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LSB 387 Joy to the World
Perhaps no hymn characterizes the mood of Christmas Day more than Isaac Watts’ "JOY TO THE WORLD". You can almost hear the organ pipes and trumpet blast their clear call of joy as one thinks of this Hymn. The hymn heralds the invitation for all to praise God on the birth of the Savior of the world. The account of St. Luke tells of Bethlehem where there was no room in the Inn for the birth of the Son of God; the hymn now invites EVERY heart to prepare a room for Jesus to reside. That is the desire of this newborn king.
1 Joy to the world, the Lord is come! Let earth receive her King; Let ev’ry heart prepare Him room and heav’n and nature sing, and heav’n and nature sing, and heav’n, and heav’n and nature sing.
Jesus tells us that the rocks would cry out if we were silent. Paul teaches that all creation longs for the day of Christ’s victory when the dominion of death and decay of sin are done away with. All creation repeats the sounding Joy of God’s people. Jesus TODAY rules all things for the sake of His church; His people.
2 Joy to the earth, the Savior 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.
With the coming of the Savior King comes the announcement that sin, sorrow, and the curse are coming to an end. Jesus did not come to condemn the world but to save the world and give His blessing to all. By His death and resurrection Jesus ends the reign of sin and death. Though we live in the midst of a broken world of sin until He comes again, Jesus is at work for His people filling them with joy in spite of the trials as far as the curse is found.
3 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.
When Jesus comes again in all His glory we will then see the judgement of truth and grace. On that day every knee will bow and every tongue confess Jesus as Lord. His glorious righteousness will be seen and acknowledged by all. All will see the salvation of God and God will dwell with His people and there will be NO more sorrow, NO more grief, NO more pain, No more tears – Oh the wonders of His love.
4 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.
JOY TO THE WORLD the Lord is come! Let the trumpet blare. Let the heart prepare. His blessings flow in His gracious rule! Truly this is joy to which nothing in this world can compare.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Christ the Savior is Born.
Pastor Oster