- Biblical Insights
- Song & Lyrics
- Rev Joel Liew: The year-end is a magical and exciting time
- Pr Miranda Kua: This carol is all about God and us
‘The First Noel’ is an old classical English folk carol which was first published in 1823. The word “Noel”, or its variant spelling “Nowell”, is an old way of saying “Christmas”. The refrain of the song calls for the joyful celebration of Christmas because the King of Israel was born on Christmas day.
As we listen to the first stanza of ‘The First Noel’, we hear of the shepherds who were watching over their flocks. They saw an angel come from heaven to tell them the good news of the birth of the Saviour. How amazing that must have been!
The next four stanzas speak of the experience of the magi from the East. They saw the star that signified the birth of Jesus. They were led by it day and night to a “house” in Bethlehem where Jesus was.
What did the magi do upon arriving? In the fifth stanza, we hear how they paid homage to the child and recognised Him for who He was. They bowed down with reverence and worshipped him on their knees. They also presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
As we hear the final stanza, let our hearts rise together to worship and thank God for what He has done for us through Christ. God has redeemed us from our sins with the blood that was shed on the cross by Jesus, the One who was born on Christmas Day.
When we sing ‘The First Noel’, may our voice of gratitude and joy ring loud and clear as God brings people back to Him.
As we listen to the first stanza of ‘The First Noel’, we hear of the shepherds who were watching over their flocks. They saw an angel come from heaven to tell them the good news of the birth of the Saviour. How amazing that must have been!
The next four stanzas speak of the experience of the magi from the East. They saw the star that signified the birth of Jesus. They were led by it day and night to a “house” in Bethlehem where Jesus was.
What did the magi do upon arriving? In the fifth stanza, we hear how they paid homage to the child and recognised Him for who He was. They bowed down with reverence and worshipped him on their knees. They also presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
As we hear the final stanza, let our hearts rise together to worship and thank God for what He has done for us through Christ. God has redeemed us from our sins with the blood that was shed on the cross by Jesus, the One who was born on Christmas Day.
When we sing ‘The First Noel’, may our voice of gratitude and joy ring loud and clear as God brings people back to Him.
The First Noel the angel did say
Was to certain poor shepherds
in fields as they lay;
In fields as they lay, keeping their sheep,
On a cold winter's night that was so deep.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,
Born is the King of Israel.
They looked up and saw a star
Shining in the east beyond them far,
And to the earth it gave great light,
And so it continued both day and night.
And by the light of that same star
Three wise men came from country far;
To seek for a king was their intent,
And to follow the star wherever it went.
This star drew nigh to the northwest,
O'er Bethlehem it took it rest,
And there it did both stop and stay
Right over the place where Jesus lay.
Then entered in those wise men three
Full reverently upon their knee,
and offered there in his presence
Their gold, and myrrh, and frankincense.
Then let us all with one accord
Sing praises to our heavenly Lord;
That hath made heaven and earth of naught,
And with his blood mankind hath bought
Was to certain poor shepherds
in fields as they lay;
In fields as they lay, keeping their sheep,
On a cold winter's night that was so deep.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,
Born is the King of Israel.
They looked up and saw a star
Shining in the east beyond them far,
And to the earth it gave great light,
And so it continued both day and night.
And by the light of that same star
Three wise men came from country far;
To seek for a king was their intent,
And to follow the star wherever it went.
This star drew nigh to the northwest,
O'er Bethlehem it took it rest,
And there it did both stop and stay
Right over the place where Jesus lay.
Then entered in those wise men three
Full reverently upon their knee,
and offered there in his presence
Their gold, and myrrh, and frankincense.
Then let us all with one accord
Sing praises to our heavenly Lord;
That hath made heaven and earth of naught,
And with his blood mankind hath bought
Rev. Joel LiewLead Pastor
Victory Church KL
Victory Church KL
The First Noel caught my attention as a child simply because ‘Noel’ sounded like my name Joel. I remember hearing it played in Metrojaya, a KL mall which had one of the best Christmas décor in the 80s, and singing ‘The First Joel’ much to my parents’ amusement!
My good mother, not wanting to let the opportunity pass, taught me about the First Noel, the First Christmas. The shepherds, the angels, the three wise men, the shining star, and a baby born called the King of Israel.
These are fascinating tales for a little boy and made the year-end so magical and exciting. Yet I knew in my heart, at that young age, that these stories point to a person called Jesus, and I vividly remember telling my parents that I wanted to accept Jesus.
The end of the year is the perfect time to sing, perform, and blast Christmas Carols everywhere. It is perhaps the only time we are allowed to play these songs outside of the church. I truly believe that everyone hearing it, even subconsciously, will be touched by the most important story ever told about our Lord, Jesus Christ, our Saviour, and our King.
My good mother, not wanting to let the opportunity pass, taught me about the First Noel, the First Christmas. The shepherds, the angels, the three wise men, the shining star, and a baby born called the King of Israel.
These are fascinating tales for a little boy and made the year-end so magical and exciting. Yet I knew in my heart, at that young age, that these stories point to a person called Jesus, and I vividly remember telling my parents that I wanted to accept Jesus.
The end of the year is the perfect time to sing, perform, and blast Christmas Carols everywhere. It is perhaps the only time we are allowed to play these songs outside of the church. I truly believe that everyone hearing it, even subconsciously, will be touched by the most important story ever told about our Lord, Jesus Christ, our Saviour, and our King.
Pr Miranda KuaYoung Adults Campus, Multimedia and Communications Pastor, SIBKL
The carol ‘The First Noel’ speaks of shepherds tending their flocks, the magi from the east seeing the stars that led them to where Jesus, the Prince of Peace was born, and how they bowed down and worshipped Him.
This actually ought to inspire us to do the same! God gave Jesus as a gift to humankind for reconciliation, and we need to make every effort to find the gift, receive it openly, and in return, worship Jesus wholeheartedly! There is so much depth and meaning in this carol because it’s all about God and us.
This Christmas, my church’s Young Adults and Campus Students are bringing the true meaning of Christmas to a B40 community. We will be going to their homes, delivering bags of wrapped Christmas gifts door-to-door, writing prophetic prayers to the families, and of course, filling their homes with the singing of these powerful Christmas carols!
As we sing, I pray that the truth of the Good News will ring true to the next generation when we see the impact that it brings through sharing the love of Christ with those who need it desperately in this time and season.
This actually ought to inspire us to do the same! God gave Jesus as a gift to humankind for reconciliation, and we need to make every effort to find the gift, receive it openly, and in return, worship Jesus wholeheartedly! There is so much depth and meaning in this carol because it’s all about God and us.
This Christmas, my church’s Young Adults and Campus Students are bringing the true meaning of Christmas to a B40 community. We will be going to their homes, delivering bags of wrapped Christmas gifts door-to-door, writing prophetic prayers to the families, and of course, filling their homes with the singing of these powerful Christmas carols!
As we sing, I pray that the truth of the Good News will ring true to the next generation when we see the impact that it brings through sharing the love of Christ with those who need it desperately in this time and season.
‘The First Noel’ is an old classical English folk carol which was first published in 1823. The word “Noel”, or its variant spelling “Nowell”, is an old way of saying “Christmas”. The refrain of the song calls for the joyful celebration of Christmas because the King of Israel was born on Christmas day.
As we listen to the first stanza of ‘The First Noel’, we hear of the shepherds who were watching over their flocks. They saw an angel come from heaven to tell them the good news of the birth of the Saviour. How amazing that must have been!
The next four stanzas speak of the experience of the magi from the East. They saw the star that signified the birth of Jesus. They were led by it day and night to a “house” in Bethlehem where Jesus was.
What did the magi do upon arriving? In the fifth stanza, we hear how they paid homage to the child and recognised Him for who He was. They bowed down with reverence and worshipped him on their knees. They also presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
As we hear the final stanza, let our hearts rise together to worship and thank God for what He has done for us through Christ. God has redeemed us from our sins with the blood that was shed on the cross by Jesus, the One who was born on Christmas Day.
When we sing ‘The First Noel’, may our voice of gratitude and joy ring loud and clear as God brings people back to Him.
Prayer: Father God, I thank you for sending Jesus on the First Noel! Just as the magi paid homage and worshipped Jesus, I bow my heart now to the King whose shed blood has redeemed me from my sins. Thank you for being my Saviour!
As we listen to the first stanza of ‘The First Noel’, we hear of the shepherds who were watching over their flocks. They saw an angel come from heaven to tell them the good news of the birth of the Saviour. How amazing that must have been!
The next four stanzas speak of the experience of the magi from the East. They saw the star that signified the birth of Jesus. They were led by it day and night to a “house” in Bethlehem where Jesus was.
What did the magi do upon arriving? In the fifth stanza, we hear how they paid homage to the child and recognised Him for who He was. They bowed down with reverence and worshipped him on their knees. They also presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
As we hear the final stanza, let our hearts rise together to worship and thank God for what He has done for us through Christ. God has redeemed us from our sins with the blood that was shed on the cross by Jesus, the One who was born on Christmas Day.
When we sing ‘The First Noel’, may our voice of gratitude and joy ring loud and clear as God brings people back to Him.
Prayer: Father God, I thank you for sending Jesus on the First Noel! Just as the magi paid homage and worshipped Jesus, I bow my heart now to the King whose shed blood has redeemed me from my sins. Thank you for being my Saviour!
The First Noel the angel did say
Was to certain poor shepherds
in fields as they lay;
In fields as they lay, keeping their sheep,
On a cold winter's night that was so deep.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,
Born is the King of Israel.
They looked up and saw a star
Shining in the east beyond them far,
And to the earth it gave great light,
And so it continued both day and night.
And by the light of that same star
Three wise men came from country far;
To seek for a king was their intent,
And to follow the star wherever it went.
This star drew nigh to the northwest,
O'er Bethlehem it took it rest,
And there it did both stop and stay
Right over the place where Jesus lay.
Then entered in those wise men three
Full reverently upon their knee,
and offered there in his presence
Their gold, and myrrh, and frankincense.
Then let us all with one accord
Sing praises to our heavenly Lord;
That hath made heaven and earth of naught,
And with his blood mankind hath bought
Was to certain poor shepherds
in fields as they lay;
In fields as they lay, keeping their sheep,
On a cold winter's night that was so deep.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,
Born is the King of Israel.
They looked up and saw a star
Shining in the east beyond them far,
And to the earth it gave great light,
And so it continued both day and night.
And by the light of that same star
Three wise men came from country far;
To seek for a king was their intent,
And to follow the star wherever it went.
This star drew nigh to the northwest,
O'er Bethlehem it took it rest,
And there it did both stop and stay
Right over the place where Jesus lay.
Then entered in those wise men three
Full reverently upon their knee,
and offered there in his presence
Their gold, and myrrh, and frankincense.
Then let us all with one accord
Sing praises to our heavenly Lord;
That hath made heaven and earth of naught,
And with his blood mankind hath bought
Rev. Joel LiewLead Pastor, Victory Church KL
The First Noel caught my attention as a child simply because ‘Noel’ sounded like my name Joel. I remember hearing it played in Metrojaya, a KL mall which had one of the best Christmas décor in the 80s, and singing ‘The First Joel’ much to my parents’ amusement!
My good mother, not wanting to let the opportunity pass, taught me about the First Noel, the First Christmas. The shepherds, the angels, the three wise men, the shining star, and a baby born called the King of Israel.
These are fascinating tales for a little boy and made the year-end so magical and exciting. Yet I knew in my heart, at that young age, that these stories point to a person called Jesus, and I vividly remember telling my parents that I wanted to accept Jesus.
The end of the year is the perfect time to sing, perform, and blast Christmas Carols everywhere. It is perhaps the only time we are allowed to play these songs outside of the church. I truly believe that everyone hearing it, even subconsciously, will be touched by the most important story ever told about our Lord, Jesus Christ, our Saviour, and our King.
My good mother, not wanting to let the opportunity pass, taught me about the First Noel, the First Christmas. The shepherds, the angels, the three wise men, the shining star, and a baby born called the King of Israel.
These are fascinating tales for a little boy and made the year-end so magical and exciting. Yet I knew in my heart, at that young age, that these stories point to a person called Jesus, and I vividly remember telling my parents that I wanted to accept Jesus.
The end of the year is the perfect time to sing, perform, and blast Christmas Carols everywhere. It is perhaps the only time we are allowed to play these songs outside of the church. I truly believe that everyone hearing it, even subconsciously, will be touched by the most important story ever told about our Lord, Jesus Christ, our Saviour, and our King.
Pr Miranda KuaYoung Adults Campus, Multimedia and Communications Pastor, SIBKL
The carol ‘The First Noel’ speaks of shepherds tending their flocks, the magi from the east seeing the stars that led them to where Jesus, the Prince of Peace was born, and how they bowed down and worshipped Him.
This actually ought to inspire us to do the same! God gave Jesus as a gift to humankind for reconciliation, and we need to make every effort to find the gift, receive it openly, and in return, worship Jesus wholeheartedly! There is so much depth and meaning in this carol because it’s all about God and us.
This Christmas, my church’s Young Adults and Campus Students are bringing the true meaning of Christmas to a B40 community. We will be going to their homes, delivering bags of wrapped Christmas gifts door-to-door, writing prophetic prayers to the families, and of course, filling their homes with the singing of these powerful Christmas carols!
As we sing, I pray that the truth of the Good News will ring true to the next generation when we see the impact that it brings through sharing the love of Christ with those who need it desperately in this time and season.
This actually ought to inspire us to do the same! God gave Jesus as a gift to humankind for reconciliation, and we need to make every effort to find the gift, receive it openly, and in return, worship Jesus wholeheartedly! There is so much depth and meaning in this carol because it’s all about God and us.
This Christmas, my church’s Young Adults and Campus Students are bringing the true meaning of Christmas to a B40 community. We will be going to their homes, delivering bags of wrapped Christmas gifts door-to-door, writing prophetic prayers to the families, and of course, filling their homes with the singing of these powerful Christmas carols!
As we sing, I pray that the truth of the Good News will ring true to the next generation when we see the impact that it brings through sharing the love of Christ with those who need it desperately in this time and season.
Father God, I thank you for sending Jesus on the First Noel! Just as the magi paid homage and worshipped Jesus, I bow my heart now to the King whose shed blood has redeemed me from my sins. Thank you for being my Saviour!
Journey Through Psalms 51-100
Take a journey through Psalms 51–100, and rejoice, weep, and above all, worship our great God and King.
