Advent Week 1

If you know me at all, you probably know that I'm a grinch when it comes to Christmas. But this morning, we sang one of the few Christmas songs that I really like, "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel."

After reading Isaiah 42:1-9 as a church, we sang this song, and the two went hand in hand as God brought to mind my friends in Southeast Asia who do not yet know Christ.

O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appears
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.



Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us, has come to those mourning in lonely exile. He met me there! My friends in Southeast Asia may not even realize that they are in exile, but they often recognize that they are lonely and mourning; they just don't know about what. Jesus came to be their hope and all of our hope!

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.

Free Thine own from Satan's tyranny. Jesus will save His own; He will not fail in doing that. He will call those whom He has chosen, and He will free them from Satan's tyranny, because they are His. This is so comforting as I think about my friends whom I left behind in Asia. Jesus will meet with those who are His, and He will free them, just as He has me.

O 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 flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

Disperse the gloomy clouds of night and death's dark shadows put to flight. Only Jesus can enter their darkness and drive it away because only He is Light. The darkness there is so permeating and oppressive and often feels very consuming, so recognizing Jesus as being powerful over that darkness is so comforting! Only Jesus can raise them from the dead of their sins, just like He did me, because only He has conquered death and risen from the grave. 

O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

My prayer is that God would close their path to misery. The path they're on is a hopeless one, headed for an eternity in hell apart from Christ, but in Christ, they have hope; we have hope. He is the Way. He is the Truth. He is the Life. Jesus, open wide your heavenly home to my friends!