JOY TO THE WORLD
However, I don't hear Christian favorite
Christmas Carols. What is one of the all-time favorite Christmas Carols for
Christians? It is "Joy To The World." It is one of my favorite
Christmas Carols that I sing on the day of Christmas, full of Joy. But did you
know Isaac Watts, one of the greatest hymn writers ever, never intended "Joy
to the World" to be a song and certainly not a Christmas song? In 1719,
Watts published a book of poems in which each poem was based on a psalm. In his
poems, he wanted to show how the Psalms related to how Jesus was revealed as
the Savior of the World in the New Testament.
"Joy to the World" was one
of those poems based on Psalm 98 as Watts interpreted this psalm to celebrate
Jesus's role as King of both his church and the whole World. He intended his
poem's words to show Christ's return rather than His birth. Watts never knew
that his poem would become one of his most famous hymns until, more than a
century later, a Boston music teacher named Lowell Mason discovered his poem
and set it to music. Because it was released at Christmas, it quickly became a favorite
and America's most published Christmas carol.
Don't let Issac Watt's intended
purpose in writing this beautiful hymn take our Joy away. Let's sing and shout
wholeheartedly Joy To the World because that is what God wanted
to bring to this World full of sorrow and suffering. Let's reflect on this
phrase Joy To The World this morning. Who needs it? Who gives Joy? How can we
remain Joyful and spread Joy in this World of pain and suffering? When will
this promise of Joy to the World be fulfilled?
I. The absence of
Joy during the first Christmas.
We celebrate Christmas now with
cheer and excitement by giving gifts and spending quality time with family and
friends. The World during the first Christmas was anything but joyful. It was
dark and gloomy. People were fearful and oppressed, living under the tyranny of
the Roman Empire. This was what Isaiah predicted. "The people who walk in
darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness,
a light will shine. ( Isaiah 9:2).
When the fullness of time came, Mary
gave birth to her firstborn Child and named him Jesus. Has the birth of Christ changed
the gloom and doom right away? No! When Herod knew the wise men tricked him, he
became furious and ordered to kill all the boys ages two or under in and around
Bethlehem. That brutal action of Herod fulfilled Jeremiah's prophecy. "A
cry was heard in Ramah weeping and great mourning. Rachel weeps for her
children, refusing to be comforted, for they are dead." Mat 2:18 Imagine
the pain of the parents who lost their children.
When Jesus was eight days old, he
was circumcised. After 40 days, his parents took him to the temple to be
dedicated to the Lord. Holding the Child in his arms, Simeon prophesied, "I
have seen your salvation, which you have prepared for all people. He is a light
to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people, Israel!"
He said to Mary, the baby's mother,
"This Child is destined to
cause many in Israel to fall, but he will be a joy to many others. He has been
sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose him. As a result, the deepest
thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your
very soul." Luke 2:25-35
As if that wasn't enough agony for
the mother because of the threat to her Child, Mary and Joseph fled to Egypt.
Considering all these troubling situations, we can conclude the first Christmas
was anything but celebratory and Joyful. Amid such unpleasant circumstances,
God promised to bring Joy to the World, beginning with those who would believe
in His Son.
II. God Promised
Joy To The World (Luke 2:8-12)
Let's pick up the story from our reading, "That
night, there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks
of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance
of the Lord's glory surrounded them.
They were terrified, but the Angel
reassured them. "Don't be afraid!" he said. "I bring you
good news that will bring great Joy to all people. The Savior, yes, the
Messiah, the Lord, has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you
will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips
of cloth, lying in a manger."
Though the gloomy circumstances
didn't change immediately, the birth of Christ made way for the fulfillment of
God's promise of Joy to the whole World. Psalm 98 gives us a preview of this
Joy that will unfold. Here is a paraphrased version of how God will bring forth
this Joy. God will reveal his
righteousness to every nation. He will remember his promise of love to Israel,
and his right hand will win a mighty victory. As a result, the sea, everything
in it, the earth and all that lives in it, the rivers, and the hills will sing
out their songs of Joy before the Lord. He will judge the World with Justice
and the nations with fairness.
To fulfill this promise of Joy, God sent his
only Son. The Savior, the Messiah, the Lord, was born on the first Christmas
Day. Mary's Child grew up and became a man. He talked about the Kingdom of God,
performed miracles, fed the hungry, healed the sick, and raised the dead.
In the end, He died on the cross to
set the prisoners off sin-free and grant them eternal life. He rose from the
dead after three days and ascended to heaven after 40 Days. He promised to
return to the earth from where he was taken to establish His Kingdom, where
there will be never-ending Love, Peace, and Joy. In the meantime, we all can
experience God's promised Joy regardless of our circumstances. That is the
message of Advent and Christmas.
III. Experiencing
Outrageous Joy
Like the days of the First Christmas, we live in harsh
and challenging days. Listen to one of my favorite Bible Teachers, Chuck
Swindoll's observation of our need for Joy. "I know of no greater need
today than the need of Joy. Unexplainable, contagious, and outrageous Joy. When
that kind of Joy comes aboard our ship of life, it brings good things with it.
Like enthusiasm for life, a
determination to hang in there, and a strong desire to encourage others. Such
qualities make our voyage bearable when we hit the open seas and encounter high
waves of hardship that tend to demoralize and paralyze us. Nothing is better
than a joyful attitude when facing challenges that life throws at us."
Do you want to experience that
Outrageous Joy? By turning away from your sins and asking Jesus to forgive your
sins and make you his Child, you become God's Child. Once you become God's
Child, all that God has becomes yours: His Love, Peace, and Joy.
Listen to the words of the one who
can give you Joy. John 15:9-11, "I have loved you even as the Father has
loved me. Remain in my love. When you obey my commandments, you remain in my
love, just as I obey my Father's commandments and remain in his love. I have
told you these things so that you will be filled with my Joy. Yes, your Joy
will overflow!"
Are you missing this abundant Joy
that God promised to give you? Are you unable to face the challenges of life?
You need strength! How and where will you get the strength from? Nehemiah 8:10,
"The Joy of the Lord is your strength." Where will you find the Joy
of the Lord? Not in parties, shopping,
giving and receiving gifts, not even in relationships, will you find true Joy,
but in only one place: God. Acts 2:28, "You have shown me the way of life,
and you will me with the Joy of your presence." The Holy Spirit will
produce the fruit of Joy, and then you will not only experience outrageous Joy
but also can spread Joy to others. Amen!
