The Light of Life Has Come
By Michael Lennox
Come Thou Long Expected Jesus
Charles Wesley, 1744
Come, thou long expected Jesus, born to set thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us, let us find our rest in Thee.
Israel's strength and consolation, hope of all the earth Thou art;
Dear desire of every nation, joy of every longing heart.
Born Thy people to deliver, born a child and yet a King,
Born to reign in us forever, now Thy gracious kingdom bring.
By Thine own eternal spirit rule in all our hearts alone;
By Thine all sufficient merit, raise us to Thy glorious throne.
If you are anything like me, you have wonderful memories associated with Christmastime from your childhood - glistening lights that miraculously appeared overnight, snow falling gently while a warm fire crackles, cookies baking in the oven, nostalgic music playing over the radio, and anticipation of unwrapping all of the surprises wrapped beautifully under the tree. But the best way for me to describe the feeling I have associated with this holiday is that it’s magical.
I also distinctly remember the first time that, as Christmas was approaching, my anticipated feelings of wonder and awe were nowhere to be found. All of the elements were the same and Bing Crosby was still singing, but something was missing. I just didn’t feel the magic anymore. For a time, I didn’t understand what was happening and found myself really sad and chasing the nostalgia and feelings that I once associated with Christmas. Alas, this is a sad part of growing up: as we begin to grow, mature, and understand that lights don’t miraculously show up overnight (thanks for putting them up, mom!), the feelings of wonder, awe, and magic begin to fade.
The older I’ve gotten, the holiday season has begun to be a bit of an emotional mixed bag. While I still absolutely love this time of year, adolescence and adulthood bring with them an awareness of the reality that the world isn’t all candy canes and gingerbread - there is real hurt, pain, and sorrow bundled up in the whole package. And as the days get darker and colder, I often find myself turning inward and feeling a heaviness. I see the lights, the tree, and people singing joyfully but it can feel empty; like something is missing.
Perhaps this feeling is why the Advent hymn, Come Thou Long Expected Jesus written by Charles Wesley, resonates so deeply with me and has become one of my favorite songs in recent years. Just as our celebrations of Christmas are like a beacon of light and warmth in the very dark and very cold month of December, the birth of Jesus was a beacon of hope and light to the people of Israel and the world after a very dark and very silent 400 years.
The people of Israel were very familiar with the grief, pain, and turmoil of life on earth. Despite being God’s chosen people, they had lived in constant a cycle of rebellion, disobedience, and captivity followed by seasons of obedience in walking with the Lord. This all started with Adam and Eve disobeying God (Genesis 3:5-7). Even in the immediate aftermath of their rebellion, God planted the first seeds of hope of rescue from the darkness (Genesis 3:15). Over the course of the nation’s history from Noah to Moses to Zerubbabel, God continued to preserve his people and promise that He would one day send a deliverer, the Messiah (2 Samuel 7:12–13; Isaiah 7:14; Isaiah 42:1-4; Isaiah 53:3-8; Micah 5:2).
And then suddenly after years of direct communication with God through his prophets, there was silence. No more prophets came speaking of a Messiah to write the wrongs of the world and it seemed that God had no more to say. Imagine the hopelessness that the Israelites must have felt just waiting. Would God remember His promises? Would He ever speak again?
These promises and their fulfillment through the birth of Jesus, are what Come Thou Long Expected Jesus is all about. You can feel the longing, desperation, and anticipation of rescue in the very title of the hymn. You can see the deep need felt in the next lines: from our fears and sins release us, let us find our rest in Thee. And throughout the rest of the song, you can feel the joy and hope that come from these longings of rescue finally being fulfilled in and through Jesus.
You might expect that the Advent, or arrival, of the God of the universe incarnate might come with fanfare. He could have come with the strength of a hurricane or with the power of a forest fire. He could have come with a triumphal entry in all his glory that would make every person fall to their face in worship. He could have demanded our praise and adoration. Yet, he chose to come quietly. He chose to rescue us in a shocking way - by becoming just like us in human form, and then taking all of our sins, griefs, and sorrows upon himself before being brutally murdered on a cross (Philippians 2:5-11). He also chose to give us the choice to choose Him.
When all of the tinsel and glitter faded from my rose-colored view of Christmas, I was forced to reckon with the darkness of the world and that reality left me feeling pretty hopeless. But then I was reminded through the words of this song and others that all is not lost. Christmas can still be full of joy, wonder, and magic. In fact, it SHOULD be filled with even more, because Jesus has rescued us from the darkness. It doesn’t get more awesome or wonderful than that!
In our longing, in our darkness
Now the light of life has come
REFLECTION:
Are you facing a season of darkness right now? If so, take some time to write it down and describe it.
Read Isaiah 53:3-8 and Philippians 2:5-11. What stands out to you? What do you notice?
What are some things that you are carrying right now that feel heavy? Write them down and take some time to pray, releasing them to Jesus.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
Come Let Us Adore Him Advent Devotional by Paul David Tripp