Song Spotlight

Did you know “Joy to the World” is not about Christmas? That might seem strange to say; after all, it’s the most popular Christmas hymn of the 20th century! But take a closer look—there are no mangers, angels, animals, shepherds, or babies. 

Most of the hymn is based on Psalms 96 and 98. These psalms show God’s people joining with all of creation to rejoice in God’s glory and strength. They can see his salvation with their own eyes, so they celebrate! 

Isaac Watts took that language of celebration and aimed it at Jesus’ second coming. He invites us, as we sing, to see him as though he is coming right now. The Lord has come, so rejoice! Prepare him room! Join with the “fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains” to “repeat the sounding joy.”

There’s a reason for this outburst. In Genesis 3, After Adam and Eve sinned, God laid a curse on the earth. It would grow thorns and thistles; work would be frustrating and life would be sorrowful, because sin has consequences. We feel that curse now. We were already anxious, worried, tired, heartbroken, homesick, and grief-stricken. Now an invisible virus can derail our celebration plans at a moment’s notice. This is a perfect time to remember: the ground is hard, but Jesus breaks the curse. “He comes to make his blessings flow far as the curse is found.”

“Joy to the World” is not about the birth of Jesus. It’s about his return, and that makes it such a powerful Christmas hymn! This Christmas, remember that God always keeps his promises. Celebrate, because Christ has come. Rejoice, because he is coming back!

-Justin Hendrix

Scripture Reflections

A voice cries: 
In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; 
    make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 
Every valley shall be lifted up,
    and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level, 
    and the rough places a plain.
And the glory of Lord shall be revealed, 
    and all flesh shall see it together,
    for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.
 

This passage from Isaiah (40:3-5) is referenced by Mark as he begins his Gospel, and Mark explains it immediately, writing, “John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (Mark 1:4). In our reading from the Psalms this past Sunday, the psalm begins by remembering God’s past faithfulness and abundant mercy to his people. The psalmist then begs the Lord to turn again, to show his love and bring salvation to his people yet again. After this part of his prayer, he continues (Psalm 85:8-9):
 
Let me hear what God the Lord will speak,
    for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints; 
    but let them not turn back to folly.
Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him,
    that glory may dwell in our land.
 
The rendering of this Psalm printed in our bulletins reads, “for he shall speak peace unto his people, and to his saints, that they turn not again.” John prepares the way for the Lord, for the revealing of the Lord’s glory, by calling God’s people to repentance. As Justin reminded us in his sermon, our worst enemy now is the same as Israel’s worst enemy throughout her history—even our own wayward hearts. We turn to the Lord to cry out for deliverance, for us, for our families, for our country, for this world! And in the next instant we turn back to our folly, grieving our families and our God. Yet he speaks peace to us, and draws us back to himself, over and over and over, calling us to repentance and reminding us of our forgiveness in Christ. His glory has been revealed and will someday be fully revealed as he comes in glory to make his home with us, forever and ever, Amen! Let us wait for it with patience (Romans 8:25), repenting as often as we turn back to our folly, listening for his words of peace.
 
-Rebekah

Scripture Reflections

Our reading this past Sunday from Mark 13 began in verse 24: “But in those days, after that tribulation”—what tribulation? Speaking privately to his disciples James, John, and Andrew (verses 3-4), Jesus is referring back to what he has just told them of the coming destruction of Jerusalem and the temple (verses 5-23). Having spoken of that tribulation to come in their near future (Jerusalem was taken and the temple completely destroyed in 70 AD), Jesus then goes on in Mark 13:24-37 to speak of his return at the end of time—an event still to come in our future.

We know James, John, and Andrew, our fathers in the faith, heard and marked Jesus’ warning concerning the coming destruction of Jerusalem: there were no Christians remaining in that city when the Romans came in with awful destruction; they had all fled in accordance with Jesus’ words in verse 14. But what does it look like for us to mark and take seriously Jesus’ warning to us concerning his second coming? In verse 37, it is as if Jesus turns from those three disciples with whom he has been talking to look directly at us, the church throughout time and place: “And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.”

We live in light of Jesus’ return, remembering—holding fast in the midst of deep darkness—"Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.” We can learn from those who have gone before us, joining with them in looking forward to this promised return. From Isaiah’s powerful plea, “Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down!” (Is. 64:1a) to John’s powerful closing words of Scripture, “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!” (Rev. 22:20b), there is a beautiful chorus echoing throughout Scripture of God’s people declaring our desperate need for him and passionately looking forward to his coming.

“Stay awake!” he says to us. We do not seek to stay awake out of fear, but instead in eager anticipation, for he comes with words of love and grace. We long for the promised declaration he will cry out over us, “Well done, good and faithful servant!” We wait with wakeful hearts for his return because we wait for one who longs for us and will give peace to us. The refrain we sang during the reading of the Psalm this past Sunday is such needed encouragement as we go through our days, which are sometimes in deep shadow.

“He will show his mercy to us, mercy that shines bright as the sun, and in the shadow of death, he will guide us on to peace.”

-Rebekah