“O Come Let Us Adore Him” – Advent Week Four

O Come All Ye Faithful
Joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem.
Come and behold Him,
Born the King of Angels;
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord!

Come

Yesterday, I attended the funeral of a friend’s father. While I had only met the man once, I shed many tears during the service as friends and loved ones shared, especially hearing about his passionate love for Christ and others. The church was overwhelmingly filled with people who had been recipients of that love, and it was truly humbling to see the impact one man could have, especially a man whose whole life was devoted with his loving Savior. It was clear that this man adored Jesus.

During the service, the pastor made a point that in the Scriptures, Jesus often presented the invitation: “Come.” That if there was anything that the deceased would want the audience to hear, it was that Jesus never stops beckoning, “Come.”

We hear it throughout the gospels: Come to me. Come, all who are weary and laden and I will give you rest. Let the little children come to me. Come out. Come here. Come, follow me.

“Come” is a simple word. It is a command, or a declaration. But in either case, it is is about leaving one place and going to another.

Today, on the last Sunday of Advent, let us take heed to that invitation. Let us respond to that stirring in our hearts to leave behind whatever it is we need to in order to move toward Him.

Come, and behold Him. Come, let us adore Him.

 

 

Accepting the Invitation

 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 
Luke 2:15, ESV

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
Matthew 2:1-2, ESV

Shepherds heard the angels. The wise men saw the star. Each group was compelled to go and see the Savior. It wasn’t enough to hear that a Savior was born, to know that a mighty King had arrived; they had to go and see it for themselves.

I wonder what they were expecting to find. Of course, they knew to look for a child, but what did they imagine Jesus to be like? Would he be noticeably different, even as a newborn? Babies in general can evoke a sense of wonder and awe, but what of God incarnate?

I’m certain they were moved by their encounter with the Christ child. I’m certain that they could not help but adore the sovereign King.

 

Come to Worship

I often take for granted the image of the nativity scene, where grown adults and animals  kneel before a baby. But to really consider what that would have been like is astounding.

When the wisemen state that they had come to worship Jesus, the Greek word used is proskuneó. Its meaning is constructed from the Greek prós, which means “towards” and kyneo, “to kiss“, and means – “to kiss the ground when prostrating before a superior; to worship, ready ‘to fall down/prostrate oneself to adore on one’s knees’.”

Read that translation again. Isn’t it so rich, so full of meaning? Imagine the wise men coming to proskuneó the baby Jesus, perhaps even kissing his tiny feet. What an amazing image.

Even more so, the meaning attached to it. Prostration is, after all, a physical act that represents an inner condition. It means submission, servitude, and giving honor where honor is due. As the definition says, it is acknowledging the one before you is superior.

This kind of worship, though, was not out of response to fear. Surely the shepherds and wise men did not fear this tiny King. Rather, it was an act inspired by adoration.

What a beautiful, mysterious, wondrous event it must have been to meet the Christ child.

 

Come, Let us Adore Him

And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him.

Luke 2:40, ESV

The person of Jesus has always been compelling. He is beautiful, merciful, gracious. He is wise, compassionate, righteous. He is King, Savior, and Lord.

Even from birth, he has drawn people to his side, to meet him, to worship him, to follow him, to suffer for him, to find refuge and hope and strength in who He is; God with us.

We can celebrate His birth with joy. If He had not come, we would not know Him or God the Father. We would be lost in darkness.

But the prophecy, praise God, has been fulfilled: “Arise, shine, for your light has come!” It was because He chose to come that we have hope. He brought Light to the earth; hope, salvation, and love.

Come, let us adore Him.

 

Personal Application

Where are you in your own faith journey? Have you come to Christ? Do you need to come back to Him? What may Christ be inviting you to do in your current season of life?

Do you find that you adore the person of Jesus? If so, offer him some personal worship. If not, consider asking Him to reveal more of Himself to you.

 

Family Time Application

Here are some suggestions for how you could celebrate the coming of Christ as a family, whether it’s just you and your spouse or includes your children or grandchildren.

• Read Matthew 1:18 – 2:12. Reflect on the experience of the wise men and consider what it would be like to journey far from home to meet the Christ child.
• As a family, discuss what it means to come and adore Jesus. Is it easy to adore Jesus, or does that feel like a foreign concept?
• With little kids: listen to Magnificat by Rain for Roots. Otherwise: listen to the beautiful choral arrangement, O Nata Lux, which evokes a beautiful sense of wonder around the birth of Christ. 
• Sing or listen to O Come All Ye Faithful.

 

O Come All Ye Faithful

O Come All Ye Faithful
Joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem.
Come and behold Him,
Born the King of Angels;
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.

Sing, choirs of angels,
Sing in exultation,
Sing all that hear in heaven God’s holy word.
Give to our Father glory in the Highest;
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.

Hail! Lord, we greet Thee,
Born this happy morning,
O Jesus! for evermore be Thy name adored.
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing;
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.

 

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Read about why and how to celebrate advent here.

Here are three other Advent Readings:
“Let Every Heart Prepare Him Room”
“Amid the Cold of Winter, When Half Spent Was the Night”
“His Law is Love, and His Gospel is Peace”