Joy to the World
Oh, Merry Christmas, friend, and I join you today in celebrating the birth of our Savior, so today would you sing with me happy hallelujahs to God for He so generously and graciously gave us Jesus. So chime in with me,
Joy to the world, the Lord is come
Let earth receive her King.
Let every heart prepare Him room
And heaven and nature sing, and heaven and nature sing
And heaven and heaven and nature sing.
That was kind of a different arrangement for us, huh? Well, I’m glad you were able to keep up with me.
Isn’t it remarkable, I mean God didn’t have to come to earth to save us; He owed this really rebellious planet absolutely nothing. He could have left us hopeless and abandoned us to hell, but hey, God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son! And that’s why you and I can sing and say, “Joy to this hurting world, the Lord has come.” And like you, I want earth to really receive her King. But that’s hard in this post-modern world. If you ask the man on the street what he thinks of the babe of Christmas, you’d be surprised at the answers. But, then again, maybe not! Just look at the folks who were there when the actual birth of Christ happened, look at the way they responded.
The innkeeper was downright indifferent—a census had come to town; he was busy making beds and ringing up the cash register. Then there was Herod; he tried to destroy everything connected with the birth of this baby. Then consider the shepherds in the field, only after the angels bent over backward to explain the celestial fireworks were their fears finally put to rest. Now I’ve got to give credit to the wise men, they were curious, poking here and there and asking questions until they found the answers that satisfied. Still others, like Simeon in the temple, he waited… he just waited. Other people were big on hope, like Anna the prophetess. Then there were those who like Mary and Joseph, simply worshiped the newborn King.
Sure, it’s a postmodern world, but people haven’t changed much since Bible times, and the man on the street responds in the same way, doesn’t he. People are indifferent or they’re too busy to give Christmas, I mean the real meaning of Christmas, much thought. And I guess what is most true of this postmodern age; there are a lot of people out there to destroy the message of Christmas; that’s what they want to do. What about you? Are you, like the wise men, still searching? Are you indifferent, maybe still looking for answers?
Friend, there are a thousand different ways to respond to the news that a Savior has been born to deliver you from sin. But the fact remains that until that child was born this world was cloaked in darkness. But for unto us, a child is born, a Son has been given! There is only one response to that: join millions in happy, joyous praise! In fact, pray with me right now, “Lord Jesus, I only have one response to Your birth today, and that’s joy! I don’t want sin to reign in my life! For You have come to make the Father’s blessings known to me. Thank you for freeing me from sin’s curse this Christmas day. Friend, if you prayed that with me, I’d like to know. Tomorrow, visit me at Joniradio.org and tell me all about it. Share how you spent your Christmas Day celebrating the birth of the Savior. Until then, from all of us at Joni and Friends have a blessed Christmas!
Song: Written by Isaac Watts in 1719; Public Domain
(Previously aired as #6954 on 12/25/08)
