reason for coming in the first place. 

Think about "What Child is This." Verse one describes the angels, the shepherds, and new mother Mary. Verse two gets to the heart of Jesus' suffering work: Nails, Spear shall pierce him through; the cross be borne for me for you.

Charles Wesley, one of the most significant contributors to protestant hymnody and sung theology, has a number of his 6,000+ hymns in hymnals across denominational lines. His text Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, combined with Mendelssohn's majestic musical setting, is one of my all-time favorite Christmas hymns. It wasn't until a few years ago that I discovered two other verses which are not typically included in hymnals:

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Come, Desire of nations, come, 
Fix in us Thy humble home;
Rise, the woman’s conqu’ring Seed, 
Bruise in us the serpent’s head.
Now display Thy saving power, 
Ruined nature now restore;
Now in mystic union join 
Thine to ours, and ours to Thine.
Hark! the herald angels sing, 
“Glory to the newborn King.”

Adam’s likeness, Lord, efface, 
Stamp Thine image in its place:
Second Adam from above, 
Reinstate us in Thy love.
Let us Thee, though lost, regain, 
Thee, the Life, the inner man:
O, to all Thyself impart, 
Formed in each believing heart.
Hark! the herald angels sing, 
“Glory to the newborn King.”

I have our church sing these extra verses at least one Sunday in Advent. The scriptural allusions show us that God's plan of redemption first promised to Eve in Genesis is fulfilled in the work of the second Adam (Jesus).

Glory to the newborn King!