Lyrics
Verse 1
Born in a cattle stall, eternal Son of God
Oh the wonder of it all
Pure divinity, born of Mary
Oh the wonder of it all
Bright and Morningstar, Oh how wonderful you are
Our Prince of peace, we sing Gloria
Verse 2
Born in Bethlehem, Immanuel has come
Oh the wonder of it all
Our Messiah King, born to set us free
Oh the wonder of it all
Bright and Morningstar, Oh how wonderful you are
Our Prince of peace, we sing Gloria
Bridge
Fully God and fully man
In your salvation now we stand,
How wonderful you are
Verse 3
Born a tiny babe, ascended now to reign
Oh the wonder of it all
A sacrifice for sin and are welcomed in,
Oh the wonder of it all
Outro
All the earth is singing glory to the Son of God
All the earth is singing, gloria
Video
Meaning & Inspiration
This Christmas song tells the story of the nativity in short, repeated phrases, with the refrain "Oh the wonder of it all" returning after each line. The first verse begins with "Born in a cattle stall, eternal Son of God" and names him "Bright and Morningstar" and "Prince of peace," while the second verse places the birth in Bethlehem and calls him Immanuel and "Messiah King."
The bridge states the central claim of the incarnation: "Fully God and fully man." The third verse looks past the manger, noting that the "tiny babe" is now "ascended" to reign and that his life was "a sacrifice for sin." The closing section widens the scene to all the earth singing "gloria."
The titles used in the lyrics come from the gospel accounts of the birth and from prophetic passages about a promised child. Joining the stable, the cross and the ascended Lord in one carol gives the song a wider scope than a simple retelling of Bethlehem.
Related Scripture
- Luke 2:7 Mary lays her newborn son in a manger, behind the "cattle stall" opening.
- Isaiah 9:6 The promised child is called Prince of Peace, a title used in the song.
- John 1:14 The Word became flesh, matching "fully God and fully man."