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O come all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant 
O come ye, o come ye to Bethlehem
Come and behold him born the king of angels.

O Come, All Ye Faithful, verse 1

I was a faithful Orioles fan for one season.  I went to the games, knew all the players, checked scores daily and trash-talked Yankee fans.  I was devoted.  Toward the end of the season it looked like they were moving toward an American League Championship and I was there for it, until they lost.  It was like someone ripped my heart out and danced on its pathetic form.  

Faithfulness does that.  We entrust something or someone with our hopes and fears.  This is where our first verse brings us.  The author calls the faithful to rejoice in victory, to revel in triumph, because a king has been born.  He is a king whose power is over the physical and metaphysical physical realms.  The faithful can breathe a sigh of relief because of the peace that comes through victory.  But there is a next step.  It’s not enough to feel the relief but to be called to approach the unlikely place where this thing has happened and worship the king.

Bethlehem was the last place on earth where events like this should take place.  This piece of the Christmas story is incredible for those who doubt what God can do and where God will move.  The king of angels is born in an unlikely place.  Even the faithful can doubt God can move in an unlikely place.  Doubting does not take away the status as “faithful,” but the faithful can have their doubts removed because they stay.  The faithful trust in God in the midst of their doubts and are rewarded with peace that surpasses understanding.

Scripture Reference

Hebrews 10:22, Micah 5:2

Action Step

Where do you have the greatest doubts?  What can you do to reinforce your faith in the midst of your doubt?

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Our journey through Advent brings us to a reflection of peace.  A quick description of peace might be the absence of chaos and conflict.  I can tell you that one of the most peaceful moments of my day is when my two youngest children are asleep in their beds. A quick jaunt to the nearest hobby store, and you might find a rustic plaque with script writing that declares, “Peace on Earth.”  It doesn’t take much research for us to find the opposite is the harsh reality of our world.  Which brings us to the question: If Jesus comes to bring “Peace on Earth,” why is there so much violence and conflict? 

The two songs we will use as reference points are “O Come All Ye Faithful” and “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.”  Each song provides a unique perspective on the peace that God inaugurates through the life of Jesus.  In “O Come,” we will see the Christmas story of Luke described in 3 stanzas and a major key.  In “God Rest,” we will go through 3 stanzas of a song in a minor key.  It is a beautiful illustration that Christ is our peace amid our joy and sadness.

When the prophet Isaiah foretold the birth of Christ, he said, “And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace, there will be no end.”  God has established his rule of peace through Jesus.  The next step is for us to live into that peace on his terms, not ours.  It is then that we will find the peace that we are looking for.

Scripture References

Isaiah 9:6-7, Isaiah 40:1-5

Action Step

In moments where you feel like there is conflict, meditate on the peace Jesus wants to bring.

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This week’s hymns

Traditional Versions

Contemporary Versions

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O Come, O King of nations,
bind in one the hearts of all mankind. 
Bid all our sad divisions cease,
and be yourself our King of Peace.

O Come, O Come Emmanuel, verse 7

I love how the writer of this song speaks of such great hope as he asks for the binding of the hearts of all mankind and asks for all sad divisions to cease. What a beautiful request to the King of Peace! He knows that we need Jesus to make peace. 

To fully appreciate this song verse, let’s break down the word peace by taking a look at this word in Hebrew. In Hebrew, the word peace is Shalom which means completeness, soundness, welfare, and peace.  Have you ever experienced peace? Where everything is complete, sound, safe, and in total peace? I’ve had moments of peace by myself and with others. Moments where it can feel like everything is “right in the world”.

 In John 16:33 Jesus says, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” In a world that is chaotic, busy, and quite overwhelming I have had to be intentional to cultivate peace within my life and with others.

The successful abiding of peace has only come through spiritual discipline. Making sure I am entering into the peace-filled presence of God through His Word, praise, thanksgiving, and prayer. When I do it shifts my perspective from the problem to the hope found in Jesus.

Isaiah 26:3 is a promise that says “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you because he trusts in you.” It can be hard in a world that distracts us, but He promises us that as we focus on Him, and trust Him, that we will have perfect peace.  What a beautiful hope-filled promise!

We interact with people often. Whether in our homes, our workplaces, our schools, or even grocery shopping. Simple fact: people are everywhere. God has designed us for others and to be in community with others.

Relationships can be difficult at times. In our scripture reading, James gives us great advice on how to walk wisely with others. In doing so, he says we will reap righteousness.

Peacemakers are those who seek peace at all costs. This is not merely keeping the peace. That would be called a peacekeeper, which is not what we are called to be. Rather we are called to make peace. This can vary in approach and what you are tasked with prayerfully through the Holy Spirit, but regardless of how the peace should be made, James encourages us to walk wisely in doing it.

Scripture Reference

James 3:17-18

Action Step

 Is there a difficult relationship in your life currently? Pause and take a moment to pray for this relationship. Ask God what next step you need to do to become a peacemaker in this relationship, then follow through in obedience to what God is asking you to do.

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O come, O Bright and Morning Star,
and bring us comfort from afar!
Dispel the shadows of the night
and turn our darkness into light.

O Come, O Come Emmanuel, verse 6

I hear you…but please hear me out.

Morning Star is one of those mysterious terms which comes to us from the Book of Revelation (22:8).  It is associated with one of seven promises from Christ to those who overcome the trials and temptations of life, remaining loyal to him to the end.  As with other imagery used in Revelation, this can seem really abstract.  That’s OK.  It is! 

Here’s a tip: if something doesn’t make sense in a prophecy, look for similar terms used elsewhere in scripture; they can usually provide additional insight.  So, although  biblical scholars don’t quite all agree on the exact meaning of the Morning Star, we can find clues to its meaning within scripture itself.

Many maintain that the Morning Star refers to Jesus himself. Christ is described as the “Morning Star” in 2 Peter 1:19, and He identifies Himself as ‘“the bright morning star” in Revelation 22:16. 

Now, let’s replace the obtuse yet scripturally significant “Bright and Morning Star” with Jesus.  Go ahead.  I’ll wait…

In doing so, we see that Jesus brings us comfort, dispels the shadows of the night and turns our darkness into light.  Shadows only exist if there is a light source to begin with.  Think about it.  Without light there can be no shadows.  Let Jesus be that light!  He is the light! If there is a darkness in your life right now, ask Jesus to enter that space with you.  

Darkness can’t remain where light is present.  How much hope does that give us?!?  We don’t need to stay in our sinfulness, hold onto negative perceptions, or fight battles on our own.  We can ask  Jesus, the Light, to enter into those dark spaces with us.   We have hope, a blessed assurance, that one day God will not only defeat evil in our world but also inside of us and bring His healing presence to make all things new!

Scripture References

John 8:12, Matthew 7:7-8

Action Step

Today, identify an area of your life where you can invite Jesus into.  This can be either an area where sin currently reigns or where you could use a healthier perspective.  Do not allow the darkness to remain any longer.  Invite Him in.

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O come, O Key of David, come
and open wide our heavenly home.
Make safe for us the heavenward road
and bar the way to death’s abode.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to you, O Israel.

O Come, O Come Emmanuel, verse 5

As we prepared to buy our first house we hit a snag.  The lender wanted the back deck stained. If left in its current state, the wood would rot and the safety of the deck compromised.  For the next month the weather was touch and go and with the help of my friend, Jeff (who was also our realtor), we finally got it done.  I remember the moment he handed us the keys and the relief that the house was finally ours.  The work finished, and the labor of building a home ready to start.  

Every home needs a way to get in.  A door, a gate, a walkway…you get the picture.  If a home is kept secure from outside threats, then it needs a lock and, in-turn, a key.  In John 14, Jesus tells his disciples that he is going to prepare a place for them in his father’s house.  Thomas responds with a very logical question, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:1-7)

God sends us the key to His home.  The prophet Isaiah had shown that the key to heaven would be through the line of David. Check the lineage and we see Jesus is of the line of David (Isaiah 22:22, Matthew 1:6 ).  His sacrifice and resurrection opens the “heavenward road.”  We still have access to opportunities that can bring us away, so we sing “bar the way to deaths abode” or “lead us not temptation, but deliver us from evil.”  

Our souls long for a home, God provides the key: Jesus, Emmanuel.

Scripture References

John 14:1-7, Isaiah 22:22, Matthew 1:6

Action Step

What way away from “home” do you need to ask God to block?  What steps will you take to move toward God through Jesus?

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O Come, O Branch of Jesse’s stem,
unto your own and rescue them!
 From depths of hell your people save,
and gives them victory o’er the grave.

O Come, O Come Emmanuel, verse 4

Can we just sit for a minute pondering and treasuring these hope-filled words? Breathing in deep the depths of the implications of this song verse. This branch of Jesse, the lesser-known family member, the father of King David, speaks of Jesus. This reference to Jesus actually shows the humility of our King.

In Isaiah 11:1, Isaiah uses Jesse’s name instead of saying David’s stem, intentionally to show Jesus’ humble roots. Our humble King Jesus has come to rescue us from the pits of hell. If that was not enough, what else does the song say He has done? It says He gives us victory over death. 1 Corinthians 15:57, confirms this: “.” Why would Jesus do such a thing? This King is all-sufficient. Why would He come and step into our brokenness? In 2 Corinthians 5:19, it says, “that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.”

Love in action.

God, through Jesus, is saying with His actions, “I love you. I died for you so that we can live reconciled, together forever.” How many other Kings would do this? Jesus stepped off His glorious throne so we could have intimacy with God. Oh, what love! This great love gives us so much hope.

 When my kids express their love for me in different ways such as drawing me a picture, cleaning their room on their own, giving me a hug, or caring for me while I am sick…could you imagine if I did not respond? It would actually be unthinkable. How much more should we respond with gratitude to such a deep call to intimacy from our Father?

Scripture Reference

 1 John 4:9-10

Action Step

If Christ died for us, putting His great, abiding love into action, how should we respond? How can you respond to His love for you today?

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O come, O Wisdom from on high,
Who ordered all things mightily;
To us the path of knowledge show
And teach us in its ways to go.

O Come, O Come Emmanuel, verse 2

Let’s go back to grade school English for a quick minute.  Remember learning about proper and common nouns? Proper nouns are always capitalized and refer to a specific person, place or thing.  Notice how Wisdom above is capitalized?  That’s because its not just talking about understanding from some place beyond ourselves…it’s recognizing God Himself as Wisdom.  And guess what?  He will reveal portions of that singular variety of Wisdom to us through the Holy Spirit as we petition for it and press into Him.  His ways are not our ways, but his ways are exceedingly better. 

Think about it: When we plan for a new baby (myself included) we have amazon gift registries, agonize over the nursery colors, and stage Pinterest-worthy spaces to surround well-appointed cribs. But, his ways are not our ways.  In His infinite Wisdom, God allowed His son, who would one day reign over the entire world, to come into that very same world in the most unassuming of ways. The nursery which housed our Savior was adorned with a troth-esque crib set against an unimpressive rustic barn backsplash, quite unlike the endearing farmhouse chic venues of today, and the Wisdom which knew it would be so from the very beginning of the world! It was all part of God’s perfect plan to redeem humanity back to Himself and allow us to live in His presence for eternity.

There’s something comforting about knowing I don’t have to rely on my own understanding. I mess up.  A lot.  I don’t have all the answers, but our God does, and in that I can have Hope.  We needn’t be trepidatious if we don’t know how something will transpire as long as we know we are following His will.  He has gone before us and already has all things worked out for His good and purposes.

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Scripture References

Isaiah 55:8, James 1:5

Action Step

Today, ask God to bestow His wisdom on you in some aspect of your life needing clarity.

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O come, O come, Emmanuel,
and ransom captive Israel
that mourns in lonely exile here
until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel
shall come to you, O Israel.

O Come, O Come Emmanuel, verse 1

As I write this, it is October.  The prevailing car conversation with my oldest has been, “Can’t we just skip Halloween and Thanksgiving and skip right to Christmas?  I just feel like getting to the good of the season now.” 

The season is captivating, the lights, the special playlist of music that we break out for one month a year, the tree; it is a beautiful time.  But advent is a season of tension.  We celebrate because of the darkness that is overcome by Christ’s birth.  

The opening verse of this hymn does not reflect the joy and goodwill of the Christmas season.  It’s rife with imagery of captivity, mourning, exile, and longing.  The music is written in a minor key which adds to the weight, the melody is ominous and, even in its resolution, does not truly resolve.  In this haunting melody, there is a profound invitation to anticipate the coming of Jesus by being reminded of our need for him.

Israel is synonymous with the people who have chosen to be in covenant with God; for us, this is the Church.  While we have joy in deliverance in our salvation, we are still subject to the brokenness of the world around us.  We mourn the abuse that happens in homes, the injustice in our systems, and the evils that feel overwhelming.  The people of God see the contrast between God’s Kingdom and world.  It is easy to feel like we have been exiled. 

The beauty of advent is our anticipation of the coming savior.  While the music maintains its minor key, the refrain pulls us from the sadness with a major chord as we sing, “Rejoice! Rejoice!”  The appearance of Christ lifts us out of our captivity and into joy.

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Today, the Advent Season begins, and we light the Candle of Hope. Hope is like a light shining in a dark place.  It allows us to see beyond the right now and yearn for what will be.  Regardless of our current circumstances, we can have a blessed assurance that all the days adorned for us were written in His book before one of them ever came to be! (Psalm 139:16) I don’t know about you, but that provides me so much hope for what has yet to come…both on this side of eternity and forever.  

This week we will continue to focus on hope as we explore the lyrics of the classic Christmas hymn, O Come, Oh Come, Emmanuel.  While our source of truth is always found in scripture, many songs we sing this time of year have deep scriptural roots.  By better understanding lyrics and how they relate to scripture, we can be better positioned to boldly, genuinely and lovingly raise our voices in song. 

For added context, the lyrics for Oh Come, Oh Come, Emmanuel comes from a 7 verse poem that dates back to the 8th century. The original text created the reverse acrostic ero cras, which means “I shall be with you tomorrow.” A version with just five of the verses appeared in the 13th century, which was translated into English in 1851. Each of the five verses explores one of the names for the Messiah:

“Emmanuel” (Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:23) means “God with us”

“Adonai” (Exodus 19:16) is a name for God, the giver of the law

“Branch of Jesse” (Isaiah 11:1) refers to Jesus’ lineage

“Oriens” (Malachi 4:2, Luke 1:78-79) is the morning star or daystar

“Key of David” (Isaiah 22:22) again refers to Jesus’ lineage

This week we will look at each verse in greater detail and see how each view of Jesus gives us reason to have hope this season and beyond! We will also provide daily scripture references and action steps for those who want to dig deeper.

Here’s a version of this week’s song for you to enjoy!

Scripture References

Proverbs 23:18, Romans 15:13, Psalm 62:5-6, Isaiah 40:31

Action Step

Today, open your bible or click here and locate the scriptures above.  As you read, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal what God would like you to to know about Him and His character as written in those Scriptures.  Praise Him for what He reveals and that the Holy Spirit revealed it to you!

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