Songs Of Hope - Sing We Now Of ChristmasSample

Joy to the World!

Joy to the World! has been one of my favorite Christmas hymns for as long as I remember. It is one of the songs that everybody knows, believer or nonbeliever. Whether in a group or by yourself, sometimes you cannot help but sing along whenever you hear it played. Maybe it is just easy to sing or maybe it is just one of those songs that can be sung in groups (as I thought as a kid) and nobody cares if you sing badly. I never got that vibe with other songs like O Holy Night or Silent Night.

For a long time when I thought about the song, I thought it was celebrating the birth of Jesus, which it is, but it is much more than saying, “Yea! Baby Jesus is here!” I was reading the 98th Psalm one day and came across this:

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth,
burst into jubilant song with music;
make music to the Lord with the harp,
with the harp and the sound of singing,
with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn -
shout for joy before the Lord, the King.

The word joy is interpreted a myriad of ways. It means many things to people. One of the meanings of joy is elation. We should have feelings of elation regarding the birth of Jesus, but that is only half the story; I think this beloved hymn is referencing both the birth of Jesus and His return. This passage and scripture helped me realize this. If you were to read or sing through the lyrics of the song with the return of Jesus in mind, it is possible you can see it from a different perspective.

This time of year is certainly a time to celebrate the birth or our Savior! It is a momentous occasion most worthy of celebration. 

• What if we considered reflecting on Christmas with both sides of the story in mind? 
• Would our mindset be different? 
• Would cherish our time with loved ones in a different way? 
• Would we look at the gifts we give or receive in a different way?

Consider these questions this season as we reflect on not only the reason for the season, but also the reasons for the season.

Brian Street
Resident Director, Gettys Hall
University of Mary Hardin-Baylor