Joy To The World - Not A Christmas Song?
Context: Homily from St. Paul's Children's Christmas Program
In the name of Jesus. Amen.
You might be surprised to learn that the song Joy to the World is not a Christmas song. That is right, in spite of this song being in hundreds of hymnals underneath the category of “Christmas,” Isaac Watts originally wrote this song in 1719 to be about the ‘second’ coming of Jesus.
If you look closely at the
lyrics, the song Joy to the World is
based upon a Bible passage that talks about the joy that the world will have
when Jesus comes back a second time to make all things right.[1]
So, since this is the case,
should we take our hymnals and tear Joy
to the World out of the Christmas section?
Should we rip it out of the beginning part of our hymnal and place it
toward the back, with those hymns about Jesus’ second coming? Or, should we
start a crusade to ban all churches from singing this song during the time of Christmas?
No, my friends, we need not be this intense.
Singing Joy to the World
during the Christmas season is very fitting, even though it is not technically
a Christmas song.
You see, when we sing Joy to the World, it reminds us that
Christmas isn’t over. It reminds us that even after we take down our Christmas
trees and put our Christmas decorations away in boxes that Christmas
continues. Sure, when Jesus was born, He
fulfilled a bunch of promises and prophecies from the Old Testament; however,
we must not forget that there are still many Christmas prophecies and promises
that are not yet fulfilled.
For example, in verse three of
Joy to the World, we sing,
“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.”
Now, this third verse states
that Jesus makes His blessings flow as far as the curse is found. And where is the curse found? It is found everywhere
we look. All creation is under the
effects of the curse. When you see death, there the curse is. When you see
police cars, locked doors, passwords on your computers, PINs for ATM machines,
and gates around houses, well… these are things that attempt to restrain the
effects of the curse. Wars, rumors of
wars, plagues, tornadoes, earthquakes, tsunamis, and flooding? These are the effects of the curse, as well. The curse of sin has fallen upon all of
humanity and all of creation wreaking havoc on everyone and everything. And so,
wherever we look, the curse is found.
However, with the first coming
of Jesus, blessings flow as far as the curse is found. And what is that
blessing? It is the blessing that the one who was born in Bethlehem and went to
Jerusalem’s cross blesses you with the forgiveness of sins. When Christ died on that cross and rose from the
grave, it was not just for a select few, but it was a blessing that flowed to
everyone – as far as the curse is found.
Dear friends, Jesus came to
that manger to go to your cross so that He might redeem you from the curse by
becoming a curse for you.
And so, you and I have joy
this Christmas Season because Jesus was born… to die… to forgive… you and me.
But keep in mind that the hymn
Joy to the World speaks of the second
coming of Jesus. And so when we sing
this hymn during Christmas, we are confessing not only that Christmas began
long ago in Bethlehem but we are also confessing that Christmas isn’t over yet.
It is true; Christ fulfilled many Old Testament prophecies by being born into
time, space, and history. But there are many promises of Christmas that have
not yet been fulfilled. We will have
more promises fulfilled when we receive our King Jesus when he comes a second
time again.
And when he comes a second
time? Blessings will flow again as far as the curse is found.
Baptized Saints, when Jesus
comes a second time everything that the curse has corrupted in this life – from
coast-to-coast, from north to south pole, and down to the smallest of molecules
– will be reversed. In Christ’s second coming – a second Christmas - there will
be a new creation. No more thorns and
thistles in the ground. No more disease and dying in your bodies. No more fear
and shame in your mind. No more curse for the blessing, power, and might of
Christ will reverse the curse!
So today, we sing Joy to the World, with joy not only because Christ came that
Christmas long ago, but we know full well that Christ will come again! We sing with joy because, in Jesus’ first
coming, the blessing of forgiveness flows as far as the curse is found. We sing with joy because, in Jesus’ second
coming, the blessing of a new creation will flow as far as the curse is
found.
Joy to the world, the Lord has
come. Joy to the world, the Lord will come.
In the name of Jesus. Amen.
[1]
Psalm 98.
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