God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen

From Carols & Lessons for Advent on YouVersion  

First off, let’s start off with the song and the lyrics, then we’ll get into the meaning behind the classic.

God rest you merry, gentlemen, let nothing you dismay,
remember Christ our Savior 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.

From God our heavenly Father a blessed angel came,
and unto certain shepherds brought tidings of the same,
how that in Bethlehem was born the son of God by name.
O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy,
O tidings of comfort and joy.

Now to the Lord sing praises, all you within this place,
and with true love and gentleness each other now embrace;
this holy tide of Christmas all others doth deface.
O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy,
O tidings of comfort and joy.

The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything. (Philippians 4:5–6)

To understand the message of this jaunty old English carol, the most important thing to do is to observe the comma in the title. It’s not “God rest you, merry gentlemen.” It’s “God rest you merry, gentlemen.” The gentlemen—and gentle ladies are included, this being 18th-century English terminology—are not merry, as if they’ve had a little too much Christmas cheer. Nor is God being asked to make them rest, as if they’ve all been dancing too hard. The blessing that the carol asks is, “(May) God rest (make) you merry (happy), gentle people all.”

Why should we be joyful, no matter what our circumstances? Because Christmas reminds us of the Good News, “tidings of comfort and joy.” We have been given a Savior, and he changes everything. The apostle wrote a wonderfully ambiguous phrase to the Christians in Philippi: “The Lord is at hand.” The Lord is at hand, meaning he is about to return? Or, the Lord is at hand, meaning he is close by us? The answer is, both. That’s why we can “rejoice in the Lord,” why we need not be anxious about anything. Cares may come and go, but happiness will be forever, because Jesus has come once and is coming again some day soon. Meanwhile, because he is close to us now through his Spirit, we can know joy, and even happiness, despite our sorrows.

Someone once asked an old preacher if Jesus ever laughed. “I don’t know,” he replied, “but he sure fixed me so I could.”

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:4-7