SARAH IVILL | CONTRIBUTOR

I’m always glad when our church puts up Christmas decorations and we begin singing hymns about Jesus’s advent and birth. Many of those hymns haven’t been sung by the congregation since last Christmas, so though they are familiar, they are also fresh. One such hymn is Joy to the World! It’s one of my favorite hymns, so I want to share some reflections on the third stanza to assist us in preparing our hearts to worship the King this Christmas season.

“No more let sins and sorrows grow”

This phrase would be discouraging to anyone who is unaware of God’s amazing grace. There is not one person who has the ability to stop sinning. You likely know how difficult it is to be told to do something when you don’t have instructions, tools, or the capacity for doing it. It’s disheartening, to say the least. But thankfully, for those who trust in Christ alone for our salvation, we have been given everything we need to live a life of godliness (2 Pet. 1:3-4). Because of God’s grace and power, we can “walk by the Spirit” so that “we will not gratify the desires of the flesh” (Gal. 5:16).

But what about sorrow? In this broken world you and I will have lots of sorrows. Broken relationships, dashed dreams, loved ones dying, infertility, financial ruin, depression, prodigal children, and things like these. How do we keep sorrow from ruining us? When the apostle Paul pleaded with the Lord to deliver him from a “thorn…in the flesh” He replied, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9). And so it was. Paul could be content with sorrows “for the sake of Christ…for when I am weak, then I am strong” (v. 10).

Like Paul, the way you and I can keep sorrows from overtaking us is by highlighting Christ’s power in the midst of our weaknesses. Our Savior is greater than our sorrows and ultimately delivers us from them all. “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Rev. 21:4).

“Nor thorns infest the ground”

In the wake of Adam and Eve’s sin, the Lord told Adam: “cursed is the ground because of you…thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you” (Gen. 3:17-18). The apostle Paul picks up this storyline in his letter to the Romans, “the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God” (Rom. 8:20-21). We too “groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies” (v. 23). Only at the end of the age will thorns no longer infest the ground. So how do we live in the meantime, especially when our work proves to be difficult? We live with the hope that one day God’s promises will be consummately fulfilled, and “we wait for it with patience” (v. 25).

“He comes to make His blessings flow”

Jesus came from heaven to earth to make His blessings flow. He told those in the synagogue on the Sabbath day that He had come to fulfill Isaiah’s words, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Luke 4:18-19). His blessings flowed when He preached the gospel to those around Him; healed the blind, lame, and sick; taught in cities and synagogues; calmed the storm for His disciples; performed miracles; raised Lazarus from the dead; and most especially, when He died and rose again.

“Far as the curse is found”

Such blessings were not just for one particular nation. These blessings were for the entire world. God’s promise to Abraham, “in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Gen. 12:3) is fulfilled in Christ. God would not only justify the Jews by faith, but also the Gentiles (Gal. 3:7-9). The eternal kingdom choir will consist of “a great multitude…from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages” (Rev. 7:9). The good news is that when Jesus came the first time, He inaugurated His eternal kingdom, which will be consummated upon His return. That means even now we can look around and see evidence of God’s blessings flowing all around the world. The gospel continues to go forth as people like you and me speak with our family members, friends, coworkers, and neighbors about our Lord, Savior, and King.

As you celebrate the advent of our Lord, sing Joy to the World, especially the third stanza. Give thanks for the blessings that flow in your life, pray with someone battling against sin, comfort somebody experiencing sorrow, and encourage a family member or friend who feels pricked by the thorns of life.

Photo by Kolby Milton on Unsplash