#409: 9 Lessons and Carols from King’s College

First Lesson: The Fall of Man from Genesis 3: 8–19

God tells sinful Adam that he has lost the life of Paradise and that his seed will bruise the serpent’s head.

• Carol: “Remember, O Thou Man” – words, 16th century; music by Thomas Ravenscroft
• Carol: “Adam lay ybounden” – words, 15th century; music by Boris Ord

Genesis 3:8-18 (NIV)
⁸ Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden.
⁹ But the LORD God called to the man, “Where are you?”
¹⁰ He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”
¹¹ And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?”
¹² The man said, “The woman you put here with me--she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.”
¹³ Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
¹⁴ So the LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, “Cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life.
¹⁵ And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”
¹⁶ To the woman he said, “I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.”
¹⁷ To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat of it,’ “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life.
¹⁸ It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field.

Second Lesson: God’s Promise to Abraham from Genesis 22: 15–18

God promises to faithful Abraham that in his seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.

• Carol: “Angels from the Realms of Glory” – words by James Montgomery; music, old French tune arranged by Philip S. Ledger
• Carol: "In Dulci Jubilo" – words, 14th-century German; music by Hieronymus Praetorius

Genesis 22:15-18 (NIV)
¹⁵ The angel of the LORD called to Abraham from heaven a second time
¹⁶ and said, “I swear by myself, declares the LORD, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son,
¹⁷ I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies,
¹⁸ and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”

Third Lesson: The Promise of a Savior from Isaiah 9: 2; 6–7

The prophet foretells the coming of the Savior.

• Carol: “Nowell Sing We Now All and Some” – words and music medieval, edited by John Stevens
• Hymn: “Unto Us is Born a Son” – words, 15th-century Latin, translated by G.R. Woodward; music from Piae Cantiones arranged by David V. Willcocks

Isaiah 9:2 (NIV)
² The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.

Isaiah 9:6-7 (NIV)
⁶ For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
⁷ Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.

Fourth Lesson from Isaiah 11: 1–3a; 4a; 6–9

The peace that Christ will bring is foretold.

• Carol: “The Lamb” – words by William Blake; music by John Tavener
• Carol: “Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming” – words, 15th-century German, translated by C. Winkworth; music by Philip S. Ledger

Isaiah 11:1-4 (NIV)
¹ A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
² The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him-- the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD--
³ and he will delight in the fear of the LORD. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; ⁴ but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.

Isaiah 11:6-9 (NIV)
⁶ The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them.
⁷ The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox.
⁸ The infant will play near the hole of the cobra, and the young child put his hand into the viper’s nest.
⁹ They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.

Fifth Lesson: The Virgin Birth Foretold from the Gospel of Luke 1: 26–35; 38

The angel Gabriel salutes the Blessed Virgin Mary.

• Carol: “I Sing of a Maiden” – words, 15th century; music by Lennox Berkeley
• Carol: “The Night when She First Gave Birth” (“Mary”) – words by Bertolt Brecht, translated by Michael Hamburger; music by Dominic Muldowney

Luke 1:26-35 (NIV)
²⁶ In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee,
²⁷ to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.
²⁸ The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
²⁹ Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.
³⁰ But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.
³¹ You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.
³² He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,
³³ and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.”
³⁴ “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
³⁵ The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.

Luke 1:38 (NIV)
³⁸ “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her.

Sixth Lesson: Our Savior is Born from Luke 2: 1; 3–7

Luke tells of the birth of Jesus.

• Carol: “Sweet Baby, Sleep! What Ails My Dear?” (“Wither’s Rocking Hymn)” – words by George Wither; music by Ralph Vaughan Williams
• Carol: “What Sweeter Music can We Bring” – words by Robert Herrick; music by John Rutter

Luke 2:1-7 (NIV)
¹ In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.
² (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.)
³ And everyone went to his own town to register.
⁴ So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.
⁵ He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.
⁶ While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born,
⁷ and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Seventh Lesson: The Shepherd’s Visit from Luke 2: 8–16

The shepherds go to the manger.

• Carol: “Infant Holy, Infant Lowly” – words, Polish traditional, translated by Edith M.G. Reed; music arranged by Stephen Cleobury
• Hymn: “God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen” – English traditional; arranged by David V. Willcocks

Luke 2:8-16 (NIV)
⁸ And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.
⁹ An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.
¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.
¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.
¹² This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
¹³ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”
¹⁵ When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
¹⁶ So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.

Eighth Lesson: The Visit of the Magi from the Gospel of Matthew 2: 1–12

The wise men are led by the star to Jesus.

• Carol: “Illuminare Jerusalem” – words adapted from the Bannatyne manuscript in John and Winifred MacQueen, A Choice of Scottish Verse, 1470–1570 (1972); music by Judith Weir
• Carol: “Glory, Alleluia to the Christ Child” – words, 17th century; music by A. Bullard

Matthew 2:1-12 (NIV)
¹ After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem
² and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.”
³ When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.
⁴ When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born.
⁵ “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:
⁶ ”’ But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.’”
⁷ Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared.
⁸ He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”
⁹ After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was.
¹⁰ When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.
¹¹ On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.
¹² And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

Ninth Lesson: The Word Became Flesh from the Gospel of John 1: 1–14

The Apostle John unfolds the great mystery of the Incarnation.

• Hymn: “O Come, All Ye Faithful” (“Adeste Fideles”) – words, 18th-century Latin, translated by Frederick Oakeley; melody by John Francis Wade, arranged by Stephen Cleobury

John 1:1-14 (NIV)
¹ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
² He was with God in the beginning.
³ Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
⁴ In him was life, and that life was the light of men.
⁵ The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.
⁶ There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John.
⁷ He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe.
⁸ He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.
⁹ The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.
¹⁰ He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.
¹¹ He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.
¹² Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God--
¹³ children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
¹⁴ The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

As we celebrate Christmas this year, let us remember first and foremost the reason for the celebration, the birth of Jesus, the Christ, our Savior, Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace.

May God bless and keep you in the coming year!

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Category: Personal Development | Dependence on God