This is not a hymn with a special, inspiring backstory like some others that I have written about. Perhaps the only notably interesting thing about this hymn has to do with the tune, which Lowell Mason arranged by piecing together some of the themes from Handel's Messiah.
So why am I writing about this Christmas carol in particular? Primarily because I don't want to write about it. It is, as my father always reminded us growing up, Christmas Adam, the day before the day before Christmas, and the last thing I want to write about is joy. I don't want to write about how we should sing, how Christ's blessings flow to heal our sins and our sorrows, about the wonders of His love. I would like nothing more than to break down sobbing today.
And yet, how can I not write about this? The Lord is come! In the midst of our sin, our brokenness, our hopeless estate, the Creator of the universe took on human flesh and came to earth. He came to set up a kingdom, not an earthly kingdom that will pass away, but an eternal kingdom where there will be no more sin and no more sorrow. This day that we celebrate on December 25 is the D-Day of the spiritual war being waged for the souls of men. This world was under the dominion of Satan, and Christ came to establish a beachhead. That is cause for joy. He has freed us from the bondage of sin and of Satan. He has demonstrated his own love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, He died for us (Rom 5:8). He is risen and reigning on high, and we shall be co-heirs with Him of this kingdom (Rom 8:17). We shall rule with him (2 Tim 2:12). That is cause for joy.
The physical pain, the emotional pain, the confusion, the frustration we feel when we look at our lives and the lives of those around us, these are how we understand the groaning of creation itself for the second coming. That is the beauty of the advent season. It is not only about Christ's incarnation 2 millenia ago. It is also about His promised return. We, together with creation, groan in anticipation of Christ's return, waiting eagerly and hoping in the promise. And "let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful" (Heb 10:23, NASB)."For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it." (Rom. 8:18-25, NASB)
He who promised is faithful. Dwell on that for a moment. We are faithless creatures. We fail to live lives worthy of the calling to which Christ has called us. But, thank God, we are not dependent on our own faithfulness, nor are we dependent on the faithfulness of any other creature. We hold fast our hope, which is in the Christ, the Incarnate Word (Jn 1:14), through whom everything was made, and without whom nothing was made that has been made (Jn 1:3), He whose name is Faithful and True (Rev 19:11). So we can consider it all joy, my brethren, when we encounter trials of various kinds (James 1:2).
Joy does not mean that we feel happy. Joy means that we choose to rejoice. Joy means that we choose to look at God rather than the circumstances. We can sing "Joy to the world" because as much pain as we may feel, it is not worthy to be compared to the glory that is to be revealed.
Psalm 98
O sing to the LORD a new song,
For He has done wonderful things,
His right hand and His holy arm have gained the victory for Him.
The Lord has made known His salvation;
He has revealed His righteousness in the sight of the nations.
He has remembered His lovingkindnness and His faithfulness to the house of Israel;
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth;
Break forth and sing for joy and sing praises.
Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre,
With the lyre and the sound of melody.
With trumpets and the sound of the horn
Shout joyfully before the King, the Lord.
Let the sea roar and all it contains,
The world and those who dwell in it.
Let the rivers clap their hands,
Let the mountains sing together for joy
Before the LORD, for He is coming to judge the earth;
He will judge the world with righteousness
And the peoples with equity.
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 earth, 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, and wonders, of His love.
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