"Joy to the World" (Carols and the Gospel 2 of 5)

This post is part of a five-part series on discovering the place of traditional carols in the Gospel in an effort to revitalize worship during the Christmas season. Click here for the first post. And be sure to vote for your favorite Christmas carol to the right.

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.

This hymn is consistently ranked among the most popular Christian Christmas carols, but did you know that it was never meant to be a Christmas hymn?

The author of this hymn and about 700 others is known as the "Father of English Hymnody;" his name is Isaac Watts. The only other English hymnodist to come close to Watts' contribution to hymnals is Charles Wesley (author of "Hark! the Herald Angels Sing"). However, between the two, Watts is considered the more influential author. He changed the course of church music forever by writing extra-Biblical poetry for church worship. Until Watts stepped on the hymnody scene in the early 18th century, hymns sung in church were strict translations of Biblical poetry from the Psalms or other books of Scripture. Watts believed if verses were taken from the Psalms, they should "imitated in the language of the New Testament, and applied to the Christian state and worship." In fact this was the title of the hymnal which first contained Watts' poem entitled "Joy to the World" in 1719.

Isaac Watts used Psalm 98 as the inspiration for the lyrics of "Joy to the World."

Psalm 98:4-9

If you notice, this Psalm, nor the hymn that flowed from it, mention anything about the nativity or Christmas. Instead, a closer look at the verses of the Psalm and the hymn would more closely describe the second coming of Christ, not His first coming. Indeed, that is how Isaac Watts intended the hymn to be sung, praising in anticipation the coming day when Christ would judge the world as King. Certainly, Jesus was born King and lived His life on earth as King, died as King, rose as King and ascended as King, where He is reigning now as King. But it is clear in Scripture that this King will not reign from Heaven forever, but will return to earth to "judge the world with righteousness." It is that Day that should cause God's people to "make a joyful noise," and "break forth into joyous song!" We know on that day that "the dead in Christ will rise first" (1 Thess. 4:16), similar to Christ's first coming when He comes for the dead "that they may have life" (John 10:10).

So if we must continue to sing this song solely around Christmas, let us do it with our minds remembering the glory of the King's return. Let us "receive our King" and sing for joy that He is coming to judge and to rule, that awesome day when "the Savior reigns!" We should sing with joy only an individual who has been atoned for by Christ's blood can have. Because if we are to joyfully and eagerly await the Day of Christ's return, we know that on that Day, Christ will judge us not for our sins but for His righteousness. The saints, living and dead, even the earth itself, "heaven and nature," will sing for joy that the Lord has returned and no longer will "sin and sorrow grow," but "His blessings will flow." He will "rule the world with truth and grace." And by atoning for the sins of God's elect, He will prove the glorious "wonders of His love." Surely, this is news that should bring Joy to the World!