The Fourth Sunday of Advent brings us closer to the celebration of Christmas, and turns the story to Mary, the mother of Jesus. Pregnancy is often used as a metaphor for Advent waiting. The anticipation of a new baby and all the ways we get ready for him or her can speak to us about waiting for Christ to come again.
Today, we talk about the coming of Emmanuel, a name meaning, “God is with us.” We have many songs that use this title for Jesus, perhaps the most well-known is “O Come, O Come Emmanuel.” It is based on an Advent tradition that might go back as far as the 5th century. There are seven titles from the Old Testament that refer to aspects of the Messiah. The verses began with the word “O,” and so these phrases became known as the “O Antiphons.” These titles are used for the Magnificat antiphon for Evening Prayer during the last days of Advent.
The basis of the English translation used in “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” is attributed to John Mason Neale in 1851. The seven titles in order from the song are:
Emmanuel: Isaiah 7:14
Wisdom: Isaiah 11:2-3; 28:29
Lord: Isaiah 11:4-5; 33:22
Rod of Jesse: Isaiah 11:1; 11:10
Key of David: Isaiah 22:22; 9:6-7
Dayspring: Isaiah 9:1-2
Desire of Nations: Isaiah 2:4
It is a hymn closely associated with Advent. I know some musicians who grow tired of it because of its ubiquitous use. However, an Advent without that melody and those words seems lacking something integral.
Perhaps we could find new meaning by using these titles for Jesus along with the Scripture references above in our private prayer life for Advent. We could also use these titles as a meditation in these last days before Christmas.
