Welcoming the King

Yesterday, December 1, 2024, was the first day of Advent, a time filled with great anticipation as we look forward to the arrival of the King who entered this world, not in a palace but in a feed trough in a stable in a remote village called Bethlehem.

Sandy and I are presently away from our mountain home in Truckee, California. Therefore, we joined the community of saints at The Village Church in St. Augustine, Florida for this first Sunday of expectation. And as we began to sing the blessed hymns of the season, I was again struck by the spot on theology of our beloved Christmas carols.

O Come, All Ye Faithful began our Advent celebration, followed by O Come, O Come Emmanuel. One calls us to the manger’s side to worship. The other calls us to rejoice because God is now with us. Following those two, was a hymn written by the great hymn writer, Charles Wesley, Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus.

As a pastor, always searching for material for another sermon, this hymn contains a dozen or more. Every line is pregnant and ready to deliver forth truth, truth that is found deeply rooted in the Holy Scriptures. Truth that begs us to stop and pause and consider just what this birth of the long-expected One is all about. I don’t have time to preach dozen sermons in this article, so I want to invite you to take this hymn apart line by line and like an old cow chewing its cud, work it over until you have extracted the last drop of inspiration and wonder that the hymn contains.

1. 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.

2. 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.

Of our Lord and Savior, St. Augustine wrote, “You have made us for Yourself, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in You.” In the hymn, Charles Wesley also cried out, “…let us find our rest in Thee.”

Singing this old hymn with my brothers and sisters in Florida this past Sunday reminded me once again of the words of Jesus from Mark 6:31, where He called His followers to find a secluded place and rest awhile. This is the season that begs you and me to find a secluded place and rest awhile with Him. Rest with Him so that He might fill our hearts again with the wonder of this season.

So, I want to invite you to set aside some time to contemplate this familiar story once again. Shut off your noise makers and those things that will interupt! Find an old hymnal and turn to the Christmas section. With that in one hand and your Bible in the other, let the Holy Spirit once again fill your heart with wonder, like the wonder that fills the heart of a child who stands on their tip toes to peer over the banister railing above the Christmas tree on Christmas morning. How long has it been since you have stood on your tip toes, filled with the wonder of Christmas? Let the Holy Spirit take you there.