Posted on by Angela

Third Verse Devotion: Joy to the World

Joy to the World is one of my favorite Christmas songs. Yet it isn’t really about the birth of the baby in the manger. Advent points in celebration to the birth of the Messiah but also to the promise of the second coming of Jesus. We celebrate both comings of Jesus during this season. The first in celebration and the second in hopeful anticipation. This is what makes Joy to the World appropriate for the Christmas season.  

No more let sins and sorrows grow, 
Nor thorns infest the ground; 
He comes to make his blessings flow 
Far as the curse is found. 
 

Our focus is on the third verse and specifically on the curse brought on by Adam and Eve in the Garden. We go to the beginning of Creation to celebrate the end of all things. God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh. He created a wonderful garden and placed man and woman there and gave them the job to tend the garden. When we come to chapter three of Genesis, the serpent shows up and tempts Eve. Eve falls for the temptation and Adam with her. Judgment soon follows, and all receive punishment. To Adam, God tells him this in chapter 3: 17-19 

Cursed is the ground because of you; 
With hard labor you shall eat from it 
All the days of your life. 
Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; 
Yet you shall eat the plants of the field; 
By the sweat of your face 
You shall eat bread, 
Until you return to the ground, 
Because from it you were taken; 
For you are dust, 
And to dust you shall return. 

Since that time, man has lived in sin and condemned to death. Isaac Watts, the writer of Joy to the World, reflected this in the third verse of our carol today.  Watts based his song on Psalm 98, the last verse of that psalm points to the coming Judge who will “judge the world with righteousness and the peoples with fairness.” (v9)  

Where are you this Christmas? Are you still gazing at the baby in the manger? Do you see the blood stained man on the cross who died for you? Are your eyes fixed on the return of that man who rose from the dead and is coming again?  

This Christmas season, let us sing joyfully this song of the Savior’s coming. The first and the second. Let us look back at the Child in the manger in awe and wonder that the God of all creation would humble himself to live among us as one of us to take our place on a cross for our sins. Let us also look ahead to the second coming of the Christ, no longer a child, but the King of Kings and Lord of Lords coming to rule and judge in power and glory. We have much to celebrate this Christmas. Whatever our circumstances are this year, we can joyfully look ahead with peace and hope because he is coming again. Let us put our trust in Him and sing Joy to the World the Lord is Come. 

All for One 

Angela 

Posted on by Angela

Hope – The First Week of Christmas

Hope. The first candle of advent represents hope. It points us to the birth of Jesus and his promised return. He was the longing of Israel, their Messiah. He lived as a man and died for our sins, for our redemption. He promised to come again. There are many verses in the Old Testament referencing Jesus’s first advent. There are even more concerning his second advent, his return. So, we light this royal purple candle with hope in his second coming.  

Hope is not to be confused with faith. It seems many try to use the words interchangeably. While they are closely related, they are not the same. Faith is present. Hebrews 11:1 defines faith this way: 

Now faith is the certainty of things hoped for, a proof of things not seen. 

Faith is the here and now belief of the future. The future is the area of hope. Hope is not wishful thinking. “I hope it doesn’t rain this weekend.” “I hope we have a white Christmas.” Hope is the certainty that what we have put our faith in will come to pass. The writer of Hebrews expresses it this way, 

Let’s hold firmly to the confession of our hope without wavering,  

for He who promised is faithful; 

Hebrews 10:23 

We can proclaim our hope in the promises of Christ and the Bible because we have faith that what he says is true. He does not lie. When he promises salvation to those who call on his name, we can take him at his word and hope in his salvation. Our faith presently is in Him. Our hope is in Him that when we pass from this life, he will take us to be with him.  

So, as the first candle is lit this week, what are you hoping for? What are you expecting? Is your faith in the One who makes your hope certain? Are you treating hope as wishful thinking? Take time this advent season to refocus on the One who makes our hope secure. He came once and promised to come again. Light a candle and hope.  

All for One  

Angela