Luke 2:28-32
“Simeon took Him in his arms and praised God, saying: ‘Sovereign Lord, as You have promised, You now dismiss Your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.'”
Charles Wesley lived from 1707 to 1788. During his life he wrote hundreds of hymns and poems and was one of the most prolific English poets. Back in 1744 he wrote the wonderful hymn, “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus.” In the first verse he introduces Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of Israel’s promised Messiah.
Isaiah 7:14, spoke of a virgin giving birth to a child whose name “Immanuel” which means “God with us.” In Isaiah 9:6, this long-expected One would be called “Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, eternal Father, the Prince of Peace.”
Because of these and many other prophecies, many devout Jews prayed earnestly for the day when He would arrive. Luke 2 tells of Simeon, a man of faith who was “looking for the consolation of Israel.” When he saw Jesus as an infant, Simeon knew that this Child was the fulfillment of his messianic hope. Charles Wesley was borrowing from this passage when he described Jesus in this song as “Israel’s strength and consolation.”
The second verse tells us that Jesus was “born a child and yet a King.” As the One who is both God and man, Jesus was able to satisfy God’s wrath completely by dying on the cross for our sins. When Wesley wrote about Jesus’ “all sufficient merit,” he was referring to Christ’s ability to bring us to salvation.
“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 own sufficient merit,
raise us to Thy glorious throne.
To access Come Thou Long-Expected Jesus, this week’s inspirational video from GloryScapes.com, please click on the image below.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
360-570-0074
PastorCecil@Daily-E-Votional.com
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