Two weeks ago we embarked upon a reflection of one of the most important songs in the history of the Christian faith: “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.”
The lyrics beautifully weave together the Old and New Testaments, telling the story of our Messiah, “the chosen One”—who would come to deliver his people from the consequences of their sins and establish his kingdom forever [1].
As noted before, the unknown lyricist carefully based each stanza on scripture. You’ll find references for further reflection listed at the end of this post.
Today we turn our attention to verses four and five [2]:
VERSE 4
I praise you, Lord Jesus, for fulfilling all the Messianic prophecies in the Old Testament—at least 300 of them (!), proclaimed long before your birth. The one referenced here offers such glorious hope, as I’m reminded that:
Jesse was the father of King David, and the prophet Jeremiah foretold you’d be a descendant of this king, a man loyal to the Lord. But as the centuries passed, the nation of Judah turned their backs on God. Again and again he urged them to return to him [3].
Isaiah (another prophet) painted a word picture of the events that would occur. He compared the kingdom of Judah and the throne of David’s descendants to a tree that would be cut down. All that would remain would be a stump–a remnant of the people [4].
Eleven years later, events unfolded just as Isaiah and four others prophets had foretold. Jehoiachin, the last legitimate king of Judah, was removed from his throne by the Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar.
Thousands of Judeans were taken captive so they’d see the error of their ways, seek forgiveness, and follow God once again [5].
But I praise you, Lord Jesus, that Isaiah’s word picture didn’t end there. He proclaimed that out of that hopeless, rotting stump would come a strong sapling.
Six centuries later, you came to earth, the only Righteous One of God, fulfilling that prophecy [6].
Not only were you from the lineage of David on your earthly father Joseph’s side, but also on your mother Mary’s side. This fulfilled the prophecies proclaiming you are the descendant of David that the Jewish people longed for: their Messiah [7].
I praise you, Lord Jesus, for coming to save your people–Jews and Gentiles alike. Because of your great mercy, you rescued me from the specter of hell, taking the punishment I deserved.
And now, the grave has no power over anyone who acknowledges you as their Rescuer [8]!
VERSE 5
I praise you, Lord Jesus, for possessing the Key of David. That’s significant because a key indicates authority over a domain.
King David was given authority to rule over all Israel; you rule over all mankind. In fact, God has seated you at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, all power and dominion [9].
Out of your magnificence and perfection, you’ve prepared heaven for your people—a place of utter tranquility, blissful and continual joy, eternal and lavish love—beyond what we can imagine.
I praise you, Lord Jesus! You’ve opened wide the gates of heaven; you hold open the door of opportunity for all to enter [10].
As you’ve promised, one day you’ll return and take your children home along “the heavenward road.” Then you will shut the door upon death once and for all [11].
REFRAIN
In all of this and more I REJOICE! You are my Rescuer, saving me from the greatest enemy of all: death.
I praise You, Lord Jesus, for graciously providing the way heavenward. I REJOICE in you, my Savior, my Lord, my King!
[1] Ace Collins, Stories Behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas,127; Isaiah 59:20; John 1:40-49; Romans 6:23; Revelation 11:15.
[2] From www.hymnary.org. (Lyrics vary depending on the source.)
[3] Jeremiah 23:5; 1 Samuel 13:14; Isaiah 3:8-9; 55:7
[4] Isaiah 11:1, 10
[5] 2 Kings 24:8-17; 25:21; Isaiah 55:7; Joel 2:12-13
[6] Acts 22:14; 3:18
[7] Matthew 1; Luke 3; Jeremiah 23:5-6
[8] Psalm 86:13 GW; 56:13; Ephesians 1:17; Romans 8:11
[9] Revelation 3:17; Matthew 28:18; Ephesians 1:20—22
[10] Isaiah 22:22; Revelation 3:7
[11] John 14:1-3; Hebrews 2:14; Revelation 21:4
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Wonderful explanation of the importance of Jesus’ predicted lineage. In truth, I find the number of fulfilled prophecies overwhelming evidence for those who begin their search for God in the intellectual realm.
I agree, Linda–the prophecies about Jesus do provide overwhelming evidence that he was/is the Messiah. Lee Strobel, in his book, The Case for Christ, lays out (from the experts in a number of fields) SO many proofs that Jesus was indeed the Son of God. His book offers a good place for someone to start their search for truth!
I have loved this series and next time I sing this hymn will be more meaningful because you shared it this way. Merry Christmas, Nancy
Thank you, Jean. “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” is going to be more meaningful to me too!
He is most worthy of our praise…I’m so thankful for my faith which feels so natural but reading this makes me wonder how people could have the prophecies noted and fulfilled and yet still question. Indeed we as Christian’s have work to do in reaching the lost, may we never let up in helping with The Great Commission.
Amen, Alicia! I think people still question because they’re not really looking for the answers. They think they’re happy enough, secure enough with the status quo. May we be the salt and light that piques their curiosity to crave the Truth!
Nancy, so timely and encouraging! Thanks for deepening our appreciation for the carols and the Creator.
Wishing you merriment alongside memorable moments, rich with meaning.
Thank you, Laurie! Praise God you found this post timely and encouraging. I’ve certainly benefited from meditating on this carol. Thank you also for your lovely wishes. A number of merry and memorable moments have already occurred this Advent season–rich with meaning because every blessing comes from the Father of the heavenly lights! I know you feel the same.
Dear Nancy – thanks for reminding us again of the richness of our Christmas hymns and carols. You’ve encouraged me to grab hold of one of those old hymnals (I have so many!) and use them as prayer books in the weeks ahead.
Have a blessed holiday, friend. Thank you for always drawing me closer to Jesus. I am so grateful to God has placed you in mu life … for such a time as this.
I feel the same about you, blogger friend! Your posts always include wisdom, encouragement and worthy suggestions. Thank you so much for your kind words. The idea to use hymnals as prayer books is a great idea, Linda!
Thank you for helping us to pause and to reflect upon this great Christmas hymn and all the deep truths it contains. Dale Davis has written a great little book on Isaiah 6-12 called Stump Kingdom. I love how you help us to stop and consider the meanings behind hymns that we often so casually sing. You are a blessing to me, Nancy!
And you’re a blessing to me, Patty! Stump Kingdom sounds like an interesting read; thank you for the recommendation. May you enjoy a glorious Christmas, my friend!
Thank you for sharing your additional thoughts about “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” with its Biblical ties included. You’ve helped me SEE the glorious story it tells. 🙂
That makes me smile, Nancy. As always, I praise God for his inspiration!
A beautiful reflection. ❤
Thank you, Anna.
Nancy, that Christmas hymn is one of my all-time favorites. I’ve never really considered verses 4 and 5 before. Your reflections encouraged me to pray as I read. And this here: “a key indicates authority over a domain.” is something I’ve never considered.
How delightful that you joined me in this prayer of praise, Jeanne! Thank you for taking the time to comment.
Such a beautifully written post! As always, you dovetail things wondrously for us so we have a clear understanding. Wishing you blessings at Christmas!
Thank you for your kind, encouraging words, Linda. We’ve already experienced a number of Christmas blessings with more to come as family begins to gather. I pray you enjoy the same as we celebrate the coming of our Savior, our Prince of Peace and Joy-Maker!
I confess that I was not aware of the treasures contained in this hymn. As you illustrated, He always keeps His promises. We may not see immediate results but we know He is constantly working on behalf of His children even though we are so very unworthy. I am especially blessed by the Max Lucado quote “When it comes to describing Heaven, we are all happy failures”. We are in for an eternity of joy! I can barely wrap my brain around the concept of eternity. I am so looking forward to the beautiful and never-ending future that await all of us who have accepted the sacrifice Christ made on the cross!
I too love that quote. Max Lucado has such a gift for expressing truisms in memorable ways. Merry Christmas, dear Cheri! I pray this Advent season has been and will continue to be full of JOY as we all (who believe) await our Savior’s second coming!