One of my favorite Christmas carols is Joy to the World. It is an upbeat hymn and one that, right from the beginning, celebrates the coming of Jesus and calls us to worship.
The hymn was written by Isaac Watts (1674-1748) and was published in 1719. While Joy to the World has been sung during the Advent season by believers for over 300 years, it may surprise you to know that Joy to the World wasn’t intended to be about Christmas or the birth of Jesus. Instead, it was written about the return of Christ – his second coming. It was originally meant to be sung year-round to remind and encourage believers about the future coming of our King. So, why on earth do we still sing it only during the Christmas season?
The truth is, that the second coming of Christ would not be possible without the first coming of Christ. And while the future coming is sure to look different than the first (see Revelation 19:11), these acts are tied together in God’s plan of redemption. The grace that was demonstrated for us in the birth of Jesus makes possible the day when He will appear in all his glory to complete the work given to him in restoring all creation to God.
A line from this hymn comes in the second verse when we are called to “repeat the sounding joy.” It’s a reminder that, despite the circumstances of our current reality and despite the many ways our culture may cause us to forget or lose hope in this life when we “repeat the sounding joy” we are proclaiming that our Jesus is sovereign over all, now and for all eternity.
As we journey into this Advent season together, may our hearts be filled with joy as we consider the grace we’ve received. And as we look back to Jesus’ birth, may it encourage us as we look forward to the grace that is promised to us when He returns.