Joy to the World

As another calendar year draws to a close a chorus of Christmas carols fill the airwaves, city centres, and churches all over Australia.   We hear of “Joy to the World” and this could not be more timely!    We hear of over 130 children slaughtered in a Pakistani school.  A lone gunman in the Sydney Lindt café with twisted religious and political beliefs holds people hostage; Tori Johnson is found dead and Katrina Dawson is fatally wounded.   A 37 year old mother in Cairns kills eight children; seven are her own flesh and blood.   Isaac Watt’s words become our prayer:   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.

We long for joy to the world, for God’s blessings to flow as far as the curse is found.  In my work among the CRC churches in Australia I find this longing resident in the hearts of our ministers, church leaders, and congregations. There are churches struggling with declining memberships.   Other churches are wrestling with how to bring the gospel to an ever increasing secular culture.   Some ministers experience the growing pains and challenges that come with intentional gospel ministry.  This past year two CRC pastors resigned from their churches; another two pastors were released from the ordained ministry.   As churches and as a denomination we struggle with multiplying the number of well-trained leaders for the gospel work to which God has called us.  And so we join the carollers holding on to the hope that in the coming of Christ the blessings of God will flow as far as the curse is found. 

In Luke’s account of the birth of Christ, he records a hymn Jesus’ birth mother said.  This is not a sad song but a song of joy.  Mary truly rejoices.  She is able to rejoice because she trusts that when God makes a promise he will deliver.  When the angel made the announcement to her, Mary answered: “I am the Lord’s servant.  May it be to me as you have said.” (Luke 2:38) She fully trusted that what God has said will happen.

And that is also how we can have overwhelming joy and gladness even when life seems unjust and broken, even when it appears that we are on the losing end of life’s many battles, even when one goes through the valley of the shadow of death – your death or that of a loved one.  You believe that when God makes a promise that he will deliver on that promise.  The deal is as good as done.  It is just a matter of time before all these promises will come true.

Yes, like the people of Israel we long for justice, restoration, victory, and salvation.  Jesus came not only to bring us these heavenly blessings.  He also came to give us great joy. This joy comes to us when we see God fulfil the promises he has made.  We see the hungry fed and the rich sent away empty.  We see the humble lifted up and the proud brought down.  We see marriages restored and relationships healed.  We see sick people become well and God’s mercy extended from one generation to another.  We witness the lost found and our children confess their faith in the Lord Jesus.  We even see household salvation as whole families come to believe in Jesus as Lord and Saviour.  And when we see the fulfilment of these promises – we rejoice.  There is joy among us.

As churches in Australia we have reason to rejoice.   I have heard story after story of people coming to faith through the faithful, persistent gospel witness of God’s ordinary people.  I have seen churches in action, intentionally reaching out to the marginalised in our Aussie neighbourhoods with the gospel of peace, of shalom, and wholeness.   Men trained for the ordained ministry have been called by churches and are taking up their vocation in life as ministers of the gospel.   Healthy churches are growing and ever reaching more people with the good news of Christ.  God’s blessings are flowing far as the curse is found.

But some of God’s promises are still waiting to be fulfilled.  All things are not new.  Our longings are not all filled.  Some things we desire never come about here on earth.  Some promises will not be fulfilled until we trade places and leave this earth and go home to be with Jesus.  But when we believe that what the Lord has said will one day be fully accomplished Jesus still brings joy among us.

We have every reason to rejoice this Christmas.   What Mary believed was accomplished.  “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.  This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” (2:10 - 12) The Saviour reigns!    So let there be joy among us!  Great joy! Joy to the world!