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Joy To The World
Brian Mashburn
December 23, 2007
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Joy To The World
The song "Joy to the World" captures the message given to the shepherds outside of Bethlehem by an angel. This angel apparently showed up in all of his glory, terrifying the shepherds, only to announce a much greater glory...the coming of the Christ, the Messiah, the Savior of the world...to the world. Consider the words of this hymn we sing...
"Joy to the world." - Above all other descriptive words, "joy" stands head and shoulders above the rest as the identifying characteristic of the message we share. We have a message of joy. It is called gospel ("good news") for a reason. It is not a message of judgment, guilt, duty or requirement...all of which deceptively produce some fruits of goodness...but it is a message of joy which truthfully revolutionizes people's lives into total expressions of goodness. We Christians are the carriers of this joy. We embody joy, speak of joy, give joy, produce joy, and we are overcome by joy. The categories of "happy" and "sad" no longer apply to us, because we have been prevailed over by the untouchable message that transcends this world and its many shortcomings. We bring JOY to the world.
"Joy to the world." - It is not joy from the world, although many try to squeeze the world to find it. It is not joy in the world, as if the mere indulgence of its many fine pleasures will give us life. It is joy to the world. It is a gift from Heaven to Earth. Just as the wise men placed there gifts before the baby Jesus, joy is placed before men. And we are the people who open the gift and accept it, and then miraculously become the means by which God offers joy to the rest of the world. We do not depend on the world or any particular circumstances in the world to have joy to give the world. We carry an atmosphere of joy with us to the world whether the world reciprocates it or not, whether the world receives it or not, whether the world appreciates it or not. We bring joy TO the world.
"Joy to the world." - The object of God's affection is most unlikely and unbelievable. It is the very thing that sets it's face against God that God gives the joy to...the world. And we must, too. We must leave Bethlehem, go out to the shepherd's on the hill outside of the confines of our people, and make the announcement... "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people." Luke 2:10
Joy...to...the world. The Lord has come. And He rules the world with truth and grace.