Noel is a word you really only hear at Christmas time. I grew up singing The First Noel. Yesterday I found myself wondering about the word Noel. So of course just to be sure of the meaning, I looked it up. In French “Joyeaux Noel” means Merry Christmas so Noel is the French word for Christmas. But the word also means news and it also means birth.
When you are singing The First Noel, you could be saying this is the first news or the most important news. It could also mean this is the first birth or rather the first miraculous birth of its’ kind. This could also mean The First Christmas! All of those are true. If you think on the lyrics to the First Noel it is telling the story of the birth of Jesus. It follows the shepherds and them following the star to Bethlehem and the Wise Men also following the star. And ends with praises to our heavenly Lord. And isn’t that what Christmas is all about? I don’t know about you but I can learn the lyrics of a song so well that I truly don’t even hear it anymore sometime. I can sing along and not think of one thing I am singing. I want to be more intentional than that, especially this time of year when I am singing about the birth of my Savior. I want to hear and know what the words mean that I am singing and speaking all year through, but especially at Christmas time. You may be smarter than I and have known all of these things about the word Noel but even if you knew already the meaning of the word please be sure not to miss the meaning of the song. When you sing the words of these songs, think on them, let them sink deep into your soul so that you don’t miss the meaning of them. I know I have been guilty of getting so caught up in the hustle and the bustle and the decorating and the singing that when Christmas was over I wondered if I had missed it. I am trying not to miss it this year. I want to sing about The First Noel, the miraculous birth of the Savior of the world, the good news!
“‘Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel’ (which means God with us).” Matthew 1:23
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