Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus!
Many of us look at things going on in the world and see a lot of things getting out of hand. But tis the season to know that things do not have to be that way. Things can be different. Charles Wesley’s “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus” is a wonderful Advent hymn, which reminds us that a better world is possible. It goes…
Why did Israel need a Messiah? God promised Abraham that his descendants would become a great nation that would bless all nations, and God kept His promise. He brought the children of Abraham—the Israelites—out of Egyptian slavery and led them into their promise land. When Israel fell into sin, God sent prophets to call them to repent, yet because they did not repent, they were sent into exile. God informed the prophets that a messiah would come to deliver the righteous remnant out of exile.
Isaiah foresaw God raising up Cyrus, a Persian monarch, to be an anointed messiah, who would bring back the Israelites from their Babylonian exile (cf. Isa. 45:1-7) and the prophet's vision was realized (2 Chron. 36:22-23); yet, in God's mind this was a type and shadow of things to come. God also spoke to Isaiah about a messiah who would make right what was wrong in this sinful and fallen world (Isa. 61:1-3), and this messiah would give his own life to save sinners (Isa. 53). All that Isaiah anticipated in the messiah came to realization in Jesus Christ (Luke 4:14-30). Peter writes "He Himself," or Jesus, "bore our sins in His body on the cross, so taht we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed" (1 Pet. 2:24).
In the ultimate scheme of things all people are taken into the captivity of sin. We live in a sinful and fallen world with every form of corruption imaginable lurking about; however, Christ has come to set the captives free. The Word became flesh and dwell among us (John 1:14). Jesus is the Divine Messiah who saves the world from sin. He is bringing the sons of Adam back from their exile from the Garden. In Genesis 1-3 God creates a good earth, the Garden of Eden with flowing rivers and a tree of life, but through Adam sin entered in and the world has been subject to death and corruption ever since that day. In Revelation 21-22 there is anticipated a day when there shall be a new heaven and a new earth, a New Jerusalem, a river of life, and the tree of life — Paradise lost becomes Paradise restored. Jesus is the long-expected Messiah for all nations, who brings us back from exile into a right relationship with God.
Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus.
Come, thou long-expected Jesus,The message of the Old Testament can be summed up in the world “promise,” whereas the New Testament word is “fulfillment,” both point to Jesus Christ. What the Old Testament people longed for came to realization in Jesus Christ. After the Lord rose from the dead, He met two disciples on the road to Emmaus, and while they were conversing together, “beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures (Luke 24:27). What the Old Testament prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Daniel yearned for came to realization in Jesus Christ. In other words, Jesus taught the first Christians that He fulfilled the Old Testament expectation for a Messiah.
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 saints 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 for ever,
Now thy precious kingdom bring:
By thine own eternal Spirit,
Rule in all our hearts alone;
By thine all-suficient merit,
Raise us to thy glorious throne.
Why did Israel need a Messiah? God promised Abraham that his descendants would become a great nation that would bless all nations, and God kept His promise. He brought the children of Abraham—the Israelites—out of Egyptian slavery and led them into their promise land. When Israel fell into sin, God sent prophets to call them to repent, yet because they did not repent, they were sent into exile. God informed the prophets that a messiah would come to deliver the righteous remnant out of exile.
Isaiah foresaw God raising up Cyrus, a Persian monarch, to be an anointed messiah, who would bring back the Israelites from their Babylonian exile (cf. Isa. 45:1-7) and the prophet's vision was realized (2 Chron. 36:22-23); yet, in God's mind this was a type and shadow of things to come. God also spoke to Isaiah about a messiah who would make right what was wrong in this sinful and fallen world (Isa. 61:1-3), and this messiah would give his own life to save sinners (Isa. 53). All that Isaiah anticipated in the messiah came to realization in Jesus Christ (Luke 4:14-30). Peter writes "He Himself," or Jesus, "bore our sins in His body on the cross, so taht we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed" (1 Pet. 2:24).
In the ultimate scheme of things all people are taken into the captivity of sin. We live in a sinful and fallen world with every form of corruption imaginable lurking about; however, Christ has come to set the captives free. The Word became flesh and dwell among us (John 1:14). Jesus is the Divine Messiah who saves the world from sin. He is bringing the sons of Adam back from their exile from the Garden. In Genesis 1-3 God creates a good earth, the Garden of Eden with flowing rivers and a tree of life, but through Adam sin entered in and the world has been subject to death and corruption ever since that day. In Revelation 21-22 there is anticipated a day when there shall be a new heaven and a new earth, a New Jerusalem, a river of life, and the tree of life — Paradise lost becomes Paradise restored. Jesus is the long-expected Messiah for all nations, who brings us back from exile into a right relationship with God.
Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus.
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