Christmas Carol Confusion

I love Christmas carols. I really do. I have many fond memories of singing carols in church while I was growing up, and listening to them in the house during the Christmas season.

But recently, as I have sung Christmas carols with my wife and three daughters as part of our family Advent tradition, I have noticed some alarming trends in most Christmas carols: Most Christmas carols present Jesus as not really human.

Church leaders and pastors sometimes wonder why people have trouble identifying with Jesus, and maybe part of it is the fact that we have the idea that even from the day He was born, though He looked like us, He never really was one of us.

Take two Christmas carols we sung in our family the other day: Away in a Manger and Silent Night.

Away in a Manger

Away in a Manger contains these words:

The cattle are lowing
the poor baby wakes.
But little Lord Jesus,
No crying He makes.

After we sang this song, I asked the girls, “Did Jesus cry when he was a baby?” They weren’t quite sure how to answer. Obviously, Jesus did cry, but they didn’t know what to say because we had just sung a song which said He didn’t cry.

So I said, “Ok, how about a different question? Did Jesus poop?”

They all laughed and giggled and said, “No, Daddy! Jesus didn’t poop!” We had a good family lesson right there about the humanity of Jesus. If you’re looking for an insightful topic to preach at the Christmas Eve service, you can use that one. I’m sure your elders will love it.

But the point is, we downplay the humanity of Jesus so much that sometimes, we make Him out to be less than human, or not even human.

Silent Night

Silent Night is another good example of a Christmas carol that present Jesus poorly. In talking about Jesus, it contains the words, “…radiant beams from thy holy face…”

Again, I asked my girls, “Did beams of light shine out from the face of baby Jesus?” We had another good discussion about how Jesus was just like us, except without sin.

I’m not suggesting you refrain from singing Christmas carols. Sing away, I say!

Just remember as you sing them that some of the Christmas carols may contain ideas that do not come from Scripture or proper thinking about Jesus and His Kingdom.

There’s a line in Joy to the World I’m not too fond of either, but I’ll let you figure that one out for yourself.

Are there any Christmas carols you want to criticize? Weigh in below!