The Coming

The word “advent” means to come to, in the original Latin. It is a time of anticipation, awaiting arrival. The advent season is one of anticipating the coming of Christ, celebrating His birth when He came to earth as a human, but also looking forward to His second coming when He will right every wrong. The hymn “O Come O Come Emmanuel” was traditionally used to bring in this season, with one verse being sung every day the week leading up to Christmas. I am going to revive that tradition this year with my Monday articles. Since there are 7 verses and only 4 weeks I will double up the first three weeks.

 

O come, O come, Immanuel,
and ransom captive Israel
that mourns in lonely exile here
until the Son of God appear.

 

The name Immanuel literally means “God with us.” It reflects the fact that Jesus, the Son of God, came to earth as a man and dwelt with us.

 

John 1:14 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us; and we saw His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

 

That “Word” is Jesus. He has always existed, but at the time of the incarnation He also became human, born of a virgin impregnated by the Holy Spirit. This verse reminisces the longing of Israel, waiting for that time when the Messiah would come and rescue them from captivity in Babylon. However, it also captures the state we live in now, already but not yet, awaiting the fulfillment of all prophecy. He has come once to bring salvation and freedom from sin, but He will come again to fully and finally deliver us from any touch of sin for eternity.

 

O come, O Wisdom from on high,
who ordered all things mightily;
to us the path of knowledge show
and teach us in its ways to go.

 

Proverbs talks about wisdom as if it were a person, and in a sense it is because all true wisdom comes from God. He is the source of wisdom.

 

2 Chronicles 9:23 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

And all the kings of the earth were seeking the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart.

Daniel 2:20 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Daniel said,

“May the name of God be blessed forever and ever,
For wisdom and power belong to Him.”

1 Corinthians 1:23-24 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block, and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

 

Being the Word of God, Jesus is also the Wisdom of God. He made everything and knows everything. He is the spoken Word from the beginning. When He came to earth, we were given His Spirit to live in us, to direct our consciences and help us grow in wisdom. But we look forward to a time when all is ruled by and surrendered to His wisdom fully, a time when the foolishness of the world (sin) is not heard or tolerated. One day He will come and set all to right and we will live in complete peace and freedom, knowing then only His true, good wisdom.

 

How does the fact that Jesus has already come impact your life? How can you look forward to His finally coming? How can you seek His wisdom in the midst of the world’s foolery?