Christmas began long before herald angels sang the first noel while shepherds watched their flocks that silent night outside the little town of Bethlehem. It is fitting, then, that one of the oldest songs in our hymnody is also one of the oldest cries of mankind. O come, O come, Emmanuel expresses humanity’s deep burden to see things finally set aright. Surely Christmas began with this promise in the Bible’s very first book: And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel (Genesis 3:15). This prophecy of impending conflict and its final resolution is the basis for Christmas and indeed the entirety of the course of human events. It’s called the Protoevangelion—the original Gospel—and the good news is this, that although the separation of humanity from God is self-inflicted, our God desires and promises to be with us again, once and for all. From the fall of the first man and woman all the way up till November 29, 2009, the nations have expressed their deepest desire: that God would be with us. This anticipation of His advent grew as prophets spoke of the one who would come to restore humanity: His name would be called Emmanuel, the rod of Jesse, the dayspring from on high. This great redeemer was Jesus Christ, who came as prophet, priest and king of all humanity. Until His second and final coming, we join with the ancient voice of Israel as we sing:
O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.
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.
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.
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.
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.