The Hymn's Call to Hope Amid Exile

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.

The Long-Expected Jesus: Freedom from Sin, Not Rome

Exile sounds like such a strange word to us in our culture. We have no fear of some other country coming and taking us away from our home and our homeland. For Israel, things were different. They had been taken into exile and had spent many years in the captivity of their enemies. By the first century, most of the people of Israel longed for two things: freedom and the Messiah. They knew that freedom would be brought by the Messiah.
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Although the nation of Israel was back in their homeland, most still believed that the Exile was ongoing. Because Rome was in control, they were not free; they were still waiting for the Messiah, and the return from exile prophecies, such as the desert blossoming like a rose from Isaiah 35, had not been fulfilled.
Into this world of waiting, comes Jesus. As the first verse of this Christmas hymn says, he was long expected, he was to set people free, and he was to release followers from their sins. What then happened? Why was he rejected by most of his people? Why did he die like a criminal? Why didn’t Israel recognize the Messiah that they had longed for? This is the real story of the coming of the Savior.
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One of the things that every Bible student should pay special attention to is biblical prophecy. Through the ages the number of books that have been written on when this or that event is going to happen could build a tower up to heaven (and be destroyed, like the books should have been when they came off the press). The principle is this: prophecy in the Bible usually ends up better than we could have dreamed when it is finally fulfilled. Whatever our mind comes up with is very often only a small part of the great fulfillment.
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And such it is with the birth of Jesus. He is the Messiah, but his mission is far more important than the Israelites in the first century imagined. He came not to set his people free from the Roman government and restore Israel’s greatness like it was during the time of David. The Messiah came to set his people free from sin.

The reason for the exile(s) in the Hebrew Bible is that they had worshipped other gods. Forgiveness from their sin was needed and until God came back to his temple (which many in the Second-Temple period were convinced he had not) there was to be no real forgiveness. Jesus came offering forgiveness not just to those who could attend the temple, but to anyone who would turn to Him, the Ultimate Temple.

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and the regaining of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed.” Luke 4:18 (NET)

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Daily Advent Questions for Reflection

So, at this advent time, meditate on the words in this song, but more importantly on the words of the Scripture. The Messiah has come and has offered much more than we could have expected. True freedom and cleansing from sin!

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• Day 1: What is exile and have you ever known a person who was in exile, or experienced exile yourself?
• Day 2: What prophecies in the Bible do you think are in the midst of being fulfilled? Might you be wrong since the fulfillment may be greater than you could imagine? What are some ways you can expand your vision for how God’s promises will be fulfilled in an even greater way?
• Day 3: What kind of freedom do you long for? How might that be granted?
• Day 4: Did Jesus bring the Kingdom of Heaven with Him? If so, why is the world still so broken?
• Day 5: What sin do you need freedom from? How might the Messiah be of help?

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