HYMNS OF ADVENT AND CHRISTMAS 

Christians love to sing. For centuries gifted writers have joined the words of Holy Scripture to musical settings. These hymn writers have given us a legacy that has enabled us Christians to more easily memorize God’s word which He has given to us His adopted daughters, sons, and children.   

Today, I begin a series of devotions based upon select Advent and Christmas hymns. I pray they will contribute to your preparation to worship your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ sent by His Father to save you and all sinners from condemnation for sins committed. These hymns have been sung by Christians for over two thousand years who have used them to meditate upon the words of the Angel sent by God to both Mary and Joseph to announce to them that the Messiah, the Savior of the world, would be conceived in Mary’s womb by the power of the Holy Spirit as God had prophesied through the pen of Isaiah: “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14)   

The promise of the Messiah goes all the way back to the Garden of Eden. After Adam and Eve had eaten the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:16-17 and Genesis 3:6-7.) God, out of His undeserved love for them, even though they disobeyed Him, promised them a Savior. (Genesis 3:15)   

One of the oldest hymns in The Lutheran Hymnal and Lutheran Service Book and sung by Christians around the world, is “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel. Its words date back to the eighth century A.D. It has been sung during the season of Advent in Christian churches perhaps as early as the sixteenth or seventeenth centuries.   

As you now read the words of this hymn realize the words you are reading, and if you sing them in Advent 2025, you are joining your heart, soul, and mind with fellow Christians for all these centuries.  

The opening phrase takes you to the words of Isaiah 7:14. Jesus is Immanuel the prophet Isaiah wrote about in this Old Testament verse.   

O Come, O come, Emmanuel,   
And ransom captive Israel,  
That mourns in lonely exile here   
Until the Son of God appear. 

Refrain: Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel    
Shall come to thee, O Israel! 

 O come, Thou wisdom from on high,   
Who ord’rest all things mightily;  
To us the path of knowledge show,   
And teach us in her ways to go. Refrain: 

O come, O come, Thou Lord of might,  
Who to Thy tribes on Sinai’s height  
In ancient times didst give the Law  
In cloud and majesty and awe. Refrain: 

O come, Thou Branch of Jesse’s tree,  
Free them from Satan’s tyranny  
That trust Thy mighty pow’r to save,  
And give them vict’ry o’er the grave. Refrain: 

O come, Thou Key of “David, come,   
And open wide our heav’nly home;  
Make safe the way that leads on high,  
And close the path to misery. Refrain: 

O come, Thou Dayspring from on high,   
And cheer us by Thy drawing nigh;  
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,  
And death’s dark shadows put to flight. Refrain: 

O come, Desire of nations, bind  
In one the hearts of all mankind;  
Bid Thou our sad divisions cease,  
And be Thyself our King of Peace. Refrain:

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel // LSB 357