Hope: Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus
The Advent season is a time of longing and anticipation for celebrating the birth of the coming King and His return. Throughout the history of humanity, times of waiting can be marked by expectant hearts or by the heaviness of seeking meaning in the quiet. Having expectation, anticipating, believing, confidence—all words that come to mind when describing hope. As Charles Wesley wrote in 1744,
“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.”
Our longing to be set free from fear, darkness, sin, anxiety, and brokenness has not changed through the centuries. But we have the hope of Jesus that is promised to us in John 1:4-5, “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” The Light of the World came as the most innocent, fragile, helpless being in the lowliest of accommodations. But as promised to us, He came.
And while we wait for His return, He is. Jesus isn’t solely a fulfillment of hope; He is the source of it. He meets our every longing and provides joy in the process. Christ is the “hope of all the earth,” and in His “all-sufficient merit” through His life, death, and resurrection, we have reconciliation of our sins. Fulfilling God’s longing for us to be a part of His glorious eternity. He will be. Forever.
The season of Advent is not a time to wait passively, but to be actively expectant. Hoping requires action; believing with expectancy involves effort. Preparing our minds, hearts, and spirits happens through intentionality. Advent invites us to slow down, to listen, and to realign our lives with the promise of Christ’s coming. Jesus came to overcome darkness with light. We, as Christians, carry that light within us, and we are called to let it shine in a world that longs for hope and renewal.
Advent Prayer: Most sufficient Hope of Glory, as we step into this season of waiting, let us do so with hearts full of excitement and expectation. Awaken the joy in us, silence our fears, and tune our hearts towards sharing Your light to the hopeless around us!
Written by Jennifer Ham, Director of Communication and Public Relations