From Heaven Above To Earth I Come
From Heaven Above to Earth I Come
From heaven above to earth I come
To bear good news to every home;
Glad tidings of great joy I bring,
Whereof I now will say and sing.
To you this night is born a child
Of Mary, chosen mother mild;
This little child, of lowly birth,
Shall be the joy of all the earth.
Were earth a thousand times as fair,
Beset with gold and jewels rare,
She yet were far too poor to be
A narrow cradle, Lord, to Thee.
Ah, dearest Jesus, Holy Child,
Make Thee a bed, soft undefiled,
Within my heart, that it may be
A quiet chamber kept for Thee.
“Glory to God in highest heaven,
Who unto man His Son hath given,”
While angels sing with pious mirth
A glad new year to all the earth.
Translated by Catherine Winkworth (1827–1878)
THE COMING OF CHRIST at Christmas is in vain unless we allow Him to come and dwell in our hearts as well. This simple and glorious message is captured beautifully in this Christmas hymn by the great reformer Martin Luther. He wrote it for his little son Hans, to be sung at a family Christmas celebration. As God communicated with us by sending His Son that first Christmas night, Luther sought to communicate the life-transforming message of Christ to his son.
What a beautiful reminder that Christ’s coming at Christmas is for everyone—old and young, rich and poor, wise and simple. It was such an amazing event: heralded by angels in the heavens, yet witnessed by animals in a pungent stable; beyond the understanding of the wise, yet presented in an event even children can grasp. God became a human being to reveal His loving and gracious character to us.
“Don’t be afraid!” [the angel] said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!”
Luke 2:10-11
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