Tag Archives: Advent

Sabbath Rest – Come Thou Long Expected Jesus

The decorations are up (well, the candles are in the windows at least) and it’s time for some classic Christmas music! So here, for the first Sunday of Advent, is one of my favorites (performed by a favorite too!). May we all find ‘our rest in [Jesus] – Israel’s strength and consolation’ this Christmas season!

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 own sufficient merit
Raise us to Thy glorious throne

words by Charles Wesley; Music: Stralsund Gesangbuch / Arranged by Keith Getty
© 2019 Getty Music Publishing (BMI)

Sabbath Rest – Lo, How a Rose E’er blooming

Ah, the second Sunday of Advent! This Advent hymn was written by an unknown German composer back in the 16th century. It’s best known in English as “Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming,” a later translation by Theodore Baker. The hymn’s lyrics refer to prophecies about Jesus in Isaiah 11:1: “There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.” In 1844 Lutheran pastor Friedrich Layriz added the third stanza that reminds the worshiper of the awaited Messiah who came into the darkness of this world to show God’s love by saving us from our sins.

Lo, how a Rose e’er blooming
From tender stem hath sprung!
Of Jesse’s lineage coming
As men of old have sung.
It came, a flower bright,
Amid the cold of winter
When half-spent was the night.

Isaiah ’twas foretold it,
The Rose I have in mind:
With Mary we behold it,
The virgin mother kind.
To show God’s love aright
She bore to us a Savior
When half-spent was the night.

This Flower, whose fragrance tender
With sweetness fills the air,
Dispels with glorious splendor
The darkness everywhere.
True man, yet very God,
From sin and death He saves us
And bear our every load

Fernando Ortega Music

Sabbath Rest – Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus

On this first Sunday of Advent – Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus

Let us find our rest in thee!


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.
By Thine all sufficient merit,
Raise us to Thy glorious throne

Sabbath Rest – Of the Father’s Love Begotten

The original words for this ancient hymn were written in the fourth century by Aurelius Clemens Prudentius, and translated from Latin into English in 1851. This version from 2016 by the group Out of Darkness (Adam & Lori Ubowski) has modernized some of the words and I found it to be quite lovely! I hope you enjoy it!

The words below are close, but not exactly the same as the lyrics on the video.

1 Of the Father’s love begotten
ere the worlds began to be,
he is Alpha and Omega,
he the Source, the Ending he,
of the things that are, that have been,
and that future years shall see,
evermore and evermore!

2 O that birth forever blessed,
when the Virgin, full of grace,
by the Holy Ghost conceiving,
bore the Savior of our race;
and the babe, the world’s Redeemer,
first revealed his sacred face,
evermore and evermore!

3 This is he whom heav’n-taught singers
sang of old with one accord,
whom the Scriptures of the prophets
promised in their faithful word;
now he shines, the long expected;
let creation praise its Lord,
evermore and evermore!

4 O ye heights of heav’n, adore him;
angel hosts, his praises sing:
all dominions, bow before him
and extol our God and King;
let no tongue on earth be silent,
ev’ry voice in concert ring,
evermore and evermore!

5 Christ, to thee, with God the Father,
and, O Holy Ghost, to thee,
hymn and chant and high thanksgiving
and unwearied praises be,
honor, glory, and dominion
and eternal victory,
evermore and evermore!

Here is a 2014 orchestral interpretation that is also a WOW!

Sabbath Rest – Come Thou Long Expected Jesus

On this first Sunday of Advent – Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus

Let us find our rest in thee!


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.
By Thine all sufficient merit,
Raise us to Thy glorious throne