Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus
What Do You Expect?
Come, Thou long-expected Jesus,
Born to set Thy people free
From our fears and sin release us,
Let us find our rest in Thee.
Did
Christmas disappoint you? Did your loved ones neglect to give you the present
you wanted? Did squabbling siblings get you down? Did snow interfere with your
holiday celebrations?
Jesus’
earthly ministry disappointed many people. He came to set the captives free,
and yet John the Baptist was not just imprisoned, he was beheaded. (Matthew
14:10). The Pharisees expected the Messiah to honor them and to fulfill the Law as they saw it. But Jesus condemned
their hypocrisy, their greed, and their misinterpretation of the Law.
The people escorted Jesus into Jerusalem with the equivalent
of a ticker-tape parade because they expected Him to save them from their
oppressors and reign as David’s heir. They did not realize that he came as the
Servant of the Lord to die for the sins of His people. He rode a donkey, a sign
that He came in peace, rather than a war-horse, which a conqueror would have
ridden.
Jesus’ disciples were disappointed when He did not show
any political ambition. Although He told them several times that He was going
to Jerusalem to die, the disciples didn’t understand what He meant. Even up until
the night before His death, the disciples sought places of honor next to him,
confident that He was about to become king.
Sometimes we are disappointed with Jesus. He does not
seem to be the Savior we expected. Our problem is that we don’t see the whole
picture. The Bible reveals two Comings of Jesus, the Messiah. We are living
between those two advents. Jesus fulfilled many of the Old Testament promises
in His first Coming, but many more will be fulfilled when He comes again.
He will not come as a humble servant the next time.
He will come as King of Kings riding on a white horse as Conqueror making war
on His enemies, including sin and death (Revelation 19:11 and 21:4). We will
not be disappointed!
Charles Wesley’s hymn, “Come Thou Long-Expected Jesus,”
includes the line, “Now Thy gracious kingdom
bring.” Let that be our prayer too as we wait for Him.
DIG DEEPER:
- Read Psalm 110:1. Where is Jesus right now? When will He return?
- Read Revelation 19:11-21
and Revelation 21:1-7. What does Jesus promise to do when He returns? Do His
promises alarm you or encourage you? Why?
- Wesley wrote “let us find
our rest in Thee.” How can we do
that? Read Psalm 37:7 and Matthew 11:28-29.
Nancy J. Baker