Organists are very familiar with the song, “From Heav’n Above to Earth I Come ” (sometimes translated “From Heaven High to Earth I Come”). They are also very familiar with the original German opening line, “Vom Himmel hoch, da komm ich herr.” That’s because there have been so many organ arrangements of this hymn, from the simple little trio setting by Johann Pachelbel to the extensive and masterful “Canonic Variations” on the tune by Johann Sebastian Bach, a demanding manuscript for performers. Bach also included it in his “Christmas Oratorio.”
This Christmas song is one of the thirty-seven hymns written by Martin Luther. It was his influence that God used to light the fuse of the sixteenth century Protestant Reformation. The practice of selling indulgences in order to raise money to build St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome infuriated Luther. The idea of “bribing” God with money in order to gain forgiveness of sins (and to hasten the release of deceased loved ones from the fires of purgatory) was a part of the distorted understanding that exchanged “repenting” of sins by the blasphemous practice of “doing” (or purchasing) “penance” for sins. This had all become part of the sacrament of penance that had developed in the medieval Roman Catholic Church.
Luther’s growing understanding of the gospel of salvation by grace alone through faith alone (not works) was truly a theological revolution in western Christendom. Luther’s preaching and teaching and writing increasingly articulated the key doctrine of justification. Among the things he sought to correct in the errors of the church of his day was not only the theology of salvation, but also the practice of worship. It had become something of a “spectator sport.” The laity could not understand the Latin language of the Mass. They were barred from hearing or reading the Bible in their own language. Sermons were more often moralistic tales from the lives of the saints of the church, rather than carrying any semblance of exposition of Scriptural texts. And there was no place for worshippers to take an active part in the service. When it came to the distribution of the elements of the Lord’s Supper, they were denied the cup, and given only the wafer.
And what about singing? It was over a thousand years earlier, in A.D. 390 at the Council of Laodicea, that the Roman Church had forbidden congregation members from adding their voices to the singing in the service. The only ones permitted to do were priests in the churches and monks in the monasteries. This was not redressed by the Council of Trent that met periodically from 1545 to 1563. It was not until the reforms of the Second Vatican Council in 1962 made such singing possible. Luther, who was himself a musician, skilled in playing the lute, was convinced that congregational singing was not only biblically permitted but also divinely mandated. And so he began writing hymns, both texts and music, and was diligent in teaching them to people and encouraging others to write, as well.
He wrote a total of thirty-seven hymns. Among those in common use to this day (as translated into many languages) are “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God,” “Savior of the Heathen, Come,” “Christ Jesus Lay Death’s Strong Bands,” “From Depths of Woe I Raise to Thee,” and “All Praise to Thee, Eternal Lord.” And to those we add this Christmas song, “From Heaven High I Come to You,” as translated into English by Catherine Winkworth, who has brought many of the German language chorales into our language. It is one of several for which Luther wrote both words and music. This one, written in 1534 or 1535 for his family’s Christmas Eve celebration in their home, was composed specifically for his and others’ children to learn and sing at home with their families. In fifteen stanzas, it tells the biblical Christmas account from several perspectives. Stanzas 1 – 5 are in quotation marks, since these are the words of the angel making the annunciation to the shepherds of Bethlehem. Stanzas 6 – 10 are the words of those shepherds who came to see the holy Child. And in stanzas 11 – 15, we join people around the world, singing our own worshipful response to this glorious event. Since singing 15 stanzas all at one time can be a rather daunting challenge to a congregation today, sometimes the song is divided into those three sections, each being sung one section at a time on three successive Sundays.
What a joyful picture this should bring to our minds, not just Luther working in his study or preaching in his pulpit or lecturing his students or standing trial to defend the faith, but leading his own family in songs of praise to the Lord. Hopefully this great song will be found in increasing numbers of evangelical hymns today (even if not with all fifteen stanzas!) and included in our corporate worship this and every Christmas season. Singing the Bible’s story is a great way to teach and learn the Bible’s story. And in this case, there’s the added benefit of connecting ourselves with our Reformation history.
As with some of Luther’s other hymns, “From Heaven Above to Earth I Come” is in part derived from a popular song of his day, in this case a singing game. In “Liturgy and Hymns” (volume 53 of “Luther’s Works”), editor Ulrich Siegfried Leupold notes that the first stanza is based on an old garland song refrain that was sung by a young man before giving out a riddle to one of the girls in the circle. If she could not solve the riddle, she had to give the singer her wreath or garland.
Most hymnals today include only six of the stanzas. Those are marked below with an asterisk. But here is the complete text. It requires little commentary since it tells the story we know so well.
*Stanza 1 begins the five stanzas that are in quotation marks, since these art the words of the angel in the skies over Bethlehem.
“From heav’n above to earth I come
To bear good news to ev’ry home;
Glad tidings of great joy I bring,
Whereof I now will say and sing:
*Stanza 2
“To you this night is born a child
Of Mary, chosen virgin mild;
This little child, of lowly birth,
Shall be the joy of all the earth.
*Stanza 3
“This is the Christ, our God and Lord,
Who in all need shall aid afford;
He will Himself your Savior be
From all your sins to set you free.
Stanza 4
“He will on you the gifts bestow
Prepared by God for all below,
That in His kingdom, bright and fair,
You may with us His glory share.
*Stanza 5
“These are the tokens ye shall mark:
The swaddling-clothes and manger dark;
There ye shall find the Infant laid
By whom the heav’ns and earth were made.”
*Stanza 6
Now let us all with gladsome cheer
Go with the shepherds and draw near
To see the precious Gift of God,
Who hath His own dear Son bestowed.
Stanza 7
Give heed, my heart, lift up thine eyes!
What is it in yon manger lies?
Who is this child, so young and fair?
The blessed Christ-child lieth there.
*Stanza 8
Welcome to earth, Thou noble Guest,
Through whom the sinful world is blest!
Thou com’st to share my misery;
What thanks shall I return to Thee?
Stanza 9
Ah, Lord, who hast created all,
How weak art Thou, how poor and small,
That Thou dost choose Thine infant bed
Where humble cattle lately fed!
Stanza 10
Were earth a thousand times as fair,
Beset with gold and jewels rare,
It yet were far too poor to be
A narrow cradle, Lord, for Thee.
Stanza 11
For velvets soft and silken stuff
Thou hast but hay and straw so rough,
Whereon Thou, King, so rich and great,
As ’twere Thy heav’n, art throned in state.
Stanza 12
And thus, dear Lord, it pleaseth Thee
To make this truth quite plain to me,
That all the world’s wealth, honor, might,
Are naught and worthless in Thy sight.
Stanza 13
Ah, dearest Jesus, holy Child,
Make Thee a bed, soft, undefiled,
Within my heart, that it may be
A quiet chamber kept for Thee.
Stanza 14
My heart for very joy doth leap,
My lips no more can silence keep;
I, too, must sing with joyful tongue
That sweetest ancient cradle-song:
Stanza 15 concludes with a doxology.
Glory to God in highest heav’n,
Who unto us His Son hath giv’n!
While angels sing with pious mirth
A glad new year to all the earth.
How wonderful that such profound truths could be conveyed to little children at their level by a master theologian without in any way diminishing the richness of divine revelation conveyed through the words.
Here you can hear the singing of Luther’s Christmas chorale for children.