O Come, O Come Emmanuel

We aren’t really sure of the exact origins of Christmas caroling, but there are some ideas floating around out there. I want to go ahead and cite my source for all this info: the internet

It’s pretty agreed upon that people going around door-to-door to sing was a thing that happened not just for Christmas, but throughout the winter. You may have heard it called wassailing before. That name comes from a thick spiced drink that people would give to the singers to help warm them up. This drink is an ancestor of egg nog!

There’s a few different ideas about how wassailing started. It could have been a winter practice to help cheer people up during the depressing winter. It may have started with poor people singing hoping to get a meal out of it. It may have been some monks who started it and supposedly had dances to go along with it too!

It started in Europe.

Christmas carols became a thing in the 13th century or so when St. Francis of Assisi took the upbeat Latin songs and applied them to Christmas music. He started the Franciscan order of monks and he and his boys would go around singing Christmas songs. Cause what’s the best way to spread Christmas cheer?

Singing loud for all to hear! Come on, go watch Elf!

This week and next week I want to look at a couple Christmas hymns and study the Scripture that they come from so we can have a deeper appreciation for the songs! This week we’re doing one of my favorites. It’s an old Latin hymn: Veni, Veni Emmanuel…

Amazing Grace—366 Inspiring Hymn Stories for Daily Devotions 2. O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

O come, O come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel, that mourns in lonely exile here until the Son of God appear.

O come, O come, Thou Lord of might who to Thy tribes, on Sinai’s height, in ancient times didst give the law in cloud and majesty and awe.

O come, thou Rod of Jesse, free Thine own from Satan’s tyranny; from depths of hell Thy people save and give them vict’ry o’er the grave.

O come, Thou Day-spring, come and cheer our spirits by Thine advent here; O drive away the shades of night and pierce the clouds and bring us light.

O come, Thou Key of David, come and open wide our heav’nly home where all Thy saints with Thee shall dwell—O come, O come, Emmanuel!

Refrain: Rejoice! rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

PRAY

Christ is the promise of hope for his people.

Most of this song comes out of the prophecies about Jesus from the book of Isaiah. Isaiah was a prophet to God’s people in Judah.

The Kingdom was split…

Judah was being punished…

God’s people, the faithful ones, were looking for rescue…

People need a Savior

read 1-2

You ever feel like no matter how hard you try, you just can’t do what you’re supposed to do? Sometimes I feel this way with my eating.

Yesterday afternoon we got Blizzards. They gave me the mini I ordered, but the also sent a small that no one paid for!

On Wednesdays I usually fast. Also, we have Christmas in three weeks, so we’re trying to be nice a frugal so we can get the gifts for our kids. But today at lunch time I started hearing everyone talk about getting Dave’s for lunch. I love a Dave’s burger and I haven’t had one since they reopened. So what happened to my fasting and frugality? I got a $14 cheeseburger and tots!

Sometimes I feel like even though I have good intentions, I can’t come through on them. I think that’s where a lot of God’s people are as Isaiah delivers the prophecy to them.

This song really captures that feeling I think. I asked TK about singing this song tonight and her response was that it was a little low and slow! It’s not as happy as most Christmas hymns because it’s written from the perspective of people who are in dire need of a Savior and they are calling for God’s promised Savior to arrive.

God promises Salvation

read 3-14

The Lord is promising that He is sending salvation and a Savior to his people! Imagine the hope and longing this is received with!

Isaiah 11:1 ESV

There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.

Isaiah 9:2 ESV

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.

Galatians 4:4–5 ESV

But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.

We live today knowing that our Savior has come, but also that He we come again for his church. So we can sing this song and rejoice that Immanuel has come. We also sing this song and call out to God to send Immanuel again for his people, to bring in his Kingdom.

If you are not a citizen of Heaven…