T-minus 6 days, amen? Christmas is next Saturday … it’ll be here before we know it, amen? How many of you have all your Christmas shopping done? How many of you have all your presents wrapped and under the tree? How many of you still have to put up your tree, amen? Over the past few weeks some you have probably been running around like chickens with your heads cut off … and there’s still more to do, am I right?
Let’s face it … Christmas is a stressful time for most adults. For some, it’s a time of intense loneliness or crushing grief because of a loved one who is gone. Even at its best, Christmas means parties to plan … parties to attend … gifts to buy … elaborate meals to cook … goodies to bake … long trips to take … or out-of-town guests to host. In the midst of all that we have to do, how can we sing a “new song” to the Lord? Well … by taking our cue from the writer of Psalm 98 or from Isaac Watts and remember the reason for this season. It’s all about how God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son so that whoever believes in Him might have eternal life (John 3:16).
We tend to think of Isaac Watts’ hymn, “Joy to the World,” as a Christmas carol but if you look at the lyrics, there is no mention of Bethlehem … no mention of Mary and Joseph … no shepherds or angels … no star … no wisemen. It could easily be used as a general-purpose song of praise. In fact, if you turn to page 246 in our hymnal and look at the tiny words at the bottom of the page, you’ll see the word “WORDS” in all caps followed by “Isaac Watts, 1719” … meaning that Isaac Watts wrote the words to this hymn in 1719. In parenthesis it says (Psalm 98:4-6) … meaning that the inspiration or basis of Watts’ hymn was Psalm 98:4-6 … which is also a general-purpose song of praise.
Isaac Watts didn’t write this hymn for Christmas. He wrote it, along with a host of other great hymns like “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” and “Jesus Shall Reign,” because of the wooden hymns of his day and the lackluster way that his congregations were singing those hymns. Commenting on the singing at that time, here is what Isaac Watts said about it and what ultimately what lead him to write hymns like “Joy to the World. “To see the dull indifference, the negligent and thoughtless air that sits upon the faces of a whole assembly while the psalm is upon their lips might even tempt a charitable observer to suspect the fervency of their inward religion” (The Golden Age of Hymns, Issue #31; 1991; christianhistoryinstitute.org) To counter what he saw as boring hymns being sung by bored congregations, he set out to write songs that brought joy and fervency to the congregation as they sang together. And so, with the help of Isaac Watts and Psalm 98, let’s see if we can’t crank up our joy today, amen?
The author of Psalm 98 starts out by inviting us to “sing to the LORD a new song” (Psalm 98:1). Why? He tells us: “for He” … God … “has done marvelous things.” “His right hand and His holy arm” speak of God’s power. His strength and His power is like that of a mighty warrior King who has won great victories. Why should the people sing a new song to the LORD? Because the victories of mighty kings are remembered in song. New victories require new songs and God is forever doing marvelous things and winning new victories. The most marvelous thing is what we sing about in Watts’ hymn, “Joy to the World”: “… the Lord is come” (stanza 1). Watts also includes God’s greatest victory in his hymn, His victory over sin in stanza 3. C.H. Spurgeon put it this way: “Jesus our King has led a marvelous life. He died a marvelous death. Risen by a marvelous resurrection and ascended marvelously into heaven” (Spurgeon, C.H. The Treasury of David: Psalm 98; archive.spuregon.org).
I think the word “marvelous” barely describes what God did, do you? Jesus, the second person of the Trinity humbled Himself and became a human being and came into the world in the usual way … as a baby. He lived a perfect life to that He could be a perfect sacrifice. When tempted to sin, to turn away from the plan that God had for our salvation, He was obedient … obedient unto death … death on the cross … for our sake. Jesus paid the penalty for our sins. He took the penalty that you and I deserve and died in our place. He shed His blood on the cross in a horrible way for a marvelous reason … so that we could be forgiven. And then He rose from the dead three days later and is now seated at the right hand of God, the Father. Pretty marvelous, amen? I’d say that His victory over sin and death is worthy of a new song, wouldn’t you agree?
“God has made known His victory,” says the writer of Psalm 98. How? By using the nation of Israel to reveal “His vindication in the sight of the nations. He has remembered His steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God” (v. 2-3). The world should pay attention to the marvelous things that God does and has done for Israel because the “savior of Israel is the creator of the world” (Mays, J.L. Psalms. In Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching. Louisville, KY: John Knox Press; 1989; p. 313). “What matters,” says Bible commentator James Mays, “is the meaning of the LORD’s marvelous deeds for the whole world” (Ibid., p. 313). In “Joy to the World,” Watts says not just Israel but all the nations “prove the glories of His righteousness, and the wonders of His love” (stanza 4).
God made known His intentions for Israel and the world through His prophets. “But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathat, who are one of the little clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to rule in Israel, whose origin is from old, from ancient days. … And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. And they shall live secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth; and he shall be the one of peace” (Micah 5:2,4-5). Israel’s salvation would be the world’s salvation and that salvation came into the world in Bethlehem of Ephrathat.
What if God had made known His salvation only to Israel and not the world? And what if Israel ignored or missed out on that salvation? Or if the world had ignored or missed out on the birth of Jesus that night? Then we would have no hope of salvation today. But thankfully, the angels in Heaven announced His arrival. “Fear not,” the angel tells the shepherds, “for I bring you good news of” what? “I bring you good news of great JOY that will be for all the people. For unto you this day is born in the city of David a Savior who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10-11; emphasis mine). Thankfully the shepherds went to Bethlehem and told Mary and Joseph what they had seen and heard. Thank God that the events of our salvation were shared with the rest of the world and preserved in the Gospel, amen? Another marvelous thing to sing about, amen? Another thing to celebrate with joy.
In verse 4, the psalmist calls upon the whole earth to make a joyful noise to the LORD, to break forth into joyous songs and praises for LORD, for the marvelous things that He has done. When the psalmist calls upon the earth to sing God’s praises, he doesn’t just mean the people. He means the WHOLE earth. “Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; the world and those who live in it. Let the floods clap their hands; let the hills sing together with joy at the presence of the LORD” (Psalm 98:7-9). Remember, the savior of Israel is the creator of the world and what God does for Israel has meaning for the world and all of creation. “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us,” say the Apostle Paul. “For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God” (Romans 8:18-21). “Joy to the world,” says Watts, “the Savior reigns! Let all their songs employ” (stanza 2) … the songs of all the fish and creatures living in the sea … the songs of all the animals and creatures, including us, that live upon the earth … let the very earth itself with its fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains … “let heaven and nature sing, let heaven and nature sing” (stanza 1) for the marvelous thing that He has done through His Son, Jesus Christ, amen?
The Lord God has made known His salvation through Jesus Christ. This is our reason for having joy, my sisters and brothers. We have a Savior. Salvation is no longer hidden. It has been made known through Jesus Christ, our Lord. And God has made this salvation known to all the world. How did He reveal His righteousness to the world? Through the cross. And He revealed His victory over sin and death at the empty tomb. Our sins have made us wrong with God but through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross we have been made right with God. Might be a reason to celebrate the Lord with lyres and trumpets and horns, amen? To make a joyful noise before the King, our Lord, you think? For all of Heaven and all of nature to repeat the sounding joy, amen?
Pretty much everybody wants happiness, amen? In fact, most of what people do is for the purpose of “finding” happiness. People work hard so that they can buy the possession that they think will make them happy. They look for happiness in entertainment, hobbies, sports, and various addictions. Or they look deep, deep, deep within … thinking that that’s where this elusive happiness is hiding.
Unfortunately, most people don’t realize that there is a big, big difference between “happiness” and “joy.” The root of the word “happiness” is what? You naturally think “happy” but “happiness” and “happy” share the same root or concept as the meaning of the word “happen.” So … “happiness” and “happy” are based on what’s “happening.” Happiness depends on our circumstances and our circumstances are constantly changing. For most people, happiness is nothing more than a temporary interruption to boredom.
Interestingly enough, the Bible doesn’t speak much about “happiness” … but it does speak a whole lot about “joy.” The kind of joy that the Bible speaks about goes much deeper than mere happiness. Genuine joy … the kind the Bible speaks about … does not depend upon our circumstances. Joy is an inner sense of well-being that has nothing to do with what’s happening around us or what’s going on in our lives. The kind of joy that the Bible describes can’t be found in our possessions or entertainment. You won’t find it by looking deeply into your inner self because the kind of joy the Bible speaks about doesn’t come from you. Care to guess where it can be found and who it comes from?
In his hymn, “Joy to the World,” Isaac Watts goes straight to our only source of true joy. There is one reason … and one reason only … that there is joy in the world. There is joy in the world because “the Lord has come!” (stanza 1a).
If you receive Christ as King of your life, He provides joy … He is and will be your source of joy. In the same way that your body craves food, exercise, and rest, so you spirit, your soul, craves a relationship with God. Without that relationship, your soul will become famished and restless. You can try to fill that hole with anything and everything but I promise you, you won’t find happiness … not for long. Trust me. I’ve been there and I’ve tried. But if you fill it with God, you’ll experience joy because you will be giving your spirit, your soul, what it needs, what it craves. Again, trust me. I’m speaking from personal experience. And for those of you who have tried to find happiness by attempting to fill that hole and found that only God can fill it …that only God can satisfy the deepest craving of your soul … then you know what I’m talking about, amen?
“Joy to the world, our Savior reigns!” we sing. In Stanza 2, Watts lets us know that we must not only recognize Jesus as king … King of the world … King of our lives … King of our hearts … but we must also let Him reign “over” our lives and our hearts.
Receiving Jesus as our lord and king is an important first step, but we must go further. We must let Him “reign” over our lives. While He was living on earth, Jesus encountered large crowds who were ready and willing to receive Him as king … but they were not ready to let Him take charge. They wanted Him to do things their way … not the other way around.
There are a lot of people today who are more than willing to receive all the good things that Christ wants to offer them, but they don’t want Him to try and take care of their business ethic, their public image, their entertainment, or the language that they use when they’re under pressure. They don’t want Jesus to be in charge of where they live, who they date, who they marry, or what kind of career they choose.
If you try to receive Christ without letting Him reign in your life, guess what? You will miss out on the joy that comes from accepting and allowing Jesus to be the king of your world. You see, indecisiveness and hypocrisy can actually zap the joy out of life. There will come a time when you’ll realize that you may be fooling everyone else but you’re not fooling yourself … and you’re certainly not fooling Jesus. Jesus knows if He’s king of your world or not.
Let’s face it, most of us do a pretty lousy job of “reigning” over our lives, amen? I’ll speak for myself … I sure have. Jesus knows what will give you joy. Do you know that? I’m sure that you do but the big questions is … do you believe that? Do you really believe that? Jesus knows the person who will suit you best in marriage. He knows the kind of work that He made for you. It is said that joy is the by-product of obedience … that sums it up pretty well.
When we receive Jesus as our Lord and King … when we let Him reign over our hearts and our lives … we “repent.” We begin to act and to live differently. “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” (stanza 3).
Sin promises “happiness.” But sin delivers sorrow. Satan promised Adam and Eve that eating the forbidden fruit would make them wise. Instead, sin brought a horrible curse and unending regret. And that’s the way it’s been ever since. That’s what Watts means when he says “far as the curse is found.” Sin has brought a bitter curse. That’s how it’s always been and that is how it will always be. Repentance, however, is something that will always bring joy.
Don’t let the words “repent” or “repentance” put you off. The original Greek word, “metanoias,” simply means “a changed mind.” When you “repent,” you agree with God that what you are doing is, indeed, wrong. As long as you try to rationalize that there is nothing wrong with what you are doing, you won’t repent. And if you don’t repent, you won’t find real joy. Repentance brings joy in amazing ways.
Historically, we know that not everyone was joyful when Jesus was born. King Herod was anything but joyful when the magi from the east enquired about the birthplace of a new king. To Herod, Jesus was a threat. Herod was already so paranoid about someone trying to usurp his throne that he had three of his own sons assassinated. He was not about tolerate a rival king … even an infant king.
In a similar way, a lot of people today reject Jesus as king. To them, Jesus is a threat to their individual freedom … their passions … their greed … their pride. Think of how different Herod was from the wise men. While Herod saw Jesus as a threat, the wisemen saw Jesus as a gift and they came to worship Him. When the world rejects Jesus as its king it is, in fact, rejecting the very joy that the world is searching for, amen?
So, I mentioned the difference between happiness and joy. What does joy look like? Well … watch a small child unwrapping Christmas presents, amen? They just vibrate with excitement, don’t they? They just can’t contain themselves. They tear those gifts open. Their faces light up. They squeal … they laugh … they shout … they run around the room. They show everybody what they got and they begin playing with their gifts immediately. Is that how Christmas makes you feel? Not because of the gifts wrapped in brightly colored paper but the gift that is wrapped in swaddling clothes in a manger? Not because of the presents under the tree but because of the gift that hung on a tree? Psalm 98 is just bursting with music and praise! Watts’ hymn, “Joy to the World” is just bursting with joy. “Make a joyful noise, all the earth; break forth in joyous song and sing praises” (Psalm 98:4). “Let all their songs employ … and heaven and nature sing” (stanzas 2,1).
Do you remember why Isaac Watts wrote hymns like “Joy to the Word”? “To see the dull indifference, the negligent and thoughtless air that sits upon the faces of a whole assembly while the psalm is upon their lips might even tempt a charitable observer to suspect the fervency of their inward religion” (The Golden Age of Hymns, Ibid.). Does his observation still apply to us today? When we sing and praise God together, do we see the dull indifference, the negligent and thoughtless air that sits upon the faces of our assembly while a song is upon our lips? Might the charitable observer suspect the fervency of our religion? If someone one were to take a look at our lives, could the charitable observer suspect the fervency of our love for Jesus? If we watched the way that you sang this morning, would there be a reason to suspect your love of Jesus? You don’t gotta jump out of your seat and go dancing down the aisle … but that would be great if you did. I’d love it. There are times when I want to bust into dance up here but I don’t because I don’t want to look like a spaz … which is a poor excuse for holding back my joy, amen?
We should be bursting with joy when we praise our Savior. As a Christian, you have more than enough reason to be filled with joy, amen? Pastor and author Timothy Keller has this wonderful advice to help us live in the joy that is found in the Bible. “Always live your daily life against the background music of joy” (Halloran, K. 100 0f the Best Timothy Keller Quotes. www.kevinhalloran.net; September 5, 2017). Isn’t that beautiful? “Always live your daily life against the background music of joy.” Even in the darkest times, joy can be the background music of our lives because of our salvation and we have salvation because of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
I understand that there are times when we might not be joyful. I wish that I could be joyful 24/7 … but I’m not. Sometimes we have to struggle and fight for joy … especially during the Christmas season. As Christians, we have real enemies. The devil will use the busy-ness of the season to turn our attention away from the source of our joy … Jesus Christ … and turn our attention towards all the things that we have to do or all the pretty, shiny things that we want. Sin wants to steal our joy, which is why we must repent … turn away … from sin and turn towards Christ and listen for the “background music of joy” that is everywhere all around us. As Christians, we always have a reason for joy. We always have a reason to praise our King. We only have to look to the cross and remember that we have a Savior who did a mighty thing on the cross for our salvation. “The joy of the Lord is [our] strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). In Psalm 32, David says that we should be “glad in the Lord and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart” (v. 11) … and we are righteous and we are upright in heart because of the marvelous thing that Immanuel did that night in Bethlehem and the victory that Jesus won for us on Calvary, amen?
Our joy is based on what God has done and our joy is based on what God will do in the future. In verse 9, the psalmist says that God is coming to judge the earth. “He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity” (Psalm 98:9). That may not be news of great joy for those who reject Jesus as their Lord and Savior but for us … His coming will cause the sea and all that fills it to roar with God’s praises … the rivers will clap their hands and the hills will sing together… and the world and all those who live in it will repeat the sounding joy because the Lord, our Savior, has come to set all things right. The past gives us hope for the future. Jesus came as a baby the first time. Jesus came and died on the cross for our sins. He will come again as judge and king the next time. And when He does, no more will sins and sorrows grow, nor thorns infest the ground. His blessings will flow as “far as the curse is found” (stanza 3).
The good news of the Gospel is that Christ redeemed us from the curse by becoming the curse for us … by giving His life on the cross and dying in our place. Hanging on that first Christmas tree, Jesus became the curse so that we could be free from the power of sin and share in His victory over death. We look forward to the day when He will come to judge the world with righteousness and the people with equity because it means that we will have been resurrected with Him. We will receive the ultimate Christmas gift … new bodies free from pain, free from sin, free from suffering. We look forward to the time when He will come and make all things right. This is our hope, this is our joy, this is the background music of our daily lives.
My Christian sisters and brother, I hope and pray that you will accept this gift of joy from our Lord and Savior. The only way to have a truly merry and joyful Christmas is to have Christ. Do you want to have a merry Christmas? Do you want to have a joy-filled Christmas? Then look to Jesus. He is offering you the gift of forgiveness. He is offering you the gift of Salvation. He is offering you the gift of hope.
