Joy to the World | The Meaning Behind Christmas Hymns

08/12/2025 43 min

Listen "Joy to the World | The Meaning Behind Christmas Hymns"

Episode Synopsis

Title: Joy to the World---00:00 - Christmas is the Announcement of a King01:02 - Our Plan for the Coming Weeks03:18 - Psalm 98, the Inspiration to Joy to the World03:51 - Reading Psalm 9805:03 - A Call to Worship06:56 - God's History of Protecting His People07:57 - Roaring in Praise to God09:43 - This Praise is for God's People and All Creation10:19 - Priase God for His Salvation and Judgment11:19 - How is This Psalm About Jesus?14:49 - Joy to the World, the King Has Come22:50 - Creation Repeats the Sounding Joy26:34 - No More Sin or Curse33:59 - He Rules the World with Truth and Grace35:51 - The Nations Prove the Glories of His Righteousness37:18 - Jesus Coming as a King is Good News40:02 - Singing Joy to the World42:19 - Closing Prayer---Psalm 98A Psalm.Oh sing to the LORD a new song,for he has done marvelous things!His right hand and his holy armhave worked salvation for him.The LORD has made known his salvation;he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations.He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulnessto the house of Israel.All the ends of the earth have seenthe salvation of our God.Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth;break forth into joyous song and sing praises!Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre,with the lyre and the sound of melody!With trumpets and the sound of the hornmake a joyful noise before the King, the LORD!Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;the world and those who dwell in it!Let the rivers clap their hands;let the hills sing for joy togetherbefore the LORD, for he comesto judge the earth.He will judge the world with righteousness,and the peoples with equity. (ESV)---Jed Gillis traces “Joy to the World” back to Psalm 98 to show that Christmas is the joyful announcement that a king has come. He explains that the psalm first calls Israel to sing because God has made his salvation and righteousness visible to the nations and has faithfully protected his people, then widens that call so that all creation joins the chorus, praising God for both salvation and coming judgment. Gillis shows how Isaac Watts read this psalm through the lens of Christ, seeing Jesus’ first coming as the display of God’s salvation and his second coming as the day when God’s righteous judgment and the full removal of the curse will be seen. Walking through the carol, he highlights that welcoming Christ means bowing to his absolute authority in every part of life and trusting that his rule of truth and grace is far better than self rule. The message urges hearers to receive Jesus as king with glad surrender, to see even the pains of a fallen world as reminders that we make poor kings, and to look ahead in hope to the day when the risen King removes sin, sorrow, and thorns as far as the curse is found. ---Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. We are grounded in the Word, celebrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Our community thrives on worship and mutual encouragement, fostering deep connections among members. Committed to our mission, we reach out with compassion and hope, reflecting God's glory throughout our city and beyond.Learn more at berean.church.