As I have mentioned in some of my past devotionals, I really enjoy listening to Contemporary Christian music. The same goes for some of my favorite Christmas tunes, they come from Contemporary Christian artists and groups. During this Advent journey, I will share three of MercyMe’s Christmas songs plus three other artists, so hopefully by the end of the week, you will want to enjoy some of their songs. The first one is O Come, O Come. It’s the same lyrics as O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, but with a more “modern arrangement.” If you have a few moments, take a listen and reflect on these verses.
O come, o come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the son of God appearO 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 graveRejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, o Israel
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, oohO 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 flightRejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, o IsraelRejoice (rejoice)
Rejoice, (ooh) Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, o Israel
Shall come to thee, o Israel
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh—O Come, O Come by MercyMe
Several years ago, we offered Advent studies during the 4 weeks leading up to Advent and at one of the studies, I also reflected on this song. It was the first time I really dived into the lyrics and it quickly became one of my favorite Christmas hymns. We are all longing for the coming of Jesus Christ and the freedom that He brings to us all. It’s not just about His first coming, but of His second coming we are anxiously awaiting. He didn’t just break us free from physical captivity but offers us freedom from the power of sin and death through His ultimate sacrifice of dying on the cross.
Now that I’m doing more research on this song, the hymn that we sing today was first published in the mid-19th century, its origins are found in a Benedictine Gregorian chant from the late 8th and 9th century. History tells us that beginning the week before Christmas, the monks would sing a verse a day to prepare their hearts and minds for Christmas.
I love the fact that the name Emmanuel means God with us. We read in Isaiah 7:14, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel.” It’s so comforting to have that constant reminder that God is always with us.
Prayer
Thank you, Lord, for this glorious season of Advent. May we continue to grow closer to you every day as we take time to share in these Advent devotionals. May we always remember, no matter the day of the year, oh come, oh come, Emmanual, because YOU are always with us. Amen.