All You Want for ChristmasSample

Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus

“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.” - Galatians 4:4-5

Think

Waiting is hard. Time moves slowest during seasons of waiting. Every day is filled with waiting for things like your food order, a traffic light, an Amazon package, or the results of a new product or exercise regime. The weightier the matter, the harder it is to wait. The doctor finds a lump, but you have to wait weeks to find out if it is cancer or not. You long to be married but still have no reasonable prospects. Two kids were in your five-year plan, but you are pushing the better part of a decade and still waiting. Come, thou long expected end to our waiting.

For over 400 years, Israel longed to be freed from Egyptian bondage. For another 400 years, they longed to hear from a prophet again. And for millennia, they waited for the One who would come to crush the head of the serpent (Genesis 3:15). They were no stranger to waiting. Come, thou long expected Savior.

And at just the right time, He was born. This is what we celebrate this Christmas season. The coming of God the Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. And this is what the song “Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus” celebrates. What was a mystery to the Israelites, who this Messiah would be, is now revealed. It was not Abraham, Moses, or David; it is Jesus! He has come to set His people free, to release us from our fears and sins, to give us rest! He is our strength and hope when we are tired and worn. He is our deepest desire, whether we know it or not, and the true joy of our longing heart.

In our bondage to sin, dead in our transgressions, crushed by the burden of the law, Christ has come to set us free from these things and has invited us in to be a part of the work He is doing, for He has adopted us and made us an heir to His kingdom! What a Savior He is! The expected Jesus, the Lamb of God that has come to take away the sins of the world!

Are you waiting? Is your heart longing for something more? Do you desire relief from the things in your life that plague you? Are you searching for true and lasting joy? Look to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, the one in whom all time holds together and exists.

Pray

Lord, I pray that as I wait for things, I would trust in your timing. I pray you would be my deepest longing and desire above all else. Thank you for sending your Son, my Savior, in whom I trust.

Author - Joe Lab serves as the Pastor of Hershey Mennointe Church in Kinzers, PA. Joe is married with two children and is a big fan of Philadelphia sports.