Come Emmanuel

Luke 1:67-69; 76-78

      Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke this prophecy: ‘Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has looked favorably on his people and redeemed them. He has raised up a mighty savior for us in the house of his servant David, And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the forgiveness of their sins. By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us,

 Oh, Come, Oh, Come, Emmanuel LBW 34

 1    Oh, come, oh, come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel,
     that mourns in lonely exile here until the Son of God appear.

      Refrain:  Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to you, O Israel.

2    Oh, come, oh, come, great Lord of might, who to your tribes on Sinai’s height
      in ancient times once gave the law in cloud, and majesty, and awe.  Refrain

3    Oh, come, strong Branch of Jesse, free your own from Satan’s tyranny;
      from depths of hell your people save and give them vict’ry o’er the grave.  Refrain

4    Oh, come, blest Dayspring, come and cheer our spirits by your advent here;
      disperse the gloomy clouds of night, and death’s dark shadows put to flight.  Refrain

5    Oh, come, O Key of David, come, and open wide our heav’nly home;
      make safe the way that leads on high, and close the path to misery.  Refrain

 Text: Psalteriolum Cantionum Catholicarum, 

      This is one of the most ancient hymns in our hymnal. Both the text and the tune come from the early years of the church’s existence.  The text dates to the 5th century, a series of 8 prayers designed to be used on the 8 days prior to Christmas, called the “O Antiphons” (because each short antiphon/prayer began with an “O”) and derived from the Old and New Testament promises about the coming Messiah.  The tune was a French plainsong chant from the 10th century.  The text and tune have been sung together and used for over a thousand years! 

       Christmas was not the invention of Hallmark Cards or Amazon.com – the date of Christ’s birth (12/25) has been celebrated for nearly 1900 years!  We often fail to appreciate how long Christians have been expressing their faith through hymns! 

      This past year, with COVID raging, it felt like we lost Advent and Christmas amidst the mess.  But preparing homes and hearts for the coming of Jesus should not just be a seasonal activity anyway.  Rather it should be the path we walk as a people of faith to constantly, faithfully, and intentionally proclaim the coming of Christ to this world!  

       Maybe this year we should start early, like right now!

Prayer: Lord, your first coming brought glad tidings of great joy for all people. Help us to feel this way always, and to always share it with the world you came to save. Amen.