O Come, O Come Emmanuel, is one of the older Christmas songs we sing. The original source material, “O Antiphon,” dates back to circa 800 AD.
This version is sung a cappella–solo voice with no accompaniment. This song helps me enter into the waiting of Advent. While we wait for Christmas day we remember that God’s people were waiting for hundreds and hundreds of years for the advent of Jesus.
Deep in the solemn lyrics and minor key are promises of redemption: “ransom captive Israel…from depths of hell they people save, and give them victory o’er the grave…disperse the gloomy clouds of night, and death’s dark shadows put to flight.”
Therefore, “Rejoice! Rejoice, Emmanuel, shall come to thee O Israel.”
You can listen to O Come, O Come Emmanuel, and the whole album on one of the following:
. . . As I Follow Christ 