O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

Merry Christmas!! On our road trip around NZ, we listened to an Advent/Christmas playlist (including these albums that don’t suck!). One that come up from 4 or 5 different artists was O Come, O Come, Emmanuel. Emmanuel. It means ‘God with us’. This particular song, written 1000 years ago, reflects upon the Old Testament promises of God himself coming to save his people. In the New Testament, with the coming of Jesus, we see God with us. Jesus is the long awaited fulfilment of all of God’s promises.

At Christmas, we are reminded that God isn’t aloof, but that he has come near in the person and work of his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. The Creator has entered into his creation. He is able to sympathise with us in our weakness and suffering. He experienced the full array of human emotion. This Christmas our church family is mourning the sudden loss of one of its young members. The fact that Jesus has come near brings great comfort. The fact that Jesus has come near means that we can draw near to God, and have a certain hope that will never perish, spoil or fade.

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel lyrics are below:

O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.

Refrain

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

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

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O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan’s tyranny;
From depths of hell Thy people save,
And give them victory over the grave.

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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.

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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.

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O come, O come, great Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes on Sinai’s height
In ancient times once gave the law
In cloud and majesty and awe.

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O come, Thou Root of Jesse’s tree,
An ensign of Thy people be;
Before Thee rulers silent fall;
All peoples on Thy mercy call.

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O come, Desire of nations, bind
In one the hearts of all mankind;
Bid Thou our sad divisions cease,
And be Thyself our King of Peace.

Refrain

Text from cyberhymnal.org