THE NATIVITY OF OUR LORD—CHRISTMAS EVE “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” DECEMBER 24, 2020 A WE PONDER WORSHIP TODAY In the week leading up to the celebration of Christmas, the ancient church prayed the Great “O” Antiphons. Each antiphon begins with a title for Christ—Sapientia (Wisdom), Adonai (Lord), Radix Jesse (Root of Jesse), Clavis David (Key of David), Oriens (Dayspring), Rex Genitum (King of Nations), and Emmanuel, which means “God with us.” In addition to being the basis for a beloved Advent hymn, these antiphons form a reverse acrostic in Latin, ERO CRAS, or, “Tomorrow I will be there.” These prayers prepared God’s people to celebrate the Incarnation of Christ for generations. Tonight, they form the outline of our Christmas celebrations, teach us who Christ is, and prepare us to receive him. On this most holy of nights, we will receive him, not only through the word but also in the gift of his Holy Supper. Christ indeed comes, let us prepare to greet him anew. Gaude! Gaude! Emmanuel, nascentur pro te Israel. (Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee O Israel.) PRAYER BEFORE WORSHIP O Lord, my creator, redeemer, and comforter, as I come to worship You in spirit and in truth, I humbly pray that You would open my heart to the preaching of Your Word so that I may repent of my sins, believe in Jesus Christ as my only Savior, and grow in grace and holiness. Hear me for the sake of His name. Amen. Prayer before worship, inside cover of LSB INVOCATION The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism. P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit. C Amen. SALUTATION AND COLLECT OF THE DAY P The Lord be with you. C And also with you. P Let us pray. Lord Jesus Christ, we implore You to hear our prayers and to lighten the darkness of our hearts by Your gracious visitation; for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. C Amen. O SAPIENTIA ANTIPHON P The Antiphon for December 17th. O Wisdom, proceeding from the mouth of the Most High, pervading and permeating all creation, mightily ordering all things: Come and teach us the way of prudence. READING P A reading from Proverbs and 1st Corinthians. Proverbs 9:1–6 Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn her seven pillars. She has slaughtered her beasts; she has mixed her wine; she has also set her table. She has sent out her young women to call from the highest places in the town, “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!” To him who lacks sense she says, “Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed. Leave your simple ways, and live, and walk in the way of insight.” 1 Corinthians 1:20–25 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. P This is the Word of the Lord C Thanks be to God. COLLECT P O Christ, Wisdom of the Father through whom all things were made, we forsook you long ago, being deceived through serpentine guile to seek after our own wisdom and light. Grant us, we pray, that in holy fear and faith we seek and find the wisdom that shines from your cross, that enlightened thus, we may walk the path which leads unto life everlasting. C Amen. HYMN O Come, O Come, Emmanuel LSB 357:2 Tune and text: Public domain O ADONAI ANTIPHON P The Antiphon for December 18th. O Adonai and ruler of the house of Israel, who appeared to Moses in the burning bush and gave him the Law on Sinai: Come with an outstretched arm and redeem us. READING P A reading from Exodus and Micah. Exodus 6:6 Say therefore to the people of Israel, ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment. Micah 5:2 But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days. P This is the Word of the Lord C Thanks be to God. COLLECT P O Lord Yahweh, Ruler of Israel, having delivered your people from slavery long ago, you made known your Law so that our more ancient bondage to sin might be fully known. Rule now our hearts that we might hold fast to your Son, who, being born under the law, redeemed us with an outstretched arm. Rule, O Lord, until that day when at your coming every knee will bend in homage and every tongue confess your Name. C Amen. HYMN O Come, O Come, Emmanuel LSB 357:3 Tune and text: Public domain O RADIX JESSE ANTIPHON P The Antiphon for December 19th. O Root of Jesse, standing as an ensign before the peoples, before whom all kings are mute, to whom the nations will do homage: Come quickly to deliver us. READING P A reading from various chapters of Isaiah. Isaiah 11:1–2, 10 There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples—of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious. Isaiah 52:12 Behold, my servant shall act wisely; he shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exalted. Isaiah 53:2 For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground. P This is the Word of the Lord C Thanks be to God. COLLECT P O Lord you kill and make alive, you cut down and you cause to sprout anew. Lifted up high on the tree of the cross, your Son brought forth life from death, a spring out of our winter. Grafted into him, we long for the day when burgeon turns to blossom. Sustain us as we await his coming, that even now faith may bring forth fruit. C Amen. HYMN O Come, O Come, Emmanuel LSB 357:4 Tune and text: Public domain O CLAVIS DAVID ANTIPHON P The Antiphon for December 20th. O Key of David and scepter of the house of Israel, You open and no one can close, You close and no one can open: Come and rescue the prisoners who are in darkness and the shadow of death. READING P A reading from a Psalm and Isaiah. Psalm 107:10, 14 Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, prisoners in affliction and in irons… He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and burst their bonds apart. Isaiah 22:12 And I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David. He shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open. Isaiah 42:6–7 I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness. P This is the Word of the Lord C Thanks be to God. COLLECT P O Christ, in you the captive is set free, for you are the Key that unlocks the shackles of sin and opens the door to eternal life. As we await the Great Jubilee of our liberation, bind us to one another in holy love. C Amen. HYMN O Come, O Come, Emmanuel LSB 357:5 Tune and text: Public domain O ORIENS ANTIPHON P The Antiphon for December 21st. O Dayspring, splendor of light everlasting: Come and enlighten those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death. READING P A reading from Isaiah, Malachi, and 2nd Peter. Isaiah 9:2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone. Malachi 4:2 But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. 2 Peter 1:19 And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.