Christmas Eve
Joy To The World
For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Saviour,
who is Christ the Lord.
Luke 2:11
Part of the Christmas celebrations, is the singing of Christmas hymns or 'Carols.' Everyone has their favourite Christmas hymn; For many that hymn is 'Joy to the World! The Lord is come.'
“Joy to the world! The Lord is come,” is the announcement God's Church makes to the world each Christmastime. Based on Psalm 98, Isaac Watts’s eighteenth-century hymn celebrates the coming of Jesus, the Christ. The joy of the Saviour’s coming resounds throughout all creation, even the fields and rocks and hills and plains “repeat the sounding joy.” This is good news for all of God’s world!
What is so good about this news announced each Christmas? Why sing this hymn with such exuberance? Watts answers that question in the third verse, where he declares that Jesus has come to deal with the curse of human sin and rebellion. Through His death and resurrection, Jesus brings the blessing as “far as the curse is found.”
In Watts’s hymn, this phrase repeats several times—and for good reason. Released from bondage to sin and the power of death over us, we are now freed to live with joy, to love God and our neighbour, and to cultivate the earth God has given us. So let’s sing with joy that good news: “Joy to the world! The Lord is come”!
Bible Reading
Psalm 98.
Prayer
Saviour Jesus, you have come and released us from the power of sin and death. Help us to live in ways that proclaim the wonders of your love. Amen.
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