Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus

“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.”

“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.”

This Advent hymn was written by Charles Wesley, brother of the founder of the United Methodist tradition of the Christian faith, in the 1760’s. Charles wrote hundreds of hymns for our church. Many are song in our church services each Sunday.

As we think about the words of this hymn, let us think with Charles Wesley about the expectation of the Christ Child. Waiting with great urgency, the people of Israel wanted a king to set them free. They had no idea that it would be a different kind of king. They wanted a military ruler, for that is all they had known, but God had another idea. God had the idea of a king that would bring peace and love to the earth.

As we prepare for the coming of Christmas, let us find hope that God would rule in our hearts alone and that no other voices would keep us from loving each other and living in peace. Truly raise us to the glorious throne of Jesus Christ.

Prayer: Thank you God, You are the joy of our longing heart! Be with us as we prepare for your coming into our lives this Advent.

Thought for the Day: Pray for those looking for rest in Jesus.