Come Thou Long-Expected Jesus
R.C. Sproul Lyrics
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But God,
Being rich in mercy,
Because of the great love
With which he loved us,
Even when we were dead
In our trespasses,
Made us alive together with Christ
You have been saved
Through faith—
And this is not your own doing;
It is the gift of God.
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.
Instrumental
Come to us, redeem and cleanse us,
Show us mercy, grant us peace.
Heir unto the throne of David
Fear and strife shall ever cease.
By Thine own eternal Spirit
Rule in all our hearts alone;
By Thine all-sufficient merit,
Raise us to Thy glorious throne.
Instrumental
Israel′s strength and consolation,
Hope of all the earth Thou art;
Dear desire of every nation,
Joy of every longing heart.
The lyrics of R.C. Sproul's song "Come Thou Long-Expected Jesus" are drawn from a range of biblical sources, including the book of Ephesians, and use language that communicates both the extent of God's love and the human longing for redemption. In the first verse, the singer implores Jesus to come and release people from their fears and sins, offering rest to those who are weary. The instrumental breaks that follow are contemplative and offer a moment for reflection on the message of the song.
The second verse continues the plea for redemption and cleansing, asking that Jesus show mercy and grant peace. When the singer refers to Jesus as the "heir unto the throne of David," they are calling back to the Old Testament prophecy that the Messiah would come from the lineage of David. The verse ends with a prayer that Jesus would rule in people's hearts and raise them to his glorious throne.
The final verse refers to Jesus as "Israel's strength and consolation" and the "hope of all the earth," suggesting that his message of salvation is not limited to a single group of people or geographic region. The song concludes with the evocative image of Jesus as the joy of every longing heart, capturing the deep and universal desire for connection with a higher power.
Line by Line Meaning
Come, Thou long-expected Jesus,
We eagerly await you, Jesus, the one we have been hoping for and expecting for so long.
Born to set Thy people free;
You were born to free your people from the bondage of sin.
From our fears and sins release us;
We pray that you will free us from the fears and sins that keep us separated from God.
Let us find our rest in Thee.
Give us peace and rest in knowing that we are saved through you.
Come to us, redeem and cleanse us,
We ask that you come to us, redeem us from our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Show us mercy, grant us peace.
We ask that you show us mercy and grant us the gift of your peace.
Heir unto the throne of David
As an heir to the throne of David, you are the rightful ruler of God's people.
Fear and strife shall ever cease.
Under your leadership, fear and strife will cease to exist.
By Thine own eternal Spirit
Your own eternal Spirit is the source of our salvation and transformation.
Rule in all our hearts alone;
We ask that you rule in our hearts and lives, influencing every aspect of our being.
By Thine all-sufficient merit,
You have all-sufficient merit to save us and bring us into eternal life with you.
Raise us to Thy glorious throne.
We pray that you will raise us up to your glorious throne to reign with you forever.
Israel′s strength and consolation,
You are the strength and comfort of Israel as well as every person who puts their trust in you.
Hope of all the earth Thou art;
You are the hope of all the earth and the only one who can bring true transformation and salvation.
Dear desire of every nation,
You are the beloved desire of every nation and every person who longs for salvation and peace with God.
Joy of every longing heart.
In you, our longing hearts find true joy and fulfillment.
Writer(s): James Furman, Charles Wesley
Contributed by Hunter Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.