A Great and Mighty Wonder
A great and mighty wonder
The hymn expresses the Lutheran understanding of the Incarnation as God's supreme act of condescension and love, wherein the divine nature entered creation to accomplish redemption. Its imagery of nature responding to Christ's birth—sun and moon obey, darkness flees—reflects the cosmic significance of salvation history central to Lutheran Christology.
History & Background
This ancient Greek hymn was composed by St. Germanus, Patriarch of Constantinople in the 8th century, celebrating the Incarnation and Mary's role in salvation history. John Mason Neale translated it from Greek into English in 1862, making it accessible to English-speaking congregations and establishing its prominence in Western hymnody.
Hymnal Appearances
- Evangelical Lutheran Worship — 294
- Glory to God — 166
- The Hymnal 1982 — 71
- Lutheran Service Book — 383
- Lift Up Your Hearts — 76
- Lutheran Worship — 51
- Trinity Hymnal — 194
- The Lutheran Hymnal — 76
- Voices Together — 220
Translation
Bulletin Note
Composed by St. Germanus, an eighth-century Byzantine bishop, this hymn has anchored Christian worship for thirteen centuries. Its cosmic imagery—sun and moon obeying Christ—reflects patristic theology of the Incarnation's universal redemptive significance.
Preaching Connection
This hymn amplifies the Gospel's resolution by showing how the Incarnation satisfies the Law's exposure of human helplessness—only God entering creation can accomplish what we cannot do for ourselves.
Themes
Incarnation of Christ Divine mystery and wonder Nature's response to salvation Mary and childbearing God's redemptive plan