Worship Song for Advent - God With Us
One of the best things about Advent and Christmas time is the songs that go along with it. There are moving hymns and choruses that have remained in the Church’s collective memory for generations, such as “O Come, All Ye Faithful” (1751) and “Silent Night” (1818). While there is much to be said about traditional songs, there’s also new songs that come into our rotation with significant meaning in them as well.
Last year we introduced the song “God With Us” by All Sons & Daughters, and though it’s not billed as a Christmas song, the premise of fulfillment of prophecy, that Jesus is God with us, or Emmanuel, is the central theme, and all that comes with it. That God came to deliver us from our bonds of sin and death is the end goal and part of what makes Christmas significant. The point of the Messiah coming to be with us is to be the Savior for us, rescuing us from our bonds of debt we cannot pay on our own. Therefore, Christmas doesn’t make sense without Easter.
This is evident in the prophets, such as Isaiah saying that the Messiah will come and will be “God with us” (Is. 7:14), but that he will be “despised and rejected” (Is. 53:3), and would carry our sorrow and be “pierced for our transgressions… crushed for our iniquities” (Is. 53:4-6), and this is for all people as the “nations will rally to him” the Messiah (Is. 11:10; 42:1-4). (Check out this blog that shows 55 OT prophecies about Jesus shown in the NT.)
That is why the song “God With Us” works as a Christmas worship song, because the elements of God’s prophetic rescue plan are sung through it. Even with its lack of sleigh bells in the recording, I hope you can worship our Savior through it as we celebrate His coming. Take some time to listen to it this week and re-familiarize yourself with it to be ready to sing it with our church family this coming Sunday. We might even throw in some sleigh bells.
All Sons & Daughters - "God With Us" LIVE (OFFICIAL)
Verse 1
You've come to bring peace, to be Love
To be nearer to us
You've come to bring life, to be Light
To shine brighter in us
Pre-Chorus
Oh Emmanuel
God with us
Chorus 1
Our Deliverer, You are Savior
In Your presence we find our strength
Over ev'rything, our Redemption
God with us
You are God with us
Verse 2
Oh You've come to be hope to this world
For Your honor and name
And You've come to take sin, to bear shame
And to conquer the grave
Pre-Chorus
Oh Emmanuel God with us
(BRIDGE)
You are here
You are holy
We are standing in Your glory (Lord)
(REPEAT)