In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. John 1:1-3
As you look at the verses of O Come, All Ye Faithful, you might not recognize verse 2. We don’t sing it very often, and it is not often found in hymnals, but it is rich in meaning. It echoes John 1:1-3 and emphasizes truths that have been battled over for centuries.
Some people teach and still believe that Jesus was God’s Son, but he is not God. They say that the Father made Jesus, and so Jesus has not existed for eternity and is therefore not the same nature as God.
We believe that Jesus is the same nature as God because he is God. He has always been God and will always be God. This is a more difficult concept for children, but a good analogy would be to speak of Jesus as the original, and not a copy. Other companies often copy cool Christmas toys, but those toys are usually cheaper, not as good a quality, and just not the same as the original.
Jesus is not a copy. He is not just like God, he is God. He is (as the carol states) God from God, light from light. He was not made or created, but was and is God. To call him “begotten” simply means that he is the same substance as God the Father, he is not different or less than what the Father is.
This truth magnifies Jesus even more because it emphasizes the greatness of Jesus and the step down that he took to became a human being like us. He created people, yet he became like what he created.
You may hear the word “incarnation” over the next few weeks. It simply means, “to make flesh, or cause something to be flesh.” Jesus became the child of a woman so that we could become children of God. Let’s rejoice in the fact that Jesus is God!
O Come, All Ye Faithful
Verse 1: O come, all ye faithful, Joyful and triumphant, O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem; Come and behold him Born the King of angels; O come, let us adore him, O come, let us adore him, O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord.
Verse 2: God of God, Light of Light, lo, he abhors not the Virgin’s womb, very God, begotten, not created.
Verse 3: Sing, choirs of angels; Sing in exultation, Sing, all ye citizens of heaven above; Glory to God, all glory in the highest;
Verse 4: Yea, Lord, we greet thee, Born this happy morning: Jesus, to thee be glory given; Word of the Father, Now in flesh appearing;
I Commend Joy! 