Ponder Jesus’ coming this Christmas based on stanzas from a well-known Advent hymn.

Emmanuel

Christmas is coming! For many people, this brings excitement and anticipation. They cannot wait to celebrate and spend time with family. Yet, hearing that Christmas is coming fills others with anxiety and even sadness. They worry about whether the family will get along. There may be an empty chair at the dinner table, leaving them to wonder what Christmas will be like without that dear family member who has gone ahead to heaven. Some people hear Christmas is coming and feel all alone, with little reason to celebrate.

Emmanuel is coming! No matter where we find ourselves in life, this truth brings excitement and anticipation. Emmanuel is coming, and that means our lonely exile is over. We separated ourselves from our holy God by our sins and selfishness. Instead of following our Father’s commands, we insisted on going our own way, breaking peace with him. Although we have only ourselves to blame for this exile, our Father did not abandon us. He sent his Son Jesus to restore us to his love. This Savior is called Emmanuel, a beautiful title meaning “God with us.” Jesus came as one of us, our Brother, to restore us to the family of God by facing the loneliness of the cross in payment for our sins. Our Emmanuel assures us that we will never be cut off from our Father’s love again.

Emmanuel is coming! Jesus, our Brother, remains with us so we never need to feel lonely. When life’s challenges and heartaches leave us feeling defenseless and all alone, we can remember Emmanuel, God with us. He will never abandon us to deal with our problems by ourselves. Emmanuel knows what we are going through and the best way to help us. When our hearts are heavy at the loss of a family member or friend who has died, Emmanuel assures us, “I am with you.” Our loving Brother will never leave us.

Christmas is coming! How eagerly we prepare to celebrate our Savior’s birth! God has come as one of us. Since he is at our side, we are never alone whether we face triumphs or challenges. Our Brother assures us we will live in his presence forever.

Our Emmanuel has come! Rejoice, for since God is with us, we will never be lonely again.

O come, O come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel
that mourns in lonely exile here until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to you, O Israel!
(Christian Worship 327:1)

Root of Jesse

Christmas is coming! We will again hear the angel choir proclaim peace on earth. Yet as we observe our world and our lives, we see little peace. Wars stretch out for years. Differing political views divide our country. Turmoil and strife remain present in our lives. In this divided world and in our troubled lives, we may wonder, Where is the peace?

The Root of Jesse is coming! He is the one who brings peace to our troubled world and lives. The prophet Isaiah gives this beau-tiful title to our coming Savior. “In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his resting place will be glorious” (Isaiah 11:10). Jesse was the root of a great line of kings of Judah, beginning with his son King David. Yet by Isaiah’s time, Judah had fallen on hard times. Eventually, the kingly line rooted in Jesse would appear to end when the armies of Babylon conquered Jerusalem. God’s chosen people appeared to have no peace.

But appearances often are deceiving! A greater King would come from the line of Jesse. His throne is not in Jerusalem but in heaven. His enemy is no foreign army but the devil with his legions of demons. This King not only came from Jesse’s line, but Jesse also came from him, for this ruler is the very Son of God who gives life to all. Jesus, the Root of Jesse, did not come to end wars between nations but to restore peace between sinners and God. He paid the price for our rebellion when he gave his life for us on the cross. When he rose that glorious resurrection morning, he crushed that tyrant Satan for good and freed God’s chosen people to live at peace under his rule for all eternity.

Christmas is coming! Although wars will continue on this earth, the Root of Jesse brings peace to his people. Although we will still go through troubles and trials in our lives today, the Root of Jesse brings us peace as he assures us that he will continue to protect us.

The Root of Jesse has come! Rejoice, for he brings us peace in every trouble and the ultimate peace of eternal life.

O come, O Root of Jesse, free
your own from Satan’s tyrrany;
From depths of hell your people save,
and give them vict’ry o’er the grave.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to you, O Israel!
(Christian Worship 327:2)

Dayspring from on high

Christmas is coming! Will it be a day that brings lasting joy or merely a brief respite from the sorrows and cares of life? If Christmas remains merely about presents and parties, the joy we experience will fade away quickly. Parties end, and presents wear out. A celebration that focuses on these trappings alone provides little relief from the challenges we face each day.

The “Dayspring from on high” (Luke 1:78 KJV; “rising sun” NIV) is coming! His birth signals the dawn of a new day. As the Son of God enters this world as one of us, he provides much more than a short pause from the sorrows and concerns of daily life. The Dayspring from on high warms our hearts with his healing presence and forgiving love. Though we face trials and heartaches, we can still rejoice, for we have a Savior to whom we can turn in every need. As we look ahead to a future that appears uncertain, the Dayspring from on high shines his light on our path as he guides us through his Word. Just as the sun rises anew each morning, so God’s Son remains with us. His light will never dim or fade away.

The Dayspring from on high is coming! We no longer need to fear the dark shadow that death casts on our life. Death’s shadow often looms large. We feel pain and heartache as we miss dear friends and family members who have breathed their last on this earth. We may fear what we will experience as we near our end, but a new day has dawned! God’s Son, who was born in Bethlehem, would leave his tomb outside Jerusalem empty. The Son is risen! He has dispersed the clouds and sha-dows of death for all who believe.

Christmas is coming! A new day has dawned! We bask in the warmth and walk in the light of God’s one and only Son, our Savior. The clouds of sorrow and death have been put to flight forever.

The Dayspring from on high has come! Rejoice, for in him we will never have to face the darkness again.

O come, O Dayspring from on high, 
and cheer us by your drawing nigh; 
disperse the gloomy clouds of night, 
and death’s dark shadows put to flight. 
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to you, O Israel!
(Christian Worship 327:3)

Key of David

Christmas is coming! Our hopes run high for a joyful celebration with family and friends. Yet deep down, we may wonder if this Christmas will meet our expectations. Will our family members get along with one another? Will our plans lead to a Christmas celebration that we will remember for years to come? If our hopes for a merry Christmas rest on our efforts alone, we are setting ourselves up for disappointment.

The Key of David is coming! Our Savior has come to unlock the door that leads to our eternal home. The celebration awaiting us in heaven will exceed our every expectation. There we will feast with all our brothers and sisters who believe in Jesus as their Savior. There we will see the Lord himself and rejoice that we will spend eternity in his presence. This hope remains certain, for it does not rest on us. It rests on Jesus, who assures us, “I am going to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to be with me, so that you may also be where I am. You know where I am going, and you know the way” (John 14:2-4 Evangelical Heritage Version).

The Key of David is coming! The hope that he gives us sustains us as we face the temporary miseries of life this side of heaven. Though the challenges of life often overwhelm us, we know how to overcome them. We look to Jesus, who has already defeated every enemy and won our victory. He holds the key to confident hope for today and certain hope for eternity. He came to live and die for us in love and then to rise in power to guarantee our victory. As we trust in Jesus, he will never leave us hopeless or disappointed.

Christmas is coming! God’s gift of his Son, our Savior, meets all our hopes and expectations. He is the one we can count on for help in life today and certainty for life forever.

The Key of David has come! Rejoice, for the hope he brings will never disappoint us as we celebrate with him for all eternity.

O come, O Key of David, come,
and open wide our heav’nly home;
make safe the way that leads on high,
and close the path to misery.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to you, O Israel!
(Christian Worship 327:4)

Visit forwardinchrist.net/advent-2025 to access each devotion separately, including a prayer and a video of Laudate Dominum—Lutheran Voices of Wisconsin singing the specified hymn verse. Join in singing all four verses of the hymn with Laudate Dominum. 

Author: Paul Tessmer
Volume: 112, Number 12
Issue: December 2025
Illustrations: Corissa Nelson