Nothing could be further from the intent of this 18th century composition and its expression of cheerful faith and the grounds of Christmas joy.

The true sentiments of the carol are misread due to a missing comma which should be placed between the words "merry" and "gentlemen". The sense to be conveyed by the term "God rest you" is that of being preserved or kept in the conscious joy of the salvation wrought by Christ i.e. God rest you in the assurance of his saving grace. It is a greeting equivalent to the blessing "The peace of the Lord be always with you", with the emphasis of joy in believing. Believers are to rest in the mercy and reliable promises of God which the Christmas story relates as fulfilled in the Lord Jesus. The Lord gives his people rest in his everlasting faithfulness.

There is a holy merriment in the heart of the true believer. Our forbears used to love to refer to being merry in the Lord. The New Testament urges us in older English to make merry in celebration of our God's great generosity.

The Lord's lovingkindness, when duly pondered, relieves us of dismay. The great proof of his sovereign intervention in our sinful plight and misery is the advent of Jesus Christ who coming as our Emmanuel is God with us. Could anything be more reassuring? The birth of our Saviour is the confirmation of our hope. "Christmas Day" as it is popularly known is etched in capital letters on our calendar of the Lord's great doings on our behalf. Our deliverer has been sent into the realm of our darkness. Our hopes are high. Satan's cruel oppressive power over us has been nullified. We need no longer be astray from our kindly Maker. These are but the beginnings of 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.

The first chapter of the Letter to the Hebrews outlines the gracious lines of contact from heaven to earth that God established through heavenly angels and earthly prophets to bring to mankind the message of his redeeming compassion. His ultimate speech to us has come through his Son. One New Testament specialist has commented that the reference to Jesus simply as the Son is inadequate. Rather "he is Son". Sonship to the Father is his eternal essence, his intrinsic nature. Substantially Christ is a participant in the divine team - very God of very God. The name expresses his nature. The title speaks of divine status. This is the One who came to us (John 1:1-14). No one less than God himself could redeem us and restore us. No body less than pure humanity could make amends on sinful humanity's behalf. In Jesus we view the the wondrous God-man. In Jesus God grasps us. Such rumination swells the glorious meaning of Christmas. How merry we should be that God has such a tender mind toward us as to send his majestic Son as our Rescuer. What extraordinary breaking news to ordinary blokes employed as lowly shepherds.

"Fear not , then," said the angel. "let nothing you afright;
This day is born a Saviour of a pure virgin bright,
to free all those who trust in him from Satan's power and might."

Dread filled the hearts of the shepherds. It could not have been otherwise. Manifestations of the heavenly bring trepidation to the inhabitants of earth. Heaven is high above us and encounters with it humble us as creatures and cause us to cringe as criminals before God. Divine glory discloses our ragged unrighteousness. To cancel out any inherited human impurity Jesus was born of a pure virgin sanctified and overshadowed by the life-giving Spirit of God. In Mary's womb was wrought the necessary miracle of the virgin(al) conception so that he who was born was qualified to represent our fallen race and make this first step back to God for us. The blight of original sin had to be erased historically and it is countered in us by the Spirit's work of regeneration, so that we might be said to be born anew in Christ. There is great cause for merriment in the renewal of our nature.

Now to the Lord sing praises, all you within this place,
and with true love and charity each other now embrace;
this holy tide of Christmas doth bring redeeming grace.

O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy;
O tidings of comfort and joy!

Songs of joy emanate from the mouths of believers at the facts emerging from the Christmas message. Redeeming love creates relational love among those who rejoice at the birth of Christ and the blessings he has wrought and brought. There is common accord in the gladness of gospel peace, provision, and security. Nothing good has been omitted from the welfare of those who trust in Jesus. Believers are the beneficiaries of the blessings of Christmas. There is a specificity to the merry-making. The carol is not extolling a kind of general or natural mirth, good cheer aroused by social connections, pleasantries of kinship, friendship, gifts, table fellowship and festive drink and abundant food (Dickens' delight). As enjoyable as these things may be true Christmas merriment is unique to believers as this rollicking but reverent carol reveals.

The pleasures of the season are more profound than the delights that Dickens dictates. They are celebrated in the truly repentant and sincerely believing soul. We are fed by foretastes of the great heavenly banquet pledged to all those who enter the kingdom of God through faith in Christ.

The angels chorused the tidings of great joy (Luke 2:10). Martin Luther opines that the expression "great joy" ought to be translated as "tidings of a great joy" and that joy is Jesus. And so he is to we who trust him.