I was clued in yesterday by a friend that the song “Joy to the World” is not a Christmas song. Say what? And Frosted Flakes aren’t my Dad’s favorite cereal. Surely this was some sort of mistake.
So, I researched it (yes, I used Wikipedia….don’t go all “Library of Congress” on me)….and….he is right! Isaac Watts is credited with writing the words of Joy to the World, and he wrote them as “as a hymn glorifying Christ’s triumphant return at the end of the age, rather than a Christmas song celebrating his first coming as a babe born in a stable.”
That’s crazy!
Does anyone know how this happened? Please share!
That’s a pretty fascinating observation, and now, come to think about it, there is very little in the song’s lyrics that really paint a Christmas picture. When viewed through that lens, it really does emphasize the Glorious Appearance of Jesus! Thanks for sharing that Marc. As to how it occurred, if Wikipedia didn’t say already, then that information is probably lost to time (I joke, of course…kinda).
The first coming is inextricably linked to the second coming. The incarnation is a precursor and promise of the truth of the second coming of Christ in bodily form at the end of time. Just as our Lord was born so he could be with us in death, he will come again so he can be with us in a bodily resurrection. I don’t see anything strange about singing this at Christmas – it points us forward.
I love the picture of the ribbon and tree – can I use it? who owns the image? I am looking for a theme for our Christmas images on our church website this year.
blessings – David (Melbourne, Australia)
David, thanks for the comment. I don’t see anything wrong with singing this at Christmas either. In fact, it has taken on a different meaning culturally, and it is what it is.
The image was pulled from Google.