Have you sung this famous Christmas carol yet during your celebrations?
“Joy to the world, the Lord has come. Let earth receive her king.”
It’s an uplifting, boisterous song, oozing happiness and promise.
Are you feeling the joy it describes?
For many, Christmas is a season of deep joy and peace. For others, the lights, decorations, presents, celebrations, and peace to all men of goodwill talk are the polar opposites of what they’re experiencing in their homes.
Their lives are a stark reminder of why Jesus had to come to Earth in the first place.
And all of the trappings don’t erase their pain and suffering.
And it’s also likely that the “joy” so many are experiencing is not real joy at all but temporal happiness that changes as circumstances change and disappointment sets in.
But the promise of Christmas is the real, everlasting joy that Jesus brought to Earth over 2,000 years ago and still offers us today.
But His joy had little to do with temporal happiness or comfort, as His life demonstrated.
As David Brickner says in the December Jews for Jesus newsletter:
“[The joy set before Jesus] (as noted in Hebrews 12:2) had very little to do with His personal happiness on earth. Certainly, Jesus was looking past the shame of the cross to fully restored fellowship at the right hand of the Father. But that joy before Him also included the prospect of relationships He would enjoy with those who put their trust in Him. And I think He also had in mind the joy that His suffering would make possible for you and me.
“Jesus’ joy became ours when we trust in Him, and remains ours as we enjoy true fellowship with Him regardless of life’s circumstances.”
That’s a statement to meditate on: Jesus’ joy was based on the joy that would result for us from His suffering. He suffered so we might experience joy. And that act brought Him joy.
But for a moment, let’s go back to the song.
There’s another phrase in “Joy to the World” that says, “Let every heart prepare Him room.”
The message from Scripture, David’s words and the words of the song are clear: without Jesus residing in your heart, it is impossible to experience or possess true joy.
While God gave His son because He loved the world so, the truth is that we must believe in that Son in order to have eternal life, to avoid perishing. To have joy, in all it’s heavenly splendor and depth of meaning.
And one more thing about that wonderful Christmas song.
It wasn’t actually written for Christmas—the birth of Jesus—at all.
It was written about His return. A future hope. His return to Jerusalem to establish His kingdom on Earth.
As David Brickner also says:
“When you sing that carol will you be thinking about the little town of Bethlehem or about Jerusalem? There are only sixteen miles between those two cities, but for Jesus, that journey took a lifetime of endurance and suffering and death so that He could bring forth an eternity of joy and rejoicing.”
So this year when you’re belting out “Joy to the World” at your Christmas Eve service or church service Christmas day, or as you continue to hum and sing it through the rest of the year, I encourage you to think about not only Jesus’ miraculous birth but the joy of His return.
And while you’re at it, make sure you share that joy with others, so they, too, can experience true joy, regardless of any circumstance they face.
That’s the best gift you could give anyone!
Until we get together next Monday, I pray you
Have a truly blessed Christmas,
Andrea
May you prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers (3 John 2).
Photo by Ben White on unsplash.com