"O come, O come Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel"
I love Christmas music. From Thanksgiving until New Year's, sometimes longer, it is all I listen to. "O come, O come Emmanuel" is probably my favorite Christmas song. I really like the way it sounds. In my opinion, it is one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever written.
As I was trying to think of something to write for this blog, the words to this song kept running through my head and it started me thinking. What kind of Christmas song talks about ransoms? Ransoms are usually associated with crimes, how is that Christmasy? To ransom means to redeem from captivity or bondage by paying a demanded price. Amidst all of the decorations and parties and gifts, we forget why Christmas really happened. We forget why Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us, was sent to this Earth. We were being held captive by this world and a price was demanded for our release. That price was God's own Son. Jesus was sent to this world to purchase our release from the bondage of sin and death. He paid that price by laying His life down for ours. We can never forget that without Good Friday, Christmas is meaningless.
So enjoy all of the things that come with the Christmas season, but don't lose sight of the real reason for it all. We were held captive by sin and Jesus willingly paid the ultimate price to purchase our release.
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, 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.
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.
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.
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.
This is an instrumental version of the song, but it is my favorite. The artist is Casting Crowns and the video is from the movie "The Nativity Story".
