December 19, 2023 • 33 mins
As our Hymns of Advent series come to its close, we promise to leave you with a heart full of the Advent blessings of hope, peace, joy, and love. This episode is a celebration of the love that entered the world through the birth of Jesus and the poignant longing captured in the hymn "Come Thou Long Expected Jesus." We'll explore the first verse, a testament to the fulfillment of God's promise of a Messiah, as it echoes through time to free us from sin and fear.
Join us on a soul-stirring journey from the prophecies of Isaiah to the arrival of Jesus Christ, the epitome of love's transformative power. Red Mountain Church leads us in reflecting on the joyous anticipation of Advent and the continuity of this promise through to Easter, emphasizing the depth of God's sacrificial love. We invite you to embrace the love and kindness that Advent inspires, allowing it to reshape hearts and bring hope to communities everywhere.
Red Mountain Church Music
Red Mountain Hymn Collective
"Come Thou Long Expected Jesus"
Taken from Silent Night: Advent Hymns of Red Mountain Church
CREDITS
Ashley Spurling: Vocals
Brian T. Murphy: Piano, Keyboards, Harmonica
Clint Wells: Electric and Acoustic Guitar
Jeff Irwin: Bass
Brad Odum: Drums
Connie Skellie: Violin
Tim Carroll: Upright Bass On "O Come, All Ye Faithful"
Tripp Ethridge: Percussion
Clint Wells: Bass
Produced by Brian T. Murphy and Clint Wells
Mixed by Paul Scodova - Nashville, TN
"O Come, All Ye Faithful" and "Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus" mixed by Steve Hardy - New York, New York
Mastered by Steve Hardy - New York, New York
Project management by Bradley N. Cordell
Design and illustration by Dana Tanamachi
Recording and engineering by Brian T. Murphy at Red Mountain Studios - Birmingham, AL
Additional recording and engineering of pianos by Paul Scodova.
www.thebrightforever.com
All songs used by permission.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
A prison cell in which one waits hopes and is
completely dependent on the factthat the door of freedom has to
be opened from the outside.
It's not a bad picture ofAdvent.
Dijer Bonhoeffer, this is theBright Forever.
(00:24):
Hello and welcome to the BrightForever and our special series,
(00:46):
hymns of Advent, where eachweek we discover the power and
richness found in some of thegreatest Advent hymns of the
Church.
My name is Andy Peaveyhouse andI am your host and guide on
this journey through the Adventseason.
This is our fourth and finalepisode in our Hymns of Advent
(01:06):
series.
It has been great getting tospend this time with you and dig
through just a handful of theamazing songs that make this
Advent season so special.
If you are here for the firsttime and you're wondering why we
are talking about this thingcalled Advent and you aren't
really sure what it's all about,take a minute and go back and
(01:31):
listen to episode 6 about hope.
In that episode, I give a quickrundown of the Advent season
and what it's all about.
For those of you who have beenwith us and are geared up for
the final episode, I am going tojust touch on where we have
been and discuss the themes thathave guided us through these
episodes.
(01:51):
The word Advent, meaning comingor arrival, is marked by four
themes, one theme for each weekof the four weeks leading up to
Christmas Day.
In those four themes we focuson expectant, waiting,
repentance and reflection,scripture reading and the
(02:13):
symbols of the themessurrounding each week.
Week one we discussed hopeThrough the lens of O'combe,
o'combe Emanuel.
We stopped for a moment andstepped back to look at the Old
Testament prophecies surroundingthe coming of the Messiah and
(02:35):
the names of God in each verseof that song that point to
different aspects of the hope wefind in what God has done in
Christ.
In week two, we discussed peace.
As we listened to the words oflet all mortal flesh keep
silence, we were reminded of thepeace that passes all
(02:57):
understanding In the presence ofour Savior, the Prince of Peace
.
And in the third verse myfavorite part we hear that the
light of light descendeth,beautifully describing the
incarnation.
When the word became flesh andmade his dwelling among us,
(03:24):
jesus took on human form toenter into our brokenness and
bring us peace.
Last week, week three, wediscussed joy.
Looking at the unconventionaladvent hymn, come Thou, fount of
Every Blessing, we discoveredthe joy found in the good news
(03:47):
of Jesus' birth and theredemption purchased for us
through God's mercy and grace.
And the final week, week numberfour.
This week is all about love.
These themes have guided usthrough this Advent season.
Each week, near the end of eachepisode, we share a practical
(04:11):
way that you and your family andmine can celebrate using the
theme of that week.
So, like I said, this week wedive into the theme of love as
we explore what I would say isprobably my favorite Advent hymn
(04:31):
Come Thou Long Expected Jesus,and reveal its impact in this
Advent season.
Isaiah 43, one through three.
But now, thus says the Lord, hewho created you, o Jacob, who
(04:53):
formed you, o Israel, fear not,for I have redeemed you, I have
called you by name.
You are mine.
When you pass through thewaters, I will be with you, and
through the rivers, they shallnot overwhelm you.
When you walk through fire, youshall not be burned and the
(05:18):
flame shall not consume you, forI am the Lord, your God, the
Holy, one of Israel, your Savior.
Isaiah 61, one through three,says the spirit of the Lord, god
is upon me, because the Lordhas anointed me to bring good
(05:40):
news to the poor.
He has sent me.
To bind up the brokenhearted,to proclaim liberty to the
captives and the opening of theprison to those who are bound.
To proclaim the year of theLord's favor and the day of
vengeance of our God.
To comfort all who mourn.
To grant to those who mourn inZion, to give them beauty
(06:05):
instead of ashes, the oil ofgladness instead of mourning,
the garment of praise instead ofa faint spirit.
That they may be called oaks ofrighteousness, the planting of
the Lord that he may beglorified.
(06:26):
First, john 4, 9 through 10.
In this the love of God wasmade manifest among us, that God
sent his only Son into theworld so that we might live
through him In.
This is love, not that we haveloved God, but that he loved us
(06:52):
and sent his Son to be thepropitiation for our sins.
As we meditate on thesescriptures, the theme of love
resonates profoundly.
Isaiah assures us of God'spresence and redemption.
(07:16):
We're reminded that Jesus, theMessiah, is the one that would
come to bind up thebroken-hearted, to proclaim
liberty to the captives.
And 1 John beautifullyarticulates this idea of God's
love through sending his Son.
(07:36):
Just before verse 9, we getverse 8 where it says God is
love, and then this is that lovethat he sent his Son.
These passages lay thefoundation for the themes echoed
(08:00):
in come thou long expectedJesus.
As one journeys through theverses of come thou long
expected Jesus, each linebecomes a poetic expression of
the love we anticipate duringAdvent.
(08:21):
But today, unlike other hymnsthat we've gone through and that
we've looked at, I'm going tofocus on just one verse, because
here's the thing.
I could literally talk aboutthis song for an hour, if not
(08:42):
more, and we could go and spenda podcast on every single verse
of the song, and I love thissong and I love what it's saying
.
So I'm just going to focus onthat first verse.
Come thou long expected Jesus.
Born to set thy people freeFrom our sins and fears, release
(09:09):
us, let us find our rest inthee Will strengthen consolation
, hope of all the earth.
Thou art dear desire of everynation, joy of every longing
heart.
The hymn opens with aninvitation for Jesus to come,
(09:37):
emphasizing the long awaitedarrival of the promised Messiah.
This sets the stage for thelove that comes with the
fulfillment of God's promises.
This verse expresses the senseof anticipation and hope for the
(09:57):
arrival of Jesus.
It echoes the longing ofgenerations for a Savior,
someone who would bring freedomand serve as the hope of the
world.
The imagery found in the wordsfrom our fears and sins release
(10:19):
us, coupled with the recognitionof Jesus as the source of joy
for every longing heart,captures the essence of Advent
expectation.
This verse is why I chose thequote from Bonhoeffer at the
(10:41):
beginning.
A prison cell in which oneawaits hopes and is completely
dependent on the fact that thedoor of freedom has to be opened
from the outside, is not a badpicture of Advent.
This idea that we are waitingpatiently for God to do
(11:05):
something.
We want to see God move, wewant to see him fulfill his
promise.
We want to see him do thethings that he says he's going
to do and it's about time to seeit happen.
And we're just waiting, waitingwith anticipation.
And Bonhoeffer's like it's likesomebody in prison who waits
(11:30):
and hopes that door is going toopen and I'm going to walk free,
but it's got to be opened fromoutside.
I can't do it myself.
This quote from Bonhoeffercomes from his writings when he
(11:52):
was in Nazi prisons awaitingexecution for his role in the
plot to overthrow Hitler.
He was executed a couple ofweeks before the end of World
War II he died in prison, so youcan say that he knew a thing or
(12:18):
two about being in prison andthe hope of one day being freed.
His picture of dependence onthe opening of the door from the
outside helps us see our needfor an intervention.
Both the hymn verse andBonhoeffer's quote convey a
(12:42):
sense of waiting and dependenceon something outside of
ourselves for the freedom we sodesperately seek.
The quote beautifully capturesthe essence of Advent as a
(13:03):
season of waiting for theMessiah, waiting for someone who
will open the doors and set usfree.
And we see, in Luke 4, jesusdeclares himself to be just that
.
We read out of Isaiah.
Well, guess what?
(13:23):
Jesus was asked to read out ofthe scrolls and he chooses one,
and in Luke 4 it says this andthe scroll of the prophet Isaiah
was given to him.
He unrolled the scroll andfound the place where it is
(13:44):
written the spirit of the Lordis upon me because he anointed
me to proclaim good news to thepoor.
He has sent me to proclaimfreedom to the captives and
recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who
are oppressed and proclaim theyear of the Lord's favor.
(14:09):
He is the Messiah, jesus ishere to open the doors and set
our captive souls free.
(14:31):
This is love.
As we reflect solely upon thisverse, we see the themes of
expectation, redemption and thepower of God's love that sets
the captive free In just thisone verse.
(14:54):
Come thou long expected Jesusbecomes I, him that stirs our
hearts with anticipation, sayingthat the love of God is
manifested in the arrival of thepromised Savior.
But we can't just stop there.
(15:15):
Just as Isaiah prophesied thatthe Savior would come, he also
told us of this Savior being asuffering servant.
In Isaiah 53, verses 2 through5, it says this For he grew up
(15:38):
before him like a young plantand like a root out of dry
ground.
He had no form or majesty thatwe should look at him and no
beauty that we should desire him.
He was despised and rejected bymen, a man of sorrows and
acquainted with grief, and asone from whom men hide their
(16:00):
faces.
He was despised and we esteemedhim not.
Surely he has borne our griefsand carried our sorrows, yet we
esteemed him.
Stricken, smitten by God andafflicted.
(16:20):
But he was pierced for ourtransgressions, he was crushed
for our iniquities.
Upon him was the chastisementthat brought us peace, and by
his wounds we are healed.
As we reflect on this theme oflove, we must remember that the
(16:47):
coming of our Savior extends allthe way from Christmas to
Easter.
That anticipation and theexpectation doesn't end at
Christmas.
It continues.
It begins to multiplyexponentially as we approach
(17:12):
God's greatest act of love onour behalf, the day he lays down
his own life so that we mayhave life, and life abundantly.
We can only love him because hefirst loved us and gave his
(17:44):
life as a propitiation for oursin.
I'm reminded of another song byChris Rice, called Sometimes
Love, and it goes like this Onepair of hands broke some bread
(18:06):
and washed some feet, openedeyes and soothed an angry sea.
Belonged to a man who could seeour deepest need and showed us
love the way it has to be,because he knew the price that
love requires and he laid downhis own desires.
(18:29):
He stretched out his hands tosave his friends.
He said no other love is higher.
And then he says sometimes lovehas to drive a nail into its
(18:52):
own hand.
Sometimes love has to drive anail into its own hand.
This is love, not that we lovedHim, but that he first loved us
(19:23):
.
Jesus came into this world toshow us how to live that love.
He came into this world todemonstrate for us true love,
him coming into this worldsaying I love you enough to
(19:51):
sacrifice myself, to step out ofheaven to put on flesh, to
enter our sorrow and our sadnessand do what we couldn't do.
Joy to those who long to seethee day spring from on high.
(20:14):
Appear come thou, promised rodof Jesse.
Of thy birth we long to hear,or the hills, the angels singing
news, glad tidings of a birth.
Go to Him.
Your praise is bringing Christ.
The Lord has come to earth.
Come to earth to taste oursadness.
(20:39):
He whose glories knew no end.
By His life, he brings usgladness.
Our Redeemer, shepherd, friend,leaving riches without number,
born within a cattle stall.
Yes, the everlasting wonder.
(21:03):
Christ was born, lord of all.
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
(21:26):
spirit rule in all our heartsalone.
By thine all sufficient merit,raise us to thy glorious throne.
Speaker 3 (22:02):
From our fears and sins.
Release us.
Let us find our rest in thee,israel's strength and
consolation, hope of all theearth.
Our word, dear desire of everynation, joy of every longing
(22:32):
love.
Joy to those who long to seethee day spring from on high
appear.
Come thou, promised rod ofJesse of thy birth.
(22:57):
We long to hear O'er the hills,the angels singing news, glad
tidings of a birth.
Go to him your praises bringingChrist.
(23:17):
The Lord has come to earth.
Come to earth to taste oursadness.
He whose glory is new, no manby his life.
(23:39):
He brings us gladness.
a redeemer, shepherd friendLeaving riches without number,
born within a cattle stone.
This the everlasting wonder.
(24:02):
Christ was born, the Lord ofall.
Born thy people to deliver,born a child, and yet a king,
(24:25):
born to reign in us forever.
Speaker 1 (24:31):
Now thy gracious kingdom reign by thy known
eternal spirit, rule in all ourhearts alone.
By thy known sufficient merit.
(24:52):
Plays us to thy glorious rule.
That was Come.
(25:14):
Thou Long Expected Jesus.
By Red Mountain Church MusicFrom their 2008 release Silent
Night.
Advent Hymns from Red MountainChurch With Ashley Sperling on
vocals.
For more information about thisalbum, check out the album
credits in the show notes forthis episode.
(25:37):
You can find Silent Night andmany other albums from Red
Mountain Church Music on theirwebsite at
wwwredmountainchurchmusiccom,and the Red Mountain Hymn
Collective onwwwhymncollectiveorg.
(25:59):
As we approach the culminationof Advent, just before Christmas
, let's respond to the theme oflove by sharing this love that
God has given us through himselfwith others.
Let's spread some acts ofkindness throughout our
(26:20):
communities.
Take a moment each day tointentionally show love to those
around you.
Let the love of God just sopermeate your heart.
Let's be so moved by the lovethat God has for us that we
(26:43):
intentionally go out and show itto those around us.
It could be just a kind word, athoughtful gesture or simply
spending quality time withfriends and loved ones.
Capture these moments in akindness journal and, on
(27:06):
Christmas Eve, gather togetherand share what you've entered,
reflecting on the joy and thelove that you've been able to
share during this Advent season,remembering that love real love
comes not from us but through aheart that has been transformed
(27:33):
by the power of the gospel andthe love of our Father, who
first loved us.
As we draw the curtain on thisAdvent series, we've journeyed
through the themes of hope,peace, joy and love, guided by
(27:58):
some timeless hymns that echoprofoundly this idea of
anticipation and expectation ofthe Savior's arrival.
Together, we've explored thepromises of God, found solace in
(28:19):
the prospect of peace, rejoicedin the joy of redemption and
immersed ourselves in theboundless love that comes not
just from the birth of Christbut the fact that we know he's
come to give his life for us.
(28:39):
In the spirit of hope, may weapproach the unknown with
confidence in God's promises.
In the pursuit of peace, may wefind stillness amidst the chaos
of life.
In moments of joy, may wecelebrate the reality of
(29:05):
redemption and, enveloped inGod's love, may we, in turn love
one another.
Let's not allow these themes tobe confined simply to the days
leading up to Christmas, butlet's allow them to become the
(29:28):
rhythms of our daily lives,guiding us with hope, wrapping
us in peace, lifting our heartswith joy and filling our souls
with love.
From the bottom of my heart, Ipray you have a truly blessed
(29:51):
Christmas, filled with the powerof the hope and peace and joy
and love found in the birth ofour Savior Jesus Christ.
Thank you for joining us thisweek on the Bright Forever.
Remember to follow us, reviewus and, of course, subscribe.
If you are interested insupporting the work we are doing
(30:14):
here on this podcast, pleaseconsider becoming a podcast
partner.
Simply click the Support thePodcast link in the show notes
or at the top of our website atwwwTheBrightForevercom and sign
up for one of our monthlysubscription plans.
We also always want to hearfrom you.
(30:38):
You can send us an email atpodcast at thebrightforevercom.
You can click the Contact Ustab on our website and send us a
message through our contactform, or you can click on the
radio microphone at the bottomright corner and record a
message up to two minutes andlet us know what you think of
(30:59):
what we do here at the BrightForever.
Thank you again for joining usthis week.
Let me close this out in prayer.
Heavenly Father, we thank youfor your love, not only
demonstrated in the coming ofour Savior, but in the sacrifice
(31:24):
you gave so that we might findhope, peace, joy and the love of
our father in the person andfinished work of Of your son
Jesus.
As we continue to celebrate hisarrival, may our hearts be
(31:49):
filled with everlasting love.
Now to him, who is able to doImmeasurably more than all we
can ask or imagine, according tothe power at work within us.
To him Be glory in the churchand in Jesus Christ throughout
(32:13):
all generations, forever andever.
Amen and Amen.
So until next time, may thelove of the long-expected Jesus
fill your homes and hearts, andI hope your advent has been a
(32:35):
season of deep love andanticipation.
God bless you all.
Have a great week and a verymerry Christmas, and we'll see
you again in the new year.
Until then, we're out.
You.
A prison cell in which one waits hopes and is
completely dependent on the factthat the door of freedom has to
be opened from the outside.
It's not a bad picture ofAdvent.
Dijer Bonhoeffer, this is theBright Forever.
(00:24):
Hello and welcome to the BrightForever and our special series,
(00:46):
hymns of Advent, where eachweek we discover the power and
richness found in some of thegreatest Advent hymns of the
Church.
My name is Andy Peaveyhouse andI am your host and guide on
this journey through the Adventseason.
This is our fourth and finalepisode in our Hymns of Advent
(01:06):
series.
It has been great getting tospend this time with you and dig
through just a handful of theamazing songs that make this
Advent season so special.
If you are here for the firsttime and you're wondering why we
are talking about this thingcalled Advent and you aren't
really sure what it's all about,take a minute and go back and
(01:31):
listen to episode 6 about hope.
In that episode, I give a quickrundown of the Advent season
and what it's all about.
For those of you who have beenwith us and are geared up for
the final episode, I am going tojust touch on where we have
been and discuss the themes thathave guided us through these
episodes.
(01:51):
The word Advent, meaning comingor arrival, is marked by four
themes, one theme for each weekof the four weeks leading up to
Christmas Day.
In those four themes we focuson expectant, waiting,
repentance and reflection,scripture reading and the
(02:13):
symbols of the themessurrounding each week.
Week one we discussed hopeThrough the lens of O'combe,
o'combe Emanuel.
We stopped for a moment andstepped back to look at the Old
Testament prophecies surroundingthe coming of the Messiah and
(02:35):
the names of God in each verseof that song that point to
different aspects of the hope wefind in what God has done in
Christ.
In week two, we discussed peace.
As we listened to the words oflet all mortal flesh keep
silence, we were reminded of thepeace that passes all
(02:57):
understanding In the presence ofour Savior, the Prince of Peace
.
And in the third verse myfavorite part we hear that the
light of light descendeth,beautifully describing the
incarnation.
When the word became flesh andmade his dwelling among us,
(03:24):
jesus took on human form toenter into our brokenness and
bring us peace.
Last week, week three, wediscussed joy.
Looking at the unconventionaladvent hymn, come Thou, fount of
Every Blessing, we discoveredthe joy found in the good news
(03:47):
of Jesus' birth and theredemption purchased for us
through God's mercy and grace.
And the final week, week numberfour.
This week is all about love.
These themes have guided usthrough this Advent season.
Each week, near the end of eachepisode, we share a practical
(04:11):
way that you and your family andmine can celebrate using the
theme of that week.
So, like I said, this week wedive into the theme of love as
we explore what I would say isprobably my favorite Advent hymn
(04:31):
Come Thou Long Expected Jesus,and reveal its impact in this
Advent season.
Isaiah 43, one through three.
But now, thus says the Lord, hewho created you, o Jacob, who
(04:53):
formed you, o Israel, fear not,for I have redeemed you, I have
called you by name.
You are mine.
When you pass through thewaters, I will be with you, and
through the rivers, they shallnot overwhelm you.
When you walk through fire, youshall not be burned and the
(05:18):
flame shall not consume you, forI am the Lord, your God, the
Holy, one of Israel, your Savior.
Isaiah 61, one through three,says the spirit of the Lord, god
is upon me, because the Lordhas anointed me to bring good
(05:40):
news to the poor.
He has sent me.
To bind up the brokenhearted,to proclaim liberty to the
captives and the opening of theprison to those who are bound.
To proclaim the year of theLord's favor and the day of
vengeance of our God.
To comfort all who mourn.
To grant to those who mourn inZion, to give them beauty
(06:05):
instead of ashes, the oil ofgladness instead of mourning,
the garment of praise instead ofa faint spirit.
That they may be called oaks ofrighteousness, the planting of
the Lord that he may beglorified.
(06:26):
First, john 4, 9 through 10.
In this the love of God wasmade manifest among us, that God
sent his only Son into theworld so that we might live
through him In.
This is love, not that we haveloved God, but that he loved us
(06:52):
and sent his Son to be thepropitiation for our sins.
As we meditate on thesescriptures, the theme of love
resonates profoundly.
Isaiah assures us of God'spresence and redemption.
(07:16):
We're reminded that Jesus, theMessiah, is the one that would
come to bind up thebroken-hearted, to proclaim
liberty to the captives.
And 1 John beautifullyarticulates this idea of God's
love through sending his Son.
(07:36):
Just before verse 9, we getverse 8 where it says God is
love, and then this is that lovethat he sent his Son.
These passages lay thefoundation for the themes echoed
(08:00):
in come thou long expectedJesus.
As one journeys through theverses of come thou long
expected Jesus, each linebecomes a poetic expression of
the love we anticipate duringAdvent.
(08:21):
But today, unlike other hymnsthat we've gone through and that
we've looked at, I'm going tofocus on just one verse, because
here's the thing.
I could literally talk aboutthis song for an hour, if not
(08:42):
more, and we could go and spenda podcast on every single verse
of the song, and I love thissong and I love what it's saying
.
So I'm just going to focus onthat first verse.
Come thou long expected Jesus.
Born to set thy people freeFrom our sins and fears, release
(09:09):
us, let us find our rest inthee Will strengthen consolation
, hope of all the earth.
Thou art dear desire of everynation, joy of every longing
heart.
The hymn opens with aninvitation for Jesus to come,
(09:37):
emphasizing the long awaitedarrival of the promised Messiah.
This sets the stage for thelove that comes with the
fulfillment of God's promises.
This verse expresses the senseof anticipation and hope for the
(09:57):
arrival of Jesus.
It echoes the longing ofgenerations for a Savior,
someone who would bring freedomand serve as the hope of the
world.
The imagery found in the wordsfrom our fears and sins release
(10:19):
us, coupled with the recognitionof Jesus as the source of joy
for every longing heart,captures the essence of Advent
expectation.
This verse is why I chose thequote from Bonhoeffer at the
(10:41):
beginning.
A prison cell in which oneawaits hopes and is completely
dependent on the fact that thedoor of freedom has to be opened
from the outside, is not a badpicture of Advent.
This idea that we are waitingpatiently for God to do
(11:05):
something.
We want to see God move, wewant to see him fulfill his
promise.
We want to see him do thethings that he says he's going
to do and it's about time to seeit happen.
And we're just waiting, waitingwith anticipation.
And Bonhoeffer's like it's likesomebody in prison who waits
(11:30):
and hopes that door is going toopen and I'm going to walk free,
but it's got to be opened fromoutside.
I can't do it myself.
This quote from Bonhoeffercomes from his writings when he
(11:52):
was in Nazi prisons awaitingexecution for his role in the
plot to overthrow Hitler.
He was executed a couple ofweeks before the end of World
War II he died in prison, so youcan say that he knew a thing or
(12:18):
two about being in prison andthe hope of one day being freed.
His picture of dependence onthe opening of the door from the
outside helps us see our needfor an intervention.
Both the hymn verse andBonhoeffer's quote convey a
(12:42):
sense of waiting and dependenceon something outside of
ourselves for the freedom we sodesperately seek.
The quote beautifully capturesthe essence of Advent as a
(13:03):
season of waiting for theMessiah, waiting for someone who
will open the doors and set usfree.
And we see, in Luke 4, jesusdeclares himself to be just that
.
We read out of Isaiah.
Well, guess what?
(13:23):
Jesus was asked to read out ofthe scrolls and he chooses one,
and in Luke 4 it says this andthe scroll of the prophet Isaiah
was given to him.
He unrolled the scroll andfound the place where it is
(13:44):
written the spirit of the Lordis upon me because he anointed
me to proclaim good news to thepoor.
He has sent me to proclaimfreedom to the captives and
recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who
are oppressed and proclaim theyear of the Lord's favor.
(14:09):
He is the Messiah, jesus ishere to open the doors and set
our captive souls free.
(14:31):
This is love.
As we reflect solely upon thisverse, we see the themes of
expectation, redemption and thepower of God's love that sets
the captive free In just thisone verse.
(14:54):
Come thou long expected Jesusbecomes I, him that stirs our
hearts with anticipation, sayingthat the love of God is
manifested in the arrival of thepromised Savior.
But we can't just stop there.
(15:15):
Just as Isaiah prophesied thatthe Savior would come, he also
told us of this Savior being asuffering servant.
In Isaiah 53, verses 2 through5, it says this For he grew up
(15:38):
before him like a young plantand like a root out of dry
ground.
He had no form or majesty thatwe should look at him and no
beauty that we should desire him.
He was despised and rejected bymen, a man of sorrows and
acquainted with grief, and asone from whom men hide their
(16:00):
faces.
He was despised and we esteemedhim not.
Surely he has borne our griefsand carried our sorrows, yet we
esteemed him.
Stricken, smitten by God andafflicted.
(16:20):
But he was pierced for ourtransgressions, he was crushed
for our iniquities.
Upon him was the chastisementthat brought us peace, and by
his wounds we are healed.
As we reflect on this theme oflove, we must remember that the
(16:47):
coming of our Savior extends allthe way from Christmas to
Easter.
That anticipation and theexpectation doesn't end at
Christmas.
It continues.
It begins to multiplyexponentially as we approach
(17:12):
God's greatest act of love onour behalf, the day he lays down
his own life so that we mayhave life, and life abundantly.
We can only love him because hefirst loved us and gave his
(17:44):
life as a propitiation for oursin.
I'm reminded of another song byChris Rice, called Sometimes
Love, and it goes like this Onepair of hands broke some bread
(18:06):
and washed some feet, openedeyes and soothed an angry sea.
Belonged to a man who could seeour deepest need and showed us
love the way it has to be,because he knew the price that
love requires and he laid downhis own desires.
(18:29):
He stretched out his hands tosave his friends.
He said no other love is higher.
And then he says sometimes lovehas to drive a nail into its
(18:52):
own hand.
Sometimes love has to drive anail into its own hand.
This is love, not that we lovedHim, but that he first loved us
(19:23):
.
Jesus came into this world toshow us how to live that love.
He came into this world todemonstrate for us true love,
him coming into this worldsaying I love you enough to
(19:51):
sacrifice myself, to step out ofheaven to put on flesh, to
enter our sorrow and our sadnessand do what we couldn't do.
Joy to those who long to seethee day spring from on high.
(20:14):
Appear come thou, promised rodof Jesse.
Of thy birth we long to hear,or the hills, the angels singing
news, glad tidings of a birth.
Go to Him.
Your praise is bringing Christ.
The Lord has come to earth.
Come to earth to taste oursadness.
(20:39):
He whose glories knew no end.
By His life, he brings usgladness.
Our Redeemer, shepherd, friend,leaving riches without number,
born within a cattle stall.
Yes, the everlasting wonder.
(21:03):
Christ was born, lord of all.
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
(21:26):
spirit rule in all our heartsalone.
By thine all sufficient merit,raise us to thy glorious throne.
Speaker 3 (22:02):
From our fears and sins.
Release us.
Let us find our rest in thee,israel's strength and
consolation, hope of all theearth.
Our word, dear desire of everynation, joy of every longing
(22:32):
love.
Joy to those who long to seethee day spring from on high
appear.
Come thou, promised rod ofJesse of thy birth.
(22:57):
We long to hear O'er the hills,the angels singing news, glad
tidings of a birth.
Go to him your praises bringingChrist.
(23:17):
The Lord has come to earth.
Come to earth to taste oursadness.
He whose glory is new, no manby his life.
(23:39):
He brings us gladness.
a redeemer, shepherd friendLeaving riches without number,
born within a cattle stone.
This the everlasting wonder.
(24:02):
Christ was born, the Lord ofall.
Born thy people to deliver,born a child, and yet a king,
(24:25):
born to reign in us forever.
Speaker 1 (24:31):
Now thy gracious kingdom reign by thy known
eternal spirit, rule in all ourhearts alone.
By thy known sufficient merit.
(24:52):
Plays us to thy glorious rule.
That was Come.
(25:14):
Thou Long Expected Jesus.
By Red Mountain Church MusicFrom their 2008 release Silent
Night.
Advent Hymns from Red MountainChurch With Ashley Sperling on
vocals.
For more information about thisalbum, check out the album
credits in the show notes forthis episode.
(25:37):
You can find Silent Night andmany other albums from Red
Mountain Church Music on theirwebsite at
wwwredmountainchurchmusiccom,and the Red Mountain Hymn
Collective onwwwhymncollectiveorg.
(25:59):
As we approach the culminationof Advent, just before Christmas
, let's respond to the theme oflove by sharing this love that
God has given us through himselfwith others.
Let's spread some acts ofkindness throughout our
(26:20):
communities.
Take a moment each day tointentionally show love to those
around you.
Let the love of God just sopermeate your heart.
Let's be so moved by the lovethat God has for us that we
(26:43):
intentionally go out and show itto those around us.
It could be just a kind word, athoughtful gesture or simply
spending quality time withfriends and loved ones.
Capture these moments in akindness journal and, on
(27:06):
Christmas Eve, gather togetherand share what you've entered,
reflecting on the joy and thelove that you've been able to
share during this Advent season,remembering that love real love
comes not from us but through aheart that has been transformed
(27:33):
by the power of the gospel andthe love of our Father, who
first loved us.
As we draw the curtain on thisAdvent series, we've journeyed
through the themes of hope,peace, joy and love, guided by
(27:58):
some timeless hymns that echoprofoundly this idea of
anticipation and expectation ofthe Savior's arrival.
Together, we've explored thepromises of God, found solace in
(28:19):
the prospect of peace, rejoicedin the joy of redemption and
immersed ourselves in theboundless love that comes not
just from the birth of Christbut the fact that we know he's
come to give his life for us.
(28:39):
In the spirit of hope, may weapproach the unknown with
confidence in God's promises.
In the pursuit of peace, may wefind stillness amidst the chaos
of life.
In moments of joy, may wecelebrate the reality of
(29:05):
redemption and, enveloped inGod's love, may we, in turn love
one another.
Let's not allow these themes tobe confined simply to the days
leading up to Christmas, butlet's allow them to become the
(29:28):
rhythms of our daily lives,guiding us with hope, wrapping
us in peace, lifting our heartswith joy and filling our souls
with love.
From the bottom of my heart, Ipray you have a truly blessed
(29:51):
Christmas, filled with the powerof the hope and peace and joy
and love found in the birth ofour Savior Jesus Christ.
Thank you for joining us thisweek on the Bright Forever.
Remember to follow us, reviewus and, of course, subscribe.
If you are interested insupporting the work we are doing
(30:14):
here on this podcast, pleaseconsider becoming a podcast
partner.
Simply click the Support thePodcast link in the show notes
or at the top of our website atwwwTheBrightForevercom and sign
up for one of our monthlysubscription plans.
We also always want to hearfrom you.
(30:38):
You can send us an email atpodcast at thebrightforevercom.
You can click the Contact Ustab on our website and send us a
message through our contactform, or you can click on the
radio microphone at the bottomright corner and record a
message up to two minutes andlet us know what you think of
(30:59):
what we do here at the BrightForever.
Thank you again for joining usthis week.
Let me close this out in prayer.
Heavenly Father, we thank youfor your love, not only
demonstrated in the coming ofour Savior, but in the sacrifice
(31:24):
you gave so that we might findhope, peace, joy and the love of
our father in the person andfinished work of Of your son
Jesus.
As we continue to celebrate hisarrival, may our hearts be
(31:49):
filled with everlasting love.
Now to him, who is able to doImmeasurably more than all we
can ask or imagine, according tothe power at work within us.
To him Be glory in the churchand in Jesus Christ throughout
(32:13):
all generations, forever andever.
Amen and Amen.
So until next time, may thelove of the long-expected Jesus
fill your homes and hearts, andI hope your advent has been a
(32:35):
season of deep love andanticipation.
God bless you all.
Have a great week and a verymerry Christmas, and we'll see
you again in the new year.
Until then, we're out.
You.
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