Christmas Day is over. Did you find what you wanted under the tree? Many people didn’t. This has been a sad year for Christmas.
But what about the gifts left by the Christ? In the ancient song, “O Come, O Come Emmanuel,” we find some of them.
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 first gift is “Emmanuel.” Forever, no matter what, God IS with us.
“And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20b New Living Translation
O come, Thou Dayspring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death’s dark shadows put to flight
[Refrain]
Next is the gift of Light. The dark is over. The dawn has come!
“I am the Light of the world. Anyone who follows Me will not walk in darkness. He will have the Light of Life.” John 8:12 New Life Version
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.
[Refrain]
Emmanuel gives us peace.
“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. ” John 14:27 New Living Translation
O come, Thou Wisdom from on high,
And order all things, far and nigh;
To us the path of knowledge show,
And cause us in her ways to go.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel
Emmanuel is the source of all wisdom and knowledge.
If any of you needs wisdom, you should ask God for it.
He will give it to you. God gives freely to everyone and doesn’t find fault.
James 1:5 New International Reader’s Version
“God is with us.” And not just with us, but for us.
So what should we say about this? If God is for us, no one can stand against us. And God is with us. Romans 8:31 Easy-to-Read Version
So accept these gifts and give thanks. They are yours, bought and paid for by Emmanuel-Messiah. That is what Christmas is all about.
