Come, Thou Precious Ransom, Come (v. 1-2)

By Johann Gottfried Olearius (1635-1711), tr. August Crull (1845-1923)

Come, Thou precious Ransom, come,       Ransom is the price paid to redeem someone

Only hope for sinful mortals!

Come, O Savior of the world!

Open are to Thee all portals.

Come, Thy beauty let us see;

Anxiously we wait for Thee.

Enter now my waiting heart,

Glorious King and Lord most holy.

Dwell in me and ne’er depart,

Though I am but poor and lowly.

Ah, what riches will be mine

When Thou art my guest divine!

               Once again, the poetry of the hymn draws us into a sense of anticipation and longing for Jesus to come to us. We wait anxiously for Him, but not merely for His birth, nor only for Him to come again. He comes to dwell among us.

               Jesus says, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” (Rev. 3:20) We experience Jesus’ presence as we listen to His Word, sing His praise, gather for worship, and, especially, when we receive the Lord’s Supper. But, we long for a fuller experience of Him.

               “Ah, what riches will be mine when Thou art my guest divine!” These are not riches like money, cars, or big televisions. These are the riches that do not spoil or fade. (Mat. 6:20) These are riches of eternal life, the love of God, and the forgiveness of sins. These riches fill us with peace, hope, joy, faith, and love. These are the riches of Jesus’ presence in our lives.

Prayer

               Come to us, Lord Jesus! Come to us in Your Word and speak Your gifts into our lives. Dwell among us and be present in our midst as we wait for You to come again so we may more fully know You. Fill our lives with the richest of Your blessings. Give us faith, hope, love, joy, peace, patience, and kindness. Never depart from us, and guide us through this life to the place we will see You face to face, and we will never fall into sin again. Amen.