O Antiphons: Day 5–O Oriens
Because we love light
We live with a natural proclivity to light. We walk into a room and instinctually reach for the light switch. We put night lights in the hallways outside of our children’s rooms so they don’t get scared. We light fires when we go camping. As much as someone might enjoy the quaintness winter might offer, we miss the long days and bright sun of summer. There’s comfort in light. It warms. It reveals what hides in shadows. It offers security.
Yet as much as we love the light, we default to darkness.
We live in darkness
The human condition is darkness. It’s a darkness that’s thick and heavy and shrouds the soul. Strain your eyes as you might to pierce through the darkness and find some glimmer of light to hold, any light you might imagine to see is just that, imagination.
In this land of darkness, there is no life. Nothing grows. There’s no warmth, no color. Existence is atrophy of body, mind, and soul.
This darkness is sin. When sin reigns in a heart, it captures the heart’s prerogatives to lust, envy, indulgence, pride, and all other desires of selfishness. Some would call the freedom to indulge desire at whim “liberty,” but it is nothing more than rot. Sin consumes a person’s character, integrity, and principle until all that’s left is desire. The land of darkness is the collective potential of all the souls who are captive to sin’s insatiability. The land of darkness is death.
And on this land, day sprung. One stepped into this realm of darkness. One who lived under the same shroud of darkness, but wasn’t native. He also felt the pull of darkness, but this One pulled back. For in him was light.
In him was light
This man with light opened his mouth and spoke in the darkness and light pierced for the first time. Eyes that had never known light now perceived that which the darkness hid: that which they assumed was the sum of existence was a lack of existence.
In the presence of light comes life. Jesus’ light that dawned on humans in Bethlehem drives away all darkness. His light is all powerful. Even when death, the conclusion of darkness, tried to overcome Jesus light on Calvary’s cross, Jesus light drove away death.
This light of Jesus that shines through death is the same light that God places in the hearts of humans. Through his Word, Jesus shines light into our heart and drives from the heart’s shadows fear, doubt, and guilt. Through his light, God shines in our heart and drives out death. In Jesus, the Morning Star, we find life.
Studio session performance of “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” Original words (vv. 1-2) translated by John M. Neale (1851). Music: Veni Emmanuel. Alt. and add. words (vv. 3-5) by Steve Cook and Bob Kauflin.
O Come, O Come Emmanuel: Lyrics
VERSE 1
O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear
VERSE 2
O come, Thou, Dayspring from on high
And cause Thy light on us to rise
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death’s dark shadow put to flight
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel
VERSE 3
O come, O come, true prophet of the Lord
And turn the key to heaven’s door
Be Thou our comforter and guide
And lead us to the Father’s side
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall by His word our darkness dispel
VERSE 4
O come, our great High Priest, and intercede
Thy sacrifice, our only plea
The judgment we no longer fear
Thy precious blood has brought us near
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Has banished every fear of hell
VERSE 5
O Come, Thou King of nations bring
An end to all our suffering
Bid every pain and sorrow cease
And reign now as our Prince of Peace
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come again with us to dwell
© 2014 Sovereign Grace Praise (BMI)/Sovereign Grace Worship (ASCAP). All rights reserved.
Prepare Him Room: Celebrating the Birth of Jesus in Song
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