Joy to the World

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Joy to the World

Written by Issac Watts in the early 1700’s
It wasn’t intended to be a Christmas carol, but as a hymn of praise for the savior who was born and will once day rule over all creation.
Watts’ desire was to lead us to rejoice in all that Jesus was and is and will be.
Over the years the hymn became a staple Christmas Carol as it declares the coming of the KING
It reminds me of the Shepherds from
Luke 2:8–20 ESV
8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” 15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

Shepherds’ Joy

Shepherds’ Joy

Shepherding was not the most glamorous job. Actually it was one of the least glamorous.
They were with sheep all day and all night.
They had to protect the sheep, make sure they had food and water, and tend to the needs that may arise.
Because they were around sheep all the time they smelled bad, were around people as much, and had a bit of a reputation because of those thing.
Shepherds were considered untrustworthy and their work made them ceremonially unclean.
That’s what makes so interesting.
God announced the birth of His son to a group of lowly shepherds on a hillside late at night.
Perhaps the reason God did this was to put on display the joy Christ brings can overcome whatever circumstance we may find ourselves in.
We often base our happiness/joy on our circumstances and the shepherds would have had some trouble finding joy in their lot in life.
But the angels have come to give them a reason to REJOICE!

The Message of the Song

The difference is rooted in the direction of our focus.

Difference between Circumstantial Happiness and Eternal Joy

The difference is rooted in the direction of our focus.
When my happiness/satisfaction/pleasure is found in temporal, circumstantial, and fragile things
Money, health, a person, a family, a job, a lifestyle...
When you buy a new car, get a new job, start a new relationship… your circumstances lead to happiness.
But when the new wears off or things get rough so goes the source of our happiness and the search begins for the new source.
But when our joy is rooted in things that NEVER change and things that are truly satisfying then our search can be over.

When our joy is rooted in eternal truths it outshines every circumstance of life.

Because regardless of what that person said, or the test results read, or the balance on your bank statement; there are REASONS FOR REJOICING.
The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 8: Matthew, Mark, Luke 4. The Announcement to the Shepherds (2:8–20)

Shepherds were considered untrustworthy and their work made them ceremonially unclean.

THAT IS THE MESSAGE OF THE SONG
Shepherds were considered untrustworthy and their work made them ceremonially unclean.
The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 8: Matthew, Mark, Luke 4. The Announcement to the Shepherds (2:8–20)

Shepherds were considered untrustworthy and their work made them ceremonially unclean.

Shepherds were considered untrustworthy and their work made them ceremonially unclean.
We have eternal reasons for rejoicing!!

The Reasons we Rejoice

The Reasons we Rejoice

1) Jesus is King ()

Joy to the World , the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let earth receive her King;
Let earth receive her King;
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven and nature sing,
tells us to “make a joyful noise to the Lord…before the King”
Rejoice because the King has come
This is good news, but it is often hard for us to see it as good news.
Jesus is the benevolent, loving King (aka ruler) of my life.
He calls the shots. He has authority over all kings and rulers of this world.
He has authority over our lives
In our world of self-centrality, where we are the kings of our own lives, it is counteractive to REJOICE in Jesus being King
We tend to
Shouldn’t we be pursuing autonomy (being in charge of our own lives)?
Isn’t there freedom in not being under the rule of another?
George MacDonald, a famous author and preacher, famously said “The central conviction of hell is ‘I am my own’”.
Did you know that “Joy to the World” was not written as a Christmas carol? In its original form, it had nothing to do with Christmas. It wasn’t even written to be a song.
Isaac Watts was one of the great hymn writers in church history, and I guess nothing shows that better than the fact that he wrote one of his most famous hymns by accident. In 1719, Watts published a book of poems in which each poem was based on a psalm. But rather than just translate the original Old Testament texts, he adjusted them to refer more explicitly to the work of Jesus as it had been revealed in the New Testament.
MacDonald is saying that the shared conviction of those in hell is my life is MINE to live and I will not answer to any one.
One of those poems was an adaptation of Psalm 98. Watts interpreted this psalm as a celebration of Jesus’s role as King of both his church and the whole world. More than a century later, the second half of this poem was slightly adapted and set to music to give us what has become one of the most famous of all Christmas carols
It is a conviction that leads to destruction all around us.
Isn’t “I am my own” the conviction of much of the destruction caused in the world.
Failed marriage- I am my own
Most crimes committed- I am my own
Broken relationships- I am my own
So Watts wrote “Let earth RECEIVE her KING” and “Let every HEART prepare Him ROOM”
Rejoice this Christmas that the one who rightfully calls the shots was born.
Prepare Him room in your heart as you RECEIVE him as KING.

2) Jesus is Savior (, )

Joy to the World, the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ;
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
The image given in the Psalm and in the song is of creation rejoicing over Jesus because He has saved them.
When we think of salvation we think of it as a transaction, Jesus paid for my sins.
It very much is this, but it is also MUCH MORE
Jesus reversed the destruction sin caused
He reversed the power of sin over death
He reversed sin’s power over us
But He also reverse sin’s curse on the earth
Jesus’s miracles are not David Blaine magic tricks, but declarations of His saving work in all of creation.
One day He will return and complete what He started.
That is why we, and all creation, rejoices over our Savior!!

3) Jesus is Redeemer ()

No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Not only has He saved us and creation from power of sin, He is the redeemed us from it as well.
He fixes what was broken by sin.
He fixes what was broken by sin.
When we are redeemed, we become different people.
When we are redeemed, we become different people. When God redeemed Israel from slavery in Egypt, He made them a new nation and gave them a new land. Likewise, the Christian has a new identity in Christ. No longer is the Christian a captive to sin and death.
When God redeemed Israel from slavery in Egypt, He made them a new nation and gave them a new land.
Likewise, the Christian has a new identity in Christ. No longer is the Christian a captive to sin and death.
Sin and sorrows no longer rule over us
The blessings of knowing and follow Christ flow through our redeemed lives in Christ.

4) Jesus is the Hero ()

He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
Christmas gives us the opportunity to proclaim victory as we know the true King, the rightful ruler is on His thrown.
No nation will conquer our mighty king
No political party should own our allegiance more than Him.
One day every knee will bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth and every tongue will proclaim that Jesus is King “To the glories of His righteousness!”
Jesus wins, He is the hero, and that is a reason to REJOICE!!!
The baby born in Bethlehem was born to die in our place. He went to the cross and received the wrath we deserved for our sin (). He died to purchase the joy the angels announced at his birth. And three days later, he rose from the dead, the firstborn of all who would follow him. He appeared to his disciples and showed them how all of the Bible was pointing to him — the baby born in a manger, the preacher of good news, the Son of God crucified on the cross, the King who conquered the grave, the Joy of the world.
Is He the joy of your world?
Is He you King, your Savior, your Redeemer, your Hero?
If He is not, He can be.
John 1:12 ESV
12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,
Romans 10:9 ESV
9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Joy to the World! The Lord is come!
Prepare Him room in your heart this Christmas
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