This sermon was delivered on November 28, 2021 at the weekly service at The Kensington in Galesburg, IL.
O come, O come, Emmanuel,
and ransom captive Israel
that mourns in lonely exile here
until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel
shall come to you, O Israel.
This hymn is perhaps the most recognizable advent hymn and is most definitely the oldest. It comes from a seven verse poem from the 8th century. The poem was originally written in Latin and then translated into English by JM Neale in 1851.1 The original Latin poem created an acrostic which said “ero cras” which means “I will be with you tomorrow.”2 This is both a promise and a prayer. A promise that the messiah will come soon, and a prayer that soon is VERY soon.
But even before that were the O Antiphons or the Great Antiphons that were used in worship on the seven days preceding Christmas. In this call and response part of worship, the various names of the Messiah were called upon. It’s possible that this tradition goes back as far as the sixth century or even earlier, and it’s likely it originated in Italy. Each Antiphon gives a title for the Messiah and then references the particular prophecy mentioning a coming messiah.
Oh Emmanuel, Our King and Giver of the law, the people await you, their Savior. Come and Save Us, O Lord Our God. This antiphon references Isaiah 7:14 and Matthew 1:23. Emmanuel means God with us, so using this name for the Messiah both claims God’s presence and requests that it comes again.The words in Isaiah were written during exile, and thus it was key to remember God’s presence even while praying for deliverance.
O Wisdom, you came from the lips of God most high and you reach from one end of the universe to the other, powerful and gently ordering all things: Come to teach us the way of prudence. This antiphon also begins in Isaiah. Particularly Isaiah 28:29. But also draws on verses in Sirach 24: 1-5 and the Wisdom of Solomon 8:1. The plea here is for God to come as wisdom and lead us in the path of knowledge. This is a prayer to know more- more about God and more about the Messiah.
O Adonai, and leader of the House of Israel, who appeared to Moses in the fire of the burning bush and gave him the law on Sinai:Come and redeem us with an outstretched arm. Again, the primary prophecy here is from Isaiah- particularly 11:4-5, but also 33:22. But the imagery and description are from Exodus. While in exile, the Israelites would often retell the story of the Exodus as a promise and a reminder of escape. Even today, the story of Exodus is a powerful reminder of breaking free from the things and people that would hold us captive. This is a prayer for Freedom.
O Root of Jesse, standing as a sign among the peoples; before you kings will shut their mouths, to you the nations will make their prayer: Come and deliver us, and delay no longer. “Out of the root of Jesse” is from Isaiah 11:1 and 10, but as we discussed a few weeks ago, the story of that root comes from Ruth. This verse also refers back to the passage from Jeremiah we heard today. The verse serves as a recognition of the biblical lineage of the coming Messiah. But in this antiphon the prayer becomes more fervent- more desperate. Please, God, do not wait any longer.
O Key of David and sceptre of the House of Israel; you open and no one can shut; you shut and no one can open: Come and lead the prisoners from the prison house, those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death. The primary reference here is again Isaiah 22:22, 9:7, and 42.7. But there is also a slight nod to the 23rd psalm. Primarily this verse again uses the lineage back to David, but takes it a step further in that the Messiah will hold the key that opens everything. This is an interesting foreshadowing to when the “keys to the kingdom” are then passed on from Jesus to the disciples in Matthew. Matthew is referencing these verses in Isaiah to again prove that Jesus is the Messiah and the fulfillment of prophecy.
O Morning Star, splendour of light eternal and sun of righteousness: Come and enlighten those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death. In Isaiah 9:2, we are told “the people who have walked in darkness have seen a great light” The dawning of this light is often translated as “morning star’ or “Rising sun” or dayspring. Again, we have the mention of the shadow of death as a reminder that the coming Messiah would put an end to death and bring light and life.
O King of the nations, and their desire,the cornerstone making both one:Come and save the human race, which you fashioned from clay. This final plea reaches back to Genesis and reminds God that we are God’s own creation. There is the direct reference to Isaiah 28:16 “Behold I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation. But also, in Matthew 21:42-44, Jesus references Psalm 118 and calls himself the stone which the builders had rejected. This is a deep prayer that God will remember God’s creation.
Each one of these O Antiphons is a prayer, but because we know these things all happened, they a prayer for them to happen again as described in scripture. If we know that Jesus has already come, and we interpret Jesus’ presence as an answer to the prayers in Isaiah, why pray them again? Why sing this song when we know that Christmas is coming? Why pray for Christ to come when we know he’s already been here?
Because when we approach advent with a sense of awe and anticipation, we can celebrate more authentically. Advent is about preparing for what we know has happened but being willing to welcome Jesus again. It’s about a renewal of our faith and of our faith practices. It’s about the weekly practice of inviting more light into our lives. It’s about taking it all in. Advent should be a time where we connect deeply with the need for a Messiah. Where we empathize with the plight of others and we remember the stories of exile and freedom and creation.
Advent is what separates the Christians from the Christmas nuts. It’s what makes Christmas a Holy day for us and not just another holiday. Advent is a time of holy and solemn preparation, of quiet joy and expectation. Together we anticipate the birth of the one who would ultimately die on a cross. We can’t forget the fact that without the teachings and actions that got Jesus crucified in the first place we wouldn’t have a reason to be celebrating his birth. We know the end of the story, and that makes the beginning all that more special.
Amen.
1 Greg Scheer, “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel,” Hymnary.org, accessed November 23, 2021, https://hymnary.org/text/o_come_o_come_emmanuel_and_ransom.
2 Scheer, “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.”