MONDAY | “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”

Matthew 1:23 explicitly links to the great prophecy from Isaiah 7:14: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel.” Matthew 1:18–25 details the events surrounding Mary’s pregnancy, explaining that it was “to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet.”

This OLD song of the Church captures a sense of longing and desperation, reminding us that the theme of waiting runs like a thread through the entire biblical story—from Genesis to Revelation. Scripture consistently portrays God’s people as those who wait—often in tension, longing, hope, and trust.

May this hymn help us as we wait, watch, and pray.

Verse One
O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here,
Until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

The people of Israel had been waiting for hundreds of years for the promised Messiah. When He arrived, many failed to recognize Him. A people in exile, waiting for the One God had promised—yet they expected something different.

Sit with your journal and reflect on two or three of these questions:

• Do you think you would have recognized Jesus as the Messiah? Why or why not?
• What would you have been expecting in the Messiah?
• If you could add more clarity to the story, what events or clues would you write in—or take out?
• Write about a time when you desperately needed deliverance or felt like a captive. Have you ever experienced being in “exile”?
• How did God appear to you—or seem to you—in that situation?
• How well do you do when you have to wait? Has God ever used waiting to shape you or help you grow?

Pray the words of the hymn: “O come, O come, Emmanuel.” Ask Jesus to draw near, to ransom what feels captive in your life, and to awaken joy and trust in His coming.