Though many people disassociate themselves with Christians, avoid churches, and faithfully change the channel each time Billy Graham’s crusades comes on, they still have a unique opportunity to hear the gospel, ufettered each and every year.

I speak of Christmas music. Much of what we call Christmas music is full to the brim with truth.  For instance, the hymn “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” speaks of the human condition and Christ’s role in our salvation…

God rest ye merry, gentlemen
Let nothing you dismay
Remember, Christ, our Saviour
Was born on Christmas day
To save us all from Satan’s power
When we were gone astray
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy

“Hark The Herald Angels Sing” reminds us of Jesus’ deity….

Christ by highest heav’n adored
Christ the everlasting Lord!
Late in time behold Him come
Offspring of a Virgin’s womb
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see
Hail the incarnate Deity
Pleased as man with man to dwell
Jesus, our Emmanuel
Hark! The herald angels sing
“Glory to the newborn King!”

“O Holy Night” speaks of both of these things and also reminds us that though Jesus is God, he mediates for us and empathizes with us in our trials and temptations as one who has experienced all of these things…

The King of Kings lay thus
in lowly manger,
In all our trials
born to be our Friend!
He knows our need,
To our weakness no stranger;
Behold your King!
Before the lowly bend!
Behold your King! your King!
before Him bending!

“What Child Is This” describes the crucifiction…

Nails, spear, shall pierce Him through,
The Cross be borne, for me, for you:
Hail, hail, the Word made flesh,
The Babe, the Son of Mary!
This, this is Christ the King
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing.
Haste, haste to bring Him laud,
The Babe, the Son of Mary.

Sadly, even though all of this is spoken so plainly, I’m pretty sure that even most Christians hear and sing the words as simply “Christmas songs”, not as the gospel–the good news of Jesus Christ.  They protect themsleves from the meaning and instead embrace a sort of myth.