Joy to the World
May this Advent season help us slow down and receive the joy Jesus freely gives.
“And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth” (Luke 1:14).
All around us, the signs of Christmas are everywhere — lights on houses, trees in windows, music in every store and on every street. Even if someone has never stepped foot inside a church, they’ve probably heard the opening line of Joy to the World: “Joy to the world, the Lord is come!”
But joy isn’t usually the first word we reach for when someone important shows up. We don’t say, “Joy to the office, the supervisor is coming!” or “Joy to the courtroom, the judge is on her way!” Important people often bring pressure…not joy.
But the gospel announcement breaks the pattern. At Christmas, God Himself draws near — not to scrutinize us, not to shame us, not to condemn us — but to save, heal, and restore. If Scripture were a Christmas carol, the chorus might well be Psalm 103:8,10:
“The Lord is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love…
He does not deal with us according to our sins,
nor repay us according to our iniquities.”
That is the kind of Lord who has come into the world. No wonder the song begins with joy.
So today, whatever you’re carrying — exhaustion, grief, failure, sin — Jesus welcomes you with open arms. He is the Lord of mercy, and His heart is wide open to you.