Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus
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.
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.
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.
Reflection
“Come Thou Long Expected Jesus” was written by Charles Wesley and originally published in 1744. Although we most closely associate this song with Christmas, Charles Wesley was inspired by Haggai 2:7 which reads: “I will shake all
nations, and what is desired by all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the Lord Almighty.”
Wesley was disappointed and saddened at the shape of the world. He was distraught at the troubles that faced the
people of his time thinking that little had changed in the 1,700 years since Christ’s birth. He then thought about the birth of Jesus Christ and was immediately filled by a sense of hope. He reread the prophesy of Haggai and the hope that the prophet had for the first coming of Christ. It inspired Wesley to celebrate the first coming of Christ and also to look forward with hope to the second coming of Christ. As we prepare for Christmas, what in your life makes you
distraught about our times and hopeful for the second
coming of Christ?
