“Joy to the world! the Lord is come; Let earth receive her King!”

Thus begins one of most beloved Christmas songs of all time, and my personal favorite. Penned by the great hymn writer, Isaac Watts, Joy to the World was published in 1719 in Watts’ hymnal The Psalms of David: Imitated in the Language of the New Testament and Applied to the Christian State and Worship.

That’s quite a mouthful! In this volume, Watts presented hymns based on the Psalms. Joy to the World is his re-envisioning of Psalm 98.

 

1 Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things;
his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.

2 The Lord has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations.

3 He has remembered his love and his faithfulness to Israel;
all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

4 Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music;

5 make music to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing,

6 with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn— shout for joy before the Lord, the King.

7 Let the sea resound, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.

8 Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy;

9 let them sing before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity.

 

This Psalm and the song Joy to the World ring out praises to God for his salvation. All the people of the earth and all nature rejoice because of God’s love, faithfulness, and salvation.

Christ’s birth in Bethlehem 2000 years ago was the opening act of God’s merciful redemption plan. Immanuel – “God with us”. Jesus’ sinless life, death on the cross, and resurrection accomplished what we could not accomplish ourselves – forgiveness and a restored relationship with God.

John 3:16-17 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”

When you believe that Jesus died for you and you put your trust in Him, your past sins, shame, and brokenness are washed away. You are forgiven, a new creation!

But this isn’t the end of the story biblically speaking nor is it the end of Watts’ hymn. Jesus will come again. He will return as the Victorious King and Righteous Judge. We will live with God forever in a new Heaven and Earth in which creation is restored from its broken condition and there will be no pain, suffering or death. We will live with God forever.

We hope and rejoice in this salvation and incredible inheritance that awaits us! As you sing Joy to the World this year, sing with to a Heavenly Father who loves us so much He sent Jesus to initiate His rescue plan. Sing to Jesus who’s birth we celebrate and who’s victorious return we eagerly await! Come, Lord Jesus!

Merry Christmas!

 

Joy to the World

Joy to the world! the Lord is come;
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare him room,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven, and heaven, and nature sing.

Joy to the world! the Savior reigns;
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat the sounding joy.

No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as, the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love.