Bach structured the cantata in seven movements, and scored it for three vocal soloists, a four-part choir, and a festive Baroque orchestra with horns, oboes and strings.

The choir sings the elaborate opening movement and the closing chorale, a four-part setting of a stanza from Johann Rist's "Hilf, Herr Jesu, laß gelingen".

Bach structured the work in nine movements, and scored it for four vocal parts and a festive Baroque orchestra with two natural horns, oboes and strings.

Several movements rely on music which he had composed earlier, from the secular cantata Laßt uns sorgen, laßt uns wachen, BWV 213 (Let us take care, let us watch over), a dramma per musica describing the story of "Hercules at the Crossroads", written for 11th birthday of Crown Prince Friedrich Christian of Saxony and first performed on 5 September 1733.

Bach incorporates two chorales, two stanzas from "Jesu, du mein liebstes Leben" by Johann Rist for a soprano complement to bass recitatives, and the 15th stanza of the same hymnist's "Hilf, Herr Jesu, laß gelingen" which the choir sings in a four-part setting with independent orchestra.

[12] The work features three vocal soloists, a four-part choir (SATB) and a Baroque instrumental ensemble of two natural horns (Co), two oboes (Ob), two violins (Vl), viola (Va) and basso continuo.

[13] Other sections of the Christmas Oratorio (such as Jauchzet, frohlocket, the opening chorus of Part I, and in Part VI both the opening chorus, Herr, wenn die stolzen Feinde schnauben, and the closing chorale fantasia, Nun seid ihr wohl gerochen) have a brighter feel than Fallt mit Danken, fallt mit Loben.

[12] The tenor sings in a secco recitative the verse from the Biblical Christmas story, "Und da acht Tage um waren, dass das Kind beschnitten würde" (And when eight days had passed, when the child would be circumcised),[14] after Luke 2:21.

The commentary is the first stanza from Rist's hymn "Jesu, du mein liebstes Leben" (Jesus, o my dearest life).

[12] In symmetry to the third movement, another bass recitative, "Wohlan, dein Name soll allein in meinem Herzen sein!"

[12] The tenor aria, "Ich will nur dir zu Ehren leben" (I will live only for Your honor),[14] expresses a vow to revere Jesus.