Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth; break
forth and sing for joy and sing praises.
Psalm 98:4
Every year during the Christmas season, millions of people sing Joy to the World. I’m guessing many never think about whether it is or isn’t a Christmas song.
It’s about joy and Jesus, so what else would it be? It says, “The Lord is come,” and we know Jesus came as a baby in Bethlehem.
Well, there may be more to the song than you realize, so let’s look more closely at the history and meaning of this most beloved hymn.
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Is Joy to the World a Christmas Song?
Isaac Watts wrote Joy to the World in 1719, and it may surprise you that it was written as a poem based on Psalm 98. He did not have the birth of Christ in mind at all. Psalm 98 is a hymn of praise to God as Deliverer (v.1-3), as King (v.4-6), and as Ruler (v.7-9). The Lord is Israel’s true King, champion, and savior. Watts was writing about a future day when Christ will return to earth and set up His kingdom. In that day, Christ will be King, nature will rejoice, and justice will reign. On the other hand, this joy started with his first coming.
A Little History
Isaac Watts (1674-1748) is known as one of the great English hymn writers, but he did not write Joy to the World as a hymn.
It was first published as a poem in 1719 in Watt’s collection, The Psalms of David. The poem was based on Psalm 98.
In 1848, American composer Lowell Mason discovered the poem and set it to music. The song was released at Christmastime and quickly became a holiday favorite.
It has been sung during the Christmas season ever since.
As of 1979, Joy to the World was the #1 most published Christmas hymn, being found in 1,387 hymnbooks.
Most people do not know the history of this song and think it’s about the baby Jesus. However, Joy to the World isn’t about Christ’s first coming but His second coming.
When you sing Joy to the World with Psalm 98 in view, you can begin to understand why.
Psalm 98
O sing to the Lord a new song, for He has done wonderful things,
His right hand and His holy arm have gained the victory for Him.
The Lord has made known His salvation;
He has revealed His righteousness in the sight of the nations.
He has remembered His lovingkindness and His faithfulness to the house of Israel;
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth;
Break forth and sing for joy and sing praises.
Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre;
With the lyre and the sound of melody.
With trumpets and the sound of the horn
Shout joyfully before the King, the Lord.
Let the sea roar and all it contains,
The world and those who dwell in it.
Let the rivers clap their hands;
Let the mountains sing together for joy
Before the Lord; for He is coming to judge the earth;
He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity.
Joy to the World
Joy to the world, the Lord is come
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room
And heav’n and nature sing
Joy to the world, the Savior reigns
Let men their songs employ:
While fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains
Repeat the sounding joy
No more let sins and sorrow grow
Nor thorns infest the ground
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found
He rules the world with truth and grace
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness
And wonders of His love
So, Why Do We Sing Joy to the World at Christmas?
If Joy to the World isn’t about the first coming of Jesus, why do we sing it at Christmas when the whole point is to celebrate His birth?
The short answer is the song was first released at Christmas. People liked it, and it became a Christmas song.
There is nothing wrong with singing Joy to the World to celebrate the baby Jesus coming to earth. After all, the angel Gabriel told Mary the baby she would birth would have a kingdom that would never end (Lk 1:33), and the wise men called Jesus the King of the Jews (Matt 2:2).
In other words, Jesus is the King. He was the King when He came the first time and will be the ruling King when He returns.
So whether you sing the song to celebrate Jesus coming as a baby or look ahead to when He returns to reign over His kingdom, the words, “Joy to the world, the Lord is come. Let earth receive her King,” are fitting.
RELATED > > > > > Why is Jesus’ birth Good News?
Final Thoughts
Joy to the World is a song sung primarily during the Christmas season. But it wasn’t originally written as a Christmas song. Initially, it was a poem based on Psalm 98.
The poem was put to music a century later, and the public first heard the song, Joy to the World, at Christmas. It has been a Christmas song ever since.
The first two lines apply to both His first and second coming because He was our King as a baby in a manger and will be our reigning King when He returns.
Furthermore, when the angels announced to the shepherds that Jesus was born, they said it was good news of great joy for all people (Luke 2:10).
So, when you sing Joy to the World this Christmas, think about Jesus as a baby but also as the King who will return and whose kingdom will last forever.