DAY 6 - 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.
Rejoice!  Rejoice!
Emmanuel Shall come to thee,
O Israel."


The words of this lovely Advent carol rang out from Richard and Penny Bird's garage this evening, reminding us of the eager anticipation with which the coming of the Messiah had been expected.  Translated from the Latin "Veni, Veni, Emmanuel" this is one of our older carols, with the text dating back to the early 1700s.  The carol rejoices in the coming of "Emmanuel", a reference to Isaiah 7:14 ("Behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call His name Immanuel") - and as Matthew 1:23 records, this name means "God with us".

For a people yearning for restoration from captivity, this hope kept them going - looking forward to Christ, the true King who would sit on the throne of their ancestor David, before whom all other rulers would fall silent.  The Old Testament prophet Haggai refers to the coming of the "desire of nations" (Haggai 2:7).

So today, we were invited to reflect on the many names given to Jesus in Scripture:   Christ, Son of God, King of Kings, Saviour of the World, Lamb of God, Prince of Peace, The First and the Last (Alpha and Omega), Light of the World, Son of David, The Word, Son of Man...and, of course, Emmanuel - God with us.

During this period of preparation and penitence, let us rejoice that God came to be with us in the form of a baby, laid in a manger - who was, indeed, great David's greater Son!   There is nothing more comforting to know that - especially if we feel alone, or far from God this Advent-time.   May the comfort and joy of Emmanuel fill our hearts and our lives!