Just saying the word Christmas sparks joy in the hearts and light in the eyes of many. Thoughts of Christmas often bring us back to a time of childlike wonder and inspire us to look forward to the light, love, and warmth of this season year after year. It seems fitting then that so many of the favorite songs we sing at Christmas time are full of joy and triumph. We are, after all, celebrating the birth and life of our Savior.
But our feelings and experiences surrounding Christmas are not always merry. Grief, broken relationships, financial burdens, and any number of private personal struggles don’t simply disappear because the calendar turns over to December. That’s why I love this song so much – it speaks directly to the heart of a people who desperately need the Son of God.
The song addresses those in captivity, in mourning, in exile, in need of rescue and comfort. And after each verse recognizes these people in need, it returns to this sweet refrain of promise – “Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee O Israel.” Jesus never invalidates our feelings, he knows them intimately. He loves us right where we are, in whatever state our hearts are found. We don’t have to put on a brave face or pretend – He comes to us just as we are. That is the blessed hope of Christmas. We are who we are, we’ve done what we’ve done, and yet He came for us.
Carrie Joy(ful) 