Longing and Desire

Most marriages have ongoing arguments that last years. They are usually pretty petty in nature. In our house, Christmas music is behind one of our longest running disagreements.

My wife is of the type that thinks Christmas music is for a very narrow and specific time and space. I, on the other hand, think our Savior is worth celebrating year round. I realize there are probably more people in my wife’s camp than in mine but that won’t change anything for me.

What I love about Christmas hymns is that many of them capture a big window of history. There are lots of things I love about Christmas music but most important to me, they beautifully express longing and hopeful expectation. Better than any other Christian music these songs express the longings of faithful followers living in a fallen world.

Advent season is meant to commemorate the coming of Jesus as a baby while also pointing to his second coming. From the Latin (and its Greek predecessor) Advent literally means “arrival” or “the coming”. Israel waited and hoped for a coming Messiah. We know that Messiah and now we wait and hope for when he comes again in full glory and power.

Israel endured maniacal leaders, international warfare, social decline, and natural disaster which only heightened their sense of longing for their Messiah. Exchange “Israel” for “Christians today” and it is easy to feel the weight of “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” in a new way. A quick scan of the news shows that not much has changed in this world. It is still fallen and in need of a Savior.

Christmas is made beautiful when we recognize the weightiness of sin in our world and our lives. Jesus only makes sense when we do. The hope and longing found in Christmas hymns helps us see that sin and then helps us look to Jesus as the solution.

This Christmas I pray that you are waiting and longing for Jesus to return in the same way that Israel waited and longed. Not just because the world is so bad but mostly because Jesus is that good.

Come, thou long expected Jesus,

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 earth thou art;

Dear desire of every nation,

Joy of every longing heart