From the Pulpit: A Christmas carol that brings joy like no other

Can you imagine going through a Christmas season without once singing “Joy to the World”? I can’t. Apparently neither can most Christians, as this is one of the most popular Christmas hymns, and the most published one in North America since the 20th century. It is included in over 1,300 hymnals, and its tune is recognized by almost everyone. But here are two interesting bits of trivia about this hymn: It wasn’t originally written to be a Christmas carol. And secondly, even though most hymnals say the tune was written by George Frideric Handel, the same man who wrote the famous “Halleluiah Chorus”, that simply isn’t so. Lowell Mason, an ardent admirer of Handel, actually wrote the music. 

The words to “Joy to the World” were written in 1719 by the English hymn writer and clergyman Isaac Watts. But look at the words, closely, and you will see that there technically isn’t a reference to Christmas in this song. It has no mention of the virgin birth of Christ like everyone’s favorite carol, “Silent Night” and no mention of Jesus being born in a stable like “Away in a Manger.” There are no singing angels in this hymn, like “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” or “Angels We Have Heard on High.” That’s because Isaac Watts wrote this hymn, based on Psalm 98 and Genesis 3, to be a hymn about the second coming of Christ. It speaks of the present reign of Jesus, based on Psalm 98, verse 4, “Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music.” But read all of the verses, and you won’t find a mention of the baby Jesus, just grown up King Jesus. 

For me, that doesn’t ruin the hymn. Instead, it gives it even greater depth and meaning. The first Advent of Jesus, when he was born in Bethlehem, was every bit as joyful as the words in “Joy to the World” portray. And a common Advent theme is that the first coming of Christ prepares us for the second and final coming of Christ. We should look forward to the return of Jesus with the same joy the shepherds and Magi felt when they saw the baby Jesus. Why? Because for those who believe in Jesus and call him our Savior, his return in glory is something to look forward to with the same anticipation that we look forward to Christmas each year. 

I found out one other interesting bit of trivia about this hymn. Some hymnals remove the verse that says, “No more let sins or sorrow 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.” Why some hymnals omit this is beyond me. It is good news, about reversing the curse of sin infecting the world spoken of in Genesis chapter three. It means sin, death and Satan have been defeated by Jesus, so we can look forward to a perfect life in heaven. Doesn’t that sound like the Christmas message to you? Sing it loud, sing it proud, “Joy to the World! The Lord has come!”