THURSDAY 23rd
Luke 2:8-14
NIV (vv10-11) ‘But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.”’
ESV (vv10-11) ‘And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord.”’
Over the next couple of days, I will share some thoughts on Christmas using both Scripture and one of the carols we sing during this festive and special season.
Today I have chosen one of my favourites, ‘Joy to the world’. This song was written in 1719 by Isaac Watts who was an English minister and hymn writer. It is based upon Psalms 98:4, 96:11-12, and Genesis 3:17-18. (Source – Wikipedia)
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.
Joy to the World, the Saviour reigns!
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.
He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love.
Wikipedia shows that the song originally had four verses, here is the fourth:
No more let sins and sorrows 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
There is no doubt that the coming of the baby called Jesus into a manger in a little town called Bethlehem was going to be the means of joy to the world, for his arrival heralded the moment in time which we read as being ‘when the fulness of time came’, it was when God sent his Son, born of a woman under the law, to redeem those who were under the law so that we might receive adoption as sons. (Galatians 4) It is one of the most pivotal moments in the history of the world, for through the birth of this One who was the eternal Son of God, God was putting into plan the work of redemption that would lead to eternal salvation for all who would believe.
We have just come through another year that like the one before it has been full of gloom, the pandemic stretching its terror week after week, what will happen, when will it come to an end, what should we do, what can we be doing, masks or no masks, vaccine or no vaccine, meeting or not meeting together be it as Church or as family – and even as I write this a few weeks in advance the threat of a new strain, where will it lead to, but despite it all the good news that was of great joy to the shepherds on the mountain side two thousand years ago is still good news of great joy today, the Saviour was born, thirty three years later he went on to die as a sacrifice for the sins of the world, and then three days afterward rose from the dead victorious. He had fulfilled what God had sent him to do, he had arrived in the fulness of time to redeem those who were under the law, and as we come to receive him by faith we are adopted into the family of God. JOY to the world, we who have come to know him as our Saviour and Lord have good news to tell, we have great joy to share so may we take the opportunities given to us to let the world know that this is a season for great joy, for Christ has come, and hope is available for all, he comes to grant pardon and give eternal life.