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O Come O Come Emmanuel: A Sermon on Longing and Hope

Sermon Teaser

Most Christmas music bursts with joy—"Joy to the World," "Hark the Herald Angels Sing." But "O Come O Come Emmanuel" is different. There's an ache to it. A yearning. As John Piper notes, it's a song of "Longing. Aching. Yearning. Hoping."

Why do we sing a song of longing at Christmas?

This Sunday, we'll explore how this ancient 7th-century hymn captures three profound truths about the Christian life.

First, it takes us into the hearts of Old Testament believers who waited centuries for the Messiah. Think of Abraham, Moses, and David—faithful heroes who died without seeing God's promise fulfilled. They lived with an ache, trusting God would act even though they never saw it with their own eyes. The hymn echoes their desperate cry: "O come, O come Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel."

Second, it celebrates the incredible moment when God finally broke His silence. After all those years, Emmanuel came—"God with us." Every prophecy found its fulfillment in Jesus. Christmas is the culmination of centuries of yearning.

Third, it reminds us why we still sing these words today. We live in the "already but not yet"—between Christ's first coming and His return. Like the American colonies between declaring independence in 1776 and achieving it in 1783, we live in tension. Christ has secured the victory, but the final consummation awaits His return.

Join us as we discover why longing for Christ's return isn't weakness—it's one of faith's defining marks. Until that day, we sing, we wait, we hope: "O come, O come, Emmanuel."