O Come Emmanuel

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.

Hear the cry of the author: that God would come again to free his people. When Jesus appeared on the stage of History, many people acknowledged that He was the Messiah, but abandoned Him and turned against Him when they realized He was not the Messiah they were looking for. “People cry out because of the excess of oppression,” but they care nothing for the God who blesses them (Job 35:9-12). They want a king (1Sa 8:7), not the good king that God promises (Gen 49:10), but one that would fight the battles of their choosing (1Sa 8:20). They want deliverance, not from sin that binds them to idols and prevents true worship of the Creator, but chains that limit their liberty to serve themselves.

“And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.” –Luke 2:7

And so how many cry out, “O Come, Emmanuel!” and yet reject the Deliverer. Is it any wonder why so many missed the message of Emmanuel (Mat 1:23)? Should it surprise us that Joseph and Mary could not find a room in the “House of Bread” (Bethlehem) for the Bread of Life (John 6:48)? Everyone was looking for a Messiah of their own making. And so, only the lowliest of places made room for the King (1Co 1:27-29).

And yet to whom did the Angels appear?

“Now there were shepherds nearby living out in the field, keeping guard over their flock at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were absolutely terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid! Listen carefully, for I proclaim to you good news that brings great joy to all the people: Today your Savior is born in the city of David. He is Christ the Lord.’” –Luke 2:8-11

Consider their audience: lowly shepherds in charge of the Bethlehem flock. These were the very sheep used for Jerusalem sacrifices. These individuals were waiting and watching for the birth of sacrificial lambs. The imagery is beyond poetic—it is astounding! And so the message of Emmanuel is proclaimed to the those few who were watching for the Lamb of God, those few who saw with eyes of faith (Luke 2:25-35), fully trusting in God and not their own understanding (Pro 3:5-6; 2Co 5:7; Heb 11:1).

Are you watching for a messiah to release you from sinful constraints to live as you please? Are you anticipating a king to fight the battles you choose? Are you wanting a god who serves your comfort and happiness? Or are you looking for God as He chooses to reveal Himself—the Lamb of God (Rev 5:5-6) who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29)?

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.