The real story behind Joy to the World

It was Great Britain's Isaac Watts who wrote the Christmas carol "Joy to the World." Why could he, a man who knew deprivation, pain, and rejection write such a great hymn?

He knew something about Jesus that many of us miss. 

Jesus is joyous. See Hebrews 1:9 if you don't believe me. 

Jesus is the Great glad-hearted Creator. When He made everything He did so with great joy. The Lord is joyous. The King of all creation is joyous. And when He made everything, everything was not only very good but everything was also very glad. All was well with the world.

But we can see the news, right? All is not well now. 

And I can look in the mirror and know something is wrong not only with the world, but with me. 

A curse on creation has come. Sorrows have grown. Thorns have infested the ground. Why? Sin. We rebelled against our happy-hearted God. And like air escaping from a pin-pricked balloon, our joy has gone.

But the King has come to reverse the curse. The Lord has come to restore our joy. 

He suffered with us. He identified with our pain. And then because of the joy set before Him, He endured the cross, dying in our place for our sin. He rose from the dead, victorious over sin and sorrow.

Now, we are called to prepare room in our hearts. We are called to receive Him as King. When we do, He's our reigning Savior. We get forgiveness and hope and healing and new life. His blessings flow. And like an empty balloon that's beginning to be filled with helium, our joy is being restored.

One day, Jesus will return. He will bring justice to earth. All the wrongs will be made right. Jesus will rule finally and fully with truth and grace. And all order will be restored. 

And all joy will be regained. This is our hope. This is our help. This is our health. 

Truly, Jesus is joy to the world. The question each of us must ask is this: "Is Jesus joy to me?"