Joy to the World!

Joy to the World!

Joy to the world! the Lord is come; Let earth receive her King; Let every heart prepare Him room, and heaven and nature sing. 

Joy to the earth! the Savior reigns; Let men their songs employ; While fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains, Repeat the sounding joy. 

No more let sins and sorrows grow, No thorns infest the ground; He comes to make His blessings flow, Far as the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace, And makes the nations prove; The glories of His righteousness, And wonders of His love. 

In high school and a little while in college, I enjoyed participation in the band. Marching bands have changed somewhat since then, but "back in those days" every marching show began with a fanfare. It was the time for the big brass instruments to be heard, with loud percussion. It was an announcement that something important is happening. 

That is the same description I can give to the song "Joy to the World."  It is an announcement heralding the coming of Jesus into the world. It is an announcement of joy and excitement. The entire earth is receiving the King of Kings.  Heaven and nature celebrate his coming.

He is the Savior that reigns. His very presence should cause men to celebrate throughout the earth that our Savior reigns. That celebration is repeated, the joy is continuous. Jesus reigns.

Sins that plagued us like an infestation of thorns are  no longer going to overcome us because Jesus is here to make His blessings flow. The curse of sin now has a cure. 

The grand finale of this fanfare song gives us tremendous insight to the mission and message of Jesus. He is a ruler of truth and grace, which assures us our King is just.  He makes the nations prove the glories of His righteousness, and the wonders of His love.

During this season when we recognize the coming of the Christ child, let us also come to know Him in the fullness of his mission to seek and save lost mankind. The fanfare continues day in and day out, and never loses its power. This is a message we need throughout the year.  

Let there be joy in the world. Jesus has come. We are invited to know him, love him, and "prove the glories of his righteousness and the wonders of his love."

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