Is there one song that you always associate with Christmas? One hymn that you always look forward to hearing? 

For me it is “O Come O Come Emmanuel.” There is something about the rhythmic melody and powerful lyrics that always move me to worship. As I reflected on the song and lyrics this week, I realized that this year, in particular, “O Come O Come Emmanuel” can provide us with extra encouragement and hope. 

Unlike most Christmas songs that are stocked full of joy and celebration (“Joy to the World!”, “Hark the Herald Angels Sing!”), “O Come O Come Emmanuel” is a weird mix of sadness, anticipation, and expectation. Not something you expect for Christmas. But in a year with sadness, anticipation, and expectation, maybe this song can help give us a renewed sense of hope. 

Israel yearned

The song is written in reference to the many prophecies about the coming of the Messiah throughout the Old Testament. In particular, Isaiah 7:14, which says:

 “The Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel.”

For the Israelites these prophecies of a coming savior who would rescue them was huge news. Israel was in captivity and was surrounded by war, violence, and conflict. For them the news of a coming Messiah was a source of hope. Though Jesus didn’t come for another 600 years, they anticipated His arrival. They clung to the promises and waited with great expectation about who He would be and what He would do. 

The hymn references this yearning as early as the first few lines of lyrics:

O Come, O come, Emmanuel,

And ransom captive Israel

That mourns in lonely exile here

Until the Son of God appear. 

As I thought about that this week, I realized that I can identify with that. I can connect to the yearning.

There is the normal anticipation that comes with Christmas: gifts, time with family, vacation from work… but this year there is also a different anticipation. A painful, yearning anticipation.

Our world is in such turmoil right now. We are waiting, yearning, for something good to happen. 

We see deaths all around us. We see struggling business, vulnerable people without work, and heightened suicide rates. We see violence in our cities, natural disasters, and famine. While we aren’t in literal captivity, sometimes it feels like we are captive to the brokenness of the world—a pain we can’t escape. A pandemic that has robbed us of much and can’t end soon enough. 

A chorus to rejoice in

But luckily the song has a chorus. It’s where the hope comes. Where the joy sets in.

Rejoice, Rejoice, Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel

Israel was rejoicing because they knew the Messiah was coming. We rejoice because we know the Messiah has arrived and will come again. 

Jesus left heaven and all of its comfort and peace to come to earth, where He entered our sickness and brokenness—ultimately to die on the cross, destroying death and the power of sin. That is the joy we celebrate at Christmas. 

That’s the “Joy to the World!”, the “Go Tell it on the Mountain!”

The hope for you and I is this: Even though death is present, disease is miserable, and calamity still strikes, Jesus offers peace and salvation for today and promises hope for the future. He will return again, one day, and destroy all the pain in full. So, we rejoice today and expect tomorrow. We celebrate and we wait. We hope and we anticipate. 

“O Come O Come Emmanuel” is a song of both tearful yearning and joyful expectation. A song that I believe puts the uncertainties of 2020 at the feet of Jesus. 

A time to reflect

So, these days leading up to Christmas, I encourage you to grab a cup of coffee or tea, sit in front of your Christmas decorations, enjoy the lights and sounds of the season, and reflect on the meaning of Immanuel, God with us. He has come and promises to return again in triumphant victory. So, we sing loudly and proclaim this Christmas: Rejoice, rejoice Emmanuel has come! 

God Bless you all and Merry Christmas!