I really love Christmas songs although, I must admit, I am not a big fan of the Christmas hype. Maybe it’s because I was not raised in a Christian family and didn’t have any traditions, or maybe it’s because I live in a place where a lot of traditions lead to division and tensions and really do not have anything to do with God.

But this song, “Joy to the World,” fills my heart with joy and awe at the greatness of our God. As you may know, Isaac Watts wrote this song as a paraphrase of Psalm 98, a glorious psalm which invites us to join the whole creation in celebration of the Lord. The psalm gives us three reason to praise the Lord.

He is our Saviour who performed miraculous deeds in saving us (Psalm 98:1–3).
He has done marvellous things in Israel’s history and displayed His glory to all nations. He supernaturally invaded the laws of nature and made a virgin pregnant. He, the Word, became one of us and dwelt among us. He won the victory for us on the cross and saved us, delivering us from darkness to light and giving us new life. And that salvation is for everyone who is ready to receive Him.

He is the king who rules the universe (Psalm 98:4–6).
There are many leaders in this world who rule out of their own interests, manipulate and create tension, but Jesus is a different kind of king. We know that God is sovereign and that He is the one who gives and takes away authority. He can use (and does use) everything—every war, disaster, mistake, poor decision, failure—all for His glory and our good. And He rules with truth and grace. He reveals the truth to set us free because He is the Truth. And He extends His grace to us, forgiving our sin and sending His Spirit to help us live in the truth. He invites us to approach boldly to His throne of grace to find help in our time of need (Hebrews 4:16). Actually, He goes so far as to make us His ambassadors so that through us everyone is invited to taste and see the riches of His glory. We are the proof to people around us to see how great—and gracious—our God is.

He is the judge who will make things right (Psalm 98:7–9).
Jesus is coming again! This time not as a small vulnerable baby but as a mighty warrior and a righteous judge who will judge the world with equity. In this world of injustice and corruption, it is a tremendous hope that we have a righteous  judge who sees all and who will defend our case and make things right. He will make an end to all evil, and all nations will see and marvel at His glory. We are coming to the end of a year marked by suffering—wars, refugees, racial issues, political tensions, economic distress, natural disasters, corruption and other challenges many of us even now experience. In my country, we live in a constant tension between ethnic groups, and corruption has crept in at every level of society. People are tired of injustice and lies from their leaders. Are you discouraged by the tension and injustice in the world?

Let me encourage you today to rejoice and praise Him while looking to the past at the marvellous things God has already done in history and also in our personal lives. Also, let us rejoice while looking at the present. He reigns today. In the midst of whatever is going on, He is still in control, and His grace is available to us. And let us not forget to rejoice while looking towards the future, for He is coming again. Then, every knee will bow and every tongue acknowledge Jesus is the King (Philippians 2:10–11). Some will do it in fear and reluctantly, but we will leap with joy, shouting and singing the “wonders of His love, wonders of His love!”

Merry Christmas to all.