25 Days of Advent: Come Thou Long Expected Jesus

Two posts in one day! I feel like I should get a cookie.

Every year I want to do an Advent-related series of posts, and every year I end up not doing them daily like I intend. But no time like the present, so here goes 2010's attempt!

I love Christmas carols. And I really love every year that I get older, how much more the words mean to me. I thought it would be great to use a Christmas carol as the inspiration for each day's Advent post, from now through Christmas day. Without further ado:

Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus

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

Born Thy people to deliver
Born a child and yet a King
Born to reign in us forever
Now Thy gracious kingdom bring

By Thine own eternal Spirit
Rule in all our hearts alone
By Thine all-sufficient merit
Raise us to Thy glorious throne

Israel waited, longing for their deliverer, for the promised one, for their messiah. They were singing this song with their mouth all while stopping up the ears of their heart with sin and disobedience and pride. When Jesus came, he was so unlike what they had in mind, they missed him completely.

We musn't miss our Messiah because he's not what we had in mind. Is our Jesus a safe Jesus? One who doesn't ask of us hard things, one who shares our political and social views, a kindly shepherd no more controversial than a cooing baby wrapped in his mother's arms?

The real Jesus isn't tamed by our shallow expectations. We find him in the Bible, as he really is: our Messiah, the Saving One, God Incarnate. Jesus, who tells us to give up our lives. To take up a cross. To give of ourselves and hold nothing back. To love the unlovely and show compassion to the orphan and the widow. To love God forsaking everything else. To cease worry. To repent. To recognize him as the only way to God. To flee from sin. To serve in humility. None of this is to earn salvation - that's impossible - but because of it. He would see us lay down our pride and fling ourselves helpless and empty-handed into his open arms.

If we sing, "Come, thou long expected Jesus," then we must expect and recognize the real Jesus. He is the one who, by his all-sufficient merit, is able to release us from fear and from sin. He's utterly unlike our tepid imaginings. This is the Jesus who we ask to come and rule in our hearts. This is the Jesus who came at Christmas.