My favorite Christmas carol is O Come, O Come, Emmanuel. During this Advent Season, we are remembering and we are waiting. Not just waiting for the day to celebrate our Savior’s birth, but truly waiting with eager anticipation and a sometimes weariness-hope for the day that our Savior will come again.
O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear
Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel
After thousands of years of waiting in expectation, the Savior did come. He was born to not only comfort the mourning or to ransom Israel from exile. But He was born to wipe every tear from our eye so that eternity will be without any mourning. He came to ransom Israel, but not with a king to destroy the Romans. He could have done that, yes. But He chose to do something far greater. He ransomed Israel with Himself – with God as man – to forgive them and ransom their hearts and the hearts of all generations. Emmanuel came also for you and me, to ransom us from our personal exiles. From the exile of sin that wages war within our hearts, that separates us from God. We can rejoice. Shall come ~ He has come ~ He will come again
O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan’s tyranny
From depths of Hell Thy people save
And give them victory o’er the grave
Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, o Israel
God fulfills His promises, and the Messiah did come, through the Rod of Jesse. Christ frees us from the tyranny of Satan when we accept Jesus as ruler of our hearts and lives. More than that, His power is over Satan. Satan is continually at work to kill, steal and destroy. But his power is limited. Satan’s victories will never last, and Satan will never win – not in the end, and not eternally. In the end, God will free us from all evil, and from the power of Satan. Because of the resurrection, God already claimed victory over the grave. He was victorious, and therefore, each of us will experience similar victory over the grave. It does not keep us. Death is not the end. We are promised that we will rise again. Rejoice, rejoice. Emmanuel, God with us. He has come to Israel, and He has come to me. He draws near to me, and desires to be with me each moment of each day. How awesome is that?!
O come, Thou Day-Spring
Come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death’s dark shadows put to flight
Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, o Israel
My spirit is not always cheery; not even in this Advent Season. But my cheer does not have to be dependent upon me, or those around me. My cheer should come from the knowledge of Emmanuel – God with me, who has already ransomed and freed me. Just as Jesus’ voice “Peace! Be still!”(Mark 4:39) calmed the storm over the Sea of Galilee, so His voice disperses the gloomy clouds that entangle my heart and hover over my mind. Darkness and death flee at the voice of Christ because they know neither of them can win. God with us, Emmanuel, has conquered the darkest night.
O come, Thou Key of David, come
And open wide our heavenly home
Make safe the way that leads on high
And close the path to misery
Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, o Israel
As followers of Christ, we are strangers in a strange land. If this earth is unsettling, and we do not quite feel at rest, then that is exactly how it’s meant to be. Our hearts yearn for something more – something always peaceful – something that will last. That something is our heavenly home – our final destination where we will forever be. How marvelous! “In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?” John 14:3 Just as having victory over the grave, Christ has gone before us. It’s a narrow way, but a safe way. Safe because being in the will of God is the safest place on earth. Misery will be no more, because Jesus is preparing our forever home.
Jesus is near. Emmanuel has come. And He promises to come again and take us home. Because of these, we have a true and lasting reason to rejoice. May your heart be encouraged with the reality of the nearness of our Savior this Christmas.
Emmanuel, God with us.
Shall come ~ He has come ~ He will come again
Thank you Kelly for writing and sharing you favorite Christmas hymn. I do see the depth and age long time frame for those who were waiting on Jesus then, as we are.
Oh Holy Night is my favorite.
As it tells the wonderful happenings surrounding Baby Jesus coming. How important the shephards were, how Joseph and Mary had to make do for their baby. What transpired was good enough and from the lowliest (hmm real word?) to the most high.
A Merry Christmas to all of your family!
Becky
Thanks for sharing your favorite Christmas carol with me! Oh Holy Night is certainly up there on my list too! Absolutely. How humbling it is to think of all the events and people that surrounded Jesus’ birth. God has a special way of raising up the lowly! Thank you. Merry Christmas to you and yours!