Christmas 2025: December 6

"O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" is certainly another Christmas favorite, and like so many of our hymns, it's been sung for centuries. It was originally written in Latin and became one of the most popular hymns in Germany by the 17th century, but believe it or not, it wasn't translated into English until 1851! It was then that it was first put to the familiar tune, "Veni Emmanuel" (O Come Emmanuel). Even though "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel comes much more recently in history to the English language, the poem itself dates as far back as the 8th or 9th centuries and was a traditional part of Advent celebrations. Traditionally, in the final week before Christmas, one of the poem's seven original antiphons (verses) would be recited each evening leading up to Christmas Eve, and each line had a significant contribution to the Nativity story of its own.

In the original Latin, each line begins with an OT title for the Messiah, with the exception of "Emmanuel" itself, which is found in both the OT (Isa 7:14) and the NT (Matt 1:23):

Sapentia (Wisdom)
Adonai (God)
Radix Jesse (Stem or Root of Jesse)
Clavis David (Key of David)
Oriens (Dayspring)
Rex Genitium (King of the Gentiles)
Emmanuel (God with Us)

Now, how's your Latin? You might have noticed that preachers aren't the only ones who like to use acrostics! S-A-R-C-O-R-E, read from the bottom-up (ero cras) means, "until I come tomorrow," serving as a reminder of Jesus' words in Revelation 22:12-13, "Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end." It's too bad the significance of that acrostic can't be replicated in the English language!

Regardless, "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" is truly an "advent" hymn in the most accurate sense. With or without the acrostic reminding us of Christ's imminent return, each verse directs us not only to celebrate Christ's first coming but also to long for His second.

Of course, it's easy to see how our passage for today reinforces the same message. It is a passage filled with hope for the believer's future. "For whatever was written in earlier times (ero cras) was written for our instruction, so that through the perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope" (vs. 4). Overall, the passage is filled with important theological themes:

The Sufficiency of Scripture
The Purpose of Scripture
Theology Proper
Divinity and Unity
Redemption Accomplished and Applied
The Glory of God Manifest in the Unity of the Saints
The Trinity and the Christian's Hope

• The Father: God of Hope
• The Son: Root of Jesse & Servant of the Jews
• The Holy Spirit: Empowers Hope in Unity

Of course, while sometimes Christians wrongfully eschew theology in exchange for "practical Christian living," such a notion is completely foreign to the Apostle Paul. It's obvious, especially when we consider the theology above, that theology is the very foundation for the most practical Christian living. In fact, it is prerequisite and priority. Specifically, the theology from our passage gives us encouragement, endurance, unity, hope, and enhances the very nature of our lives and worship for the glory of God. How "practical" is that?