Emmanuel

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

The beautiful haunting melody of O Come, O Come, Emmanuel has always captivated me. This year however, I have not only listened to the melody of this beloved carol; I have begun to listen more closely to the text of this song. In particular, the single word of ‘Emmanuel’ has captured my interest and drawn my intrigue. Opening God’s Word to Matthew, I’ve rediscovered the meaning of the name ‘Emmanuel.' Let me share it with you:

Matthew 1:23
Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

Emmanuel—God with us.

Here, in the meaning of Emmanuel, we find the truth that’s the very basis of our Christmas celebration. Jesus Christ, Emmanuel, is God with us. Jesus, the baby born 2000 years ago, wasn’t born merely as a great prophet or a radical teacher. Jesus came as God in flesh. Jesus came as God, to reconcile us to Himself.

Looking back a few verses in Matthew we find verse 21:

And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call His name JESUS: for He shall save his people from their sins.

He shall save his people from their sins.

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.

Jesus Christ, Emmanuel, God with us. Emmanuel has come! The Son of God has appeared. He came to deliver us from bondage—and because of Him, we have victory. Let us rejoice!

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

Merry Christmas! May your days be blessed as you rejoice in the coming of Emmanuel!

*The author of the words and composer to the music of O Come, O Come Emmanuel is unknown. This carol was a Latin text from the 12th Century.