Advent is celebrated on the four Sundays before Christmas Day. The focus of Advent centers on the Old Testament prophesies that tell of the coming Messiah. This prediction was prophesied 600 years before the Messiah’s birth. At that time, the Jewish people were being held in captivity in Babylon. For centuries, faithful Jews anticipated with great expectation and hope the Deliverer-Messiah that would “ransom captive Israel.”
“O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” is a greeting sung to anticipate the coming Messiah. The melody and verse was originally used in the medieval church liturgy as a series of short musical statements: “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel and ransom captive Israel.” Christ came not only to be Emmanuel, “God with us,” but to ransom us from the captivity of our sins. Thank Emmanuel for your freedom in Christ!
Listen with me to Casting Crowns sing “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.”
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