O Come, O come Emmanuel. So begins one of the great Advent carols that often begins our Christmas celebrations. Each verse adds another ‘O Come’ statement – normally called the ‘O antiphons’ which lead us up to Christmas. Each statement adds to our picture of who Jesus is, and what his coming means to the world and for us His people.'Come O wisdom....' In Christ, we see God's wisdom at work. Wisdom is not about being clever. Anybody can sit down and learn facts by rote. Wisdom goes further. Wisdom considers the implications of the facts. Wisdom involves common sense, perception, foresight. Christ was present at the very creation of the world. His wisdom brought the world itself into being. His wisdom continues to support and sustain the world today. And now, it is the Wisdom of God which is coming to us. Our life itself has come into being because God has given it to us. St. Paul tells the Athenians, 'in Christ we live and move and have our being. In him, we exist.' We rejoice at God's wisdom coming amongst us, through which we receive the precious gift of life, and come to understand that life has a purpose. We pray for the gift of insight and discernment to do what is right.
‘Come, O Lord of Might’. Although we can't see God, He comes to us in the most surprising of ways. He appeared to Moses in a burning bush. He delivered his people from bondage in Egypt and brought them to freedom. God has power to make things happen. Our God is a great big God, as we sing. Time and again, God has demonstrated His power and might, and continues to do so today. 'Let he who has ears listen to what the Spirit is saying to the Church.' Most remarkably, of all, God has come to us in human form. Jesus, the Lord of Might, is the one who takes away our sin, and saves us from eternal death.
‘O Come, Thou flower of Jesse's root’. The root is where it all begins. The flower is the product. Jesse, David’s father, lived a good 1000 years before the coming of Jesus, but stands in direct line as the founding father of the royal line of Judah, and ancestor of our Saviour. Jesus himself grew from the royal family, and so, was a sign that God had come in great power as a member of the Jewish race, a member of God's chosen race, come to fulfil God's promise to draw His people back from slavery and give them new leadership. In Jesus, we see the great flowering of God’s ultimate plan to redeem the world. We come to Jesus, who brings new life, new hope. Even the grave itself need hold no sense of fear or danger to His people. God is the great life-giver!
‘Come, O key of David’. Have you ever locked yourself out of your house, and been forced to break a window to get in? Embarrassing! That's why we have keys. Keys are useful things. They open doors. They grant us access. The Bible likens Jesus to a key. He alone is the one who opens up to us the riches of God's grace and love. Through his death, he unlocks the door in order that we may enter the joy of eternal life. There lies the whole purpose of his coming: that we may enter into his Father's kingdom.
‘Come, O Dayspring’. The darkest part of the night comes just before the dawn. And then, as the first rays on the sun begin to brighten up the eastern horizon, there’s a new sense of expectation in the air. Sometimes, it's worth sitting up through the night simply to experience this sense of hope and life that returns with the dawn. Through faith, we can experience a similar kind of expectation, as we anticipate Christ, the light of the world bursting upon us. As he comes to us, the dawn of God’s Day shines upon us, bringing us new hope, new confidence. The shadows of our doubts and fears melt away as we come into the light of the One who lightens all our darkness. A new day is dawning! It's not the shadows of the night, but God who will have the last word. So we can say, along with Jeremiah: 'Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning: great is your faithfulness, O Lord.'
‘Come, O Keystone’. A keystone, or cornerstone is the stone at the top of an arch. It’s where the two sides meet, and so is the stone which prevents the edifice from tumbling down. Christ is our Keystone. In 1 Peter we read, ‘See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame’ (1 Peter 2:6). It's only by faith in Christ that we discover our full potential as human beings. We are designed to be God's people – to live in relationship with God, under His headship. To be followers of Jesus Christ is to be fully human. Further, it's only through Christ our Keystone that we have any hope for Christian unity. We are such very different people, yet Christ brings us together. With him as our head, we are welded into the His body - ready to do His bidding.
And then, ‘O Come, O Come Emmanuel’. God with us. As we wait for Christmas, we wait with mounting excitement, because we know that in Jesus, God Himself comes to us. As we make our preparations, we do so with confidence and joy, because we know that we celebrate the birth of God Himself, who comes to offer us new hope, new opportunity, new life.
God loves the world so much that He doesn't just send prophets to warn; He doesn't just give us a book of instructions to follow; He doesn't shout from a distance through a giant megaphone. He comes among us. He is born as one of us. He shares completely in the human condition. He offers Himself to us in order that we may experience life – life as it is meant to be lived. Emmanuel, God with us!
God, who is in control of time and history, is a God who comes knocking on the door of our hearts. We speak of Christ as being the light of the world. We talk of the light of Christ coming into the world. That’s only of value to you if you have received the light of Christ into your own heart and life. God offers that light to you, today. Believe, and receive this good news for yourself.‘O Come to my heart Lord Jesus, there is room in my heart for you.’
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