Hymns of Hope: Joy to the World

When it seems as though the whole world is intent on joyful celebrations, Christmas movie marathons, winter wonderlands, and gift exchanges, it can be hard to imagine how your grief fits into all of the merriment around you. But one thing we often forget in all of the holiday bustle is that the Christmas story is intertwined with sorrow. God’s people had endured years of oppression and hardship and 400 years of silence from God. They were under Roman occupation and longed for the coming of the Messiah that had been promised long ago. Jesus was coming to a burdened, waiting, and hurting people. Even the magnificence of the birth of Christ was tinged with great sorrow, because this baby was born to die.

When we take a step back to examine our beloved Christmas hymns more closely, we can see that they too are mixed with joy and sorrow. In “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” we find references to mourning in lonely exile and rejoicing at the coming of Christ. “O Little Town of Bethlehem” speaks of Jesus coming to meet us in the midst of our fears. Joy to the world is another song that acknowledges the sorrows and sufferings of this life. In what is predominately a lively and cheerful hymn, the third verse reminds us that in the midst of this great joy the earth is still under the curse of sin. Here in these songs there is space for your grief. Music can be a powerful weapon to dispel the darkness as we sing hope into our sorrow.

Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let ev’ry heart prepare Him room
And heav’n and nature sing,
And heav’n and nature sing,
And heav’n, and heav’n 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,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat the sounding joy.

No more let sins and sorrows grow
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, 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,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders of His love.

When our hearts are burdened by such great heartache as we have experienced, we can still prepare room for the Lord, because we know that He has come to make all things new. These hymns of Christmas aren’t pretending that everything is as it should be. We can sing them with confidence and honesty because they speak truth into the realities that we face in a broken, sin-cursed world.

As we sing these words, we remind ourselves that there is no darkness that cannot be penetrated by the light of Christ’s coming. There is no grief too heavy to be carried by our Savior. There is no corner of this earth where God’s blessings do not flow. As far as the curse is found, hope can be found too.

Whether your grief is raw and fresh this Christmas or you have been carrying it for many years, you can turn to the One who rules the world with truth and grace. The wonders of His love for you were proven at the cross where He gave His life to redeem yours. Let us cling with hope for the day when sins and sorrows will no more grow and when thorns will no longer infest the ground. The day is coming when all will be made right, and until that day comes, we can sing because Christ’s birth has brought joy to the grieving world.

Ashlee is the Editorial Coordinator for Hope Mommies and author of their I AM, Identity, and Sojourn Bible studies. She and her husband, Jesse, live in Milwaukee with their children—five on earth and two in heaven.

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