Music Album: John Michael Talbot: The Birth of Jesus

The Birth of Jesus:
A Celebration of Christmas

by John Michael Talbot
Sparrow Records, 1990

John Michael Talbot
image from musicmoz.org

. Song Title Length Scripture References
1

The Birth of Jesus

2:55 Matthew 1:18-23; Isaiah 7:14
2

Wonderful Counselor

2:37 Isaiah 9:6
3

What Child Is This? / O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

6:57 Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23
4

Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming

2:12 Isaiah 11:10; Romans 15:12
5

The Appointed Time

2:45 Galatians 4:4-6
6

Of the Father's Love Begotten

2:23 John 1:14, 18; Revelation 22:13
7

Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence

2:27 -
8

O Come, All Ye Faithful /
Angels We Have Heard on High

2:55
2:19
-
9

Glory to God

3:40 Luke 2:8-20
10

King of Glory

4:18 Matthew 2:1-12; Psalm 24:7-10
11

We Three Kings

3:54 Matthew 2:1-12
12

Silent Night

4:03 -

1. The Birth of Jesus (Matt 1:18-23; Isa 7:14)

This is how the birth of Jesus came to be:
When his mother, Mary, was engaged to Joseph in Galilee,
But before they came together, she was found with child.
And Joseph, being a just man, decided to leave quietly.

Such was his intention when an angel of God appeared,
saying, "Joseph, son of David, have no fear!
It is by the Holy Spirit that she has conceived.
She will give birth to a son and give him the name Jesus."

Singing Alleluia; singing Glory to God on high!
Singing Alleluia; Glory to God in the highest!

All this happenned to fulfill the word
that the Lord had spoken to the prophet Isaiah,
that the virgin shall be with child and give birth to a son,
and they shall call him Emmanuel, a name which means "God is with us."

2. Wonderful Counselor (Isa 9:6)

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Father forever, the Prince of Peace you are.

Unto us a child is given; unto us a son is born.

Alleluia! Singing Alleluia!

3. What Child Is This? / O Come, O Come, Emmanuel (Isa 7:14; Matt 1:23)

What child is this, who laid to rest,
on Mary's lap is sleeping?
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet,
while shepherds watch are keeping?

This, this is Christ the King,
whom shepherds guard and angels sing.
Haste, haste to bring him laud,
the babe, the son of Mary.

Why lies he in such mean estate,
where ox and ass are feeding?
Good Christian, fear; for sinners here
the silent Word is pleading.

[Choral Interlude]

[Repeat first verse and Refrain]

 

O come, O come, Emmanuel,
and ransom captive Israel,
that mourns in lonely exile here
until the Son of God appear.

Rejoice! Rejoice!
O Israel, to thee shall come Emmanuel.

O come, thou Dayspring from on high,
and order all things mightily;
to us the path of knowledge show,
and teach us in thy ways to go.

[Repeat first verse]

[Repeat Refrain]

4. Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming (Isa 11:10; Rom 15:12)

Lo, how a rose e'er blooming
from tender branch hath sprung!
Of Jesse's lineage coming,
as men of old have sung.
It came, a floweret bright,
amid the cold of winter,
when half spent was the night.
  Isaiah 'twas foretold it,
this rose I have in mind.
With Mary we behold it,
the Virgin Mother kind.
To show God's love aright,
she bore to us a Savior,
when half spent was the night.

5. The Appointed Time (Gal 4:4-6)

When the appointed time had come,
God sent forth his only-begotten Son.

Born of a woman; born under the law
to deliver from the law all the slaves,
that we might obtain our new status as adopted daughters and sons.
And the Spirit within us cries, Abba, Father!

6. Of the Father's Love Begotten (John 1:14, 18; Rev 22:13)

Of the Father's love begotten,
ere the worlds began to be.
He is Alpha and Omega,
he the source and ending he,
of the things that are, that have been,
and that future years shall see,
evermore and evermore!

O that birth for ever blessed,
when the Virgin, full of grace,
by the Holy Spirit conceiving,
bare the Savior of our race.
And the babe, the world's Redeemer,
first revealed his sacred face,
evermore and evermore!

 

Christ, to thee, with God the Father,
and the Holy Spirit to thee,
hymn and chant and high thanksgiving,
and unwearied praises be.
Honor, glory and dominion,
and eternal victory,
evermore and evermore!

Alleluia! Alleluia!

7. Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence

Let all mortal flesh keep silence,
and with fear and trembling stand.
Ponder nothing earthly minded,
for with blessing in his hand
Christ our God to earth descendeth,
our full homage to demand.

King of kings, yet born of Mary,
as of old on earth he stood.
Lord of lords in human vesture,
in the Body and the Blood.
He will give to all the faithful
his own self for heav'nly food.

 

Rank on rank the host of heaven
spreads its vanguard on the way,
as the Light of light descendeth
from the realms of endless day,
that the powers of hell may vanish
as the darkness clears away.

Alleluia, alleluia!
Alleluia, Lord Most High!

8. O Come All Ye Faithful / 8. Angels We Have Heard on High

O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem.
Come, and behold him, born the King of angels.

O come, let us adore him. O come, let us adore him.
O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord.


Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation,
Sing, all ye citizens of heaven above.
Glory to God, glory in the highest.

 

Angels we have heard on high
Sweetly singing o'er the plains,
And the mountains in reply
Echo back their joyous strains.

Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!

Shepherds, why this jubilee?
Why your joyous strains prolong?
Say what may the tidings be
Which inspire your heavenly song?

Come to Bethlehem and see
Him whose birth the angels sing;
Come, adore on bended knee,
Christ the Lord, the newborn King.

9. Glory to God (Luke 2:8-20)

Glory to God in the highest!
Peace to His people on earth, all good will.
Glory to God in the highest!
Peace to those on whom His favor rests.

There were shepherds in the fields
Keeping their watch by night.
When an angel of God appeared
and the glory of the Lord shone about them.

The angel said, "Be not afraid!
I have come to share good news.
This day in the city of David
a savior is born: Christ, the Lord.

 

This shall be a sign unto you:
You shall find a baby
wrapped in swaddling clothes
and lying in a manger.

Let us go to Bethlehem,
and see what the angel made known.
They found Joseph and Mary,
and the babe lying in the manger.

Once they saw, they understood
all the angel had said unto them.
And Mary treasured these things
and pondered them in her heart to be told.

10. King of Glory (Matt 2:1-12; Ps 24:7-10)

Who is the King of glory?
We have observed his star.
Where is the King of glory?
We have come to worship, to bow before him, and adore.

Where is the newborn king of Jew?
We have observed his star rising in our eastern night.
So we have journeyed; we have traveled so far.

He is the light to the nations,
to times and places so far.
He is the light to the nations,
We have observed his rising in this star.

 

The star we have observed by night
went surely on ahead and came to rest o'er Bethlehem.
o'er a shepherd's manger; for he had nowehere to lay his head.

And you, O Bethlehem, by no means Judah's head,
from you shall come a Savior,
from you shall come Messiah, a true living bread.

They found the child with Mary.
They worshiped and adored.
They opened coffers from their knees.
They presented him with frankincense, myrrh, and gold.

11. We Three Kings (Matthew 2:1-12)

We three kings of Orient are,
bearing gifts we traverse afar,
field and fountain, moor and mountain,
following yonder star.

O star of wonder, star of night,
star of royal beauty bright.
Westward leading, still proceeding,
guide us to that perfect light!

 

Born a babe on Bethlehem's plain,
gold we bring to crown him again.
King for ever, ceasing never
over us all to reign.

Glorious now behold him rise,
King and God and sacrifice.
Heaven sings alleluia.
Alleluia, earth replies.

12. Silent Night

Silent night, holy night,
all is calm, all is bright
round yon virgin mother and child
Holy Infant, so tender and mild.
Sleep in heavenly peace!
Sleep in heavenly peace!

Silent night, holy night,
shepherds quake at the sight;
glories stream from heaven afar,
heavenly hosts sing alleluia.
Christ, the Savior, is born!
Christ, the Savior, is born!

Silent night, holy night,
Son of God, love's pure light
radiant beams from thy holy face,
with the dawn of redeeming grace.
Jesus, Lord at thy birth.
Jesus, Lord at thy birth.


Other Advent/Christmas Music:


Return to my Biblical Music webpage.
This page was last updated on November 29, 2007

Electronic New Testament Educational Resources