With all that has happened in 2020, the word "JOY" is not one that would likely come up in a word-association game. Unless, that is, you were the Apostle Paul, who endured great suffering and pain in this life, yet repeatedly admonished Christ's followers to be joyful in the midst of hardship.
The great Christmas carol Joy To The World is based on Psalm 98: "Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth, break forth in song...for He is coming to judge the earth, with righteousness He shall judge the world, and the peoples with equity."
Some say this song is not about Christ's birth in Bethlehem, but about Christ's second coming, and the joy which will occur when He comes to set all things straight.
But Joy To The World makes as much sense in celebration of Christ's first coming.
While anticipating His Kingdom-yet-to-come, we can celebrate His
Kingdom-already-here.
Before Bethlehem, I Chronicles 29:11 asserted: "...all that is in
heaven and in earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and You are exalted
as head over all," and before Christ's second coming, Acts 10:36 placed Jesus' universal authority in the present tense: "He is Lord
of all."
It's true Christ's Kingdom is not universally recognized right now on Planet Earth. There are weeds in His field, which He did not plant (see Matthew 13). They will be bundled and burned someday, but the domain over which Christ is King (that is, His "King-domain"), includes both heaven and earth, right now.
The whole field is His. The fact that not every human heart has
received Him as King doesn't alter the fact that He is.
This is the world's greatest Christmas gift: that Christ came in human form "to make His blessings flow, far as the curse is found." In the middle of the mess.
His blessings are intended to flow through people today who are reconciled to God and reconciling all things to Him, including the things of earth, far as the curse is found.
So, by God's grace, let's occupy until He comes again, pulling up "bramble bushes" and planting "fruit trees" before Christ's second coming arrives. In the midst of hardship and pain.
Got joy?
Joy to the Earth! The
Savior reigns. Let men their songs employ, while fields and floods, rocks,
hills, and plains, repeat the sounding joy!
Far as the curse is found.
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