Joy to the World | Advent Hymn of the Week

Have you ever wondered why we light a pink candle the third week of Advent? The blue and violet of Advent represent waiting, preparation, and penitence. But this week we change colors. This week we focus on the anticipated joy, the joy we know is coming!

When the shepherds first heard the news of Jesus’ birth, they dropped everything to go see him. And then they were so joy-filled at his coming that they ran to tell everyone they knew the exciting news!

Do we have that kind of joy? The unstoppable need to rejoice and tell everyone we know? Think of some ways your family might celebrate joy this week!

Lyrics

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.

Scripture: Psalm 98
Text: Isaac Watts (1719)
Music: ANTIOCH, Psalmodia Britannica, vol. 4 (ca. 1831), alt. Lowell Mason (1836)
Meter: 8.6.8.6 with repeats
Copyright: Public Domain

"Joy to the world" is written over an illustration of a host of angels in the starry sky, with shepherd below looking up at them in wonder.


This hymn is featured in our Advent Card Worship Guides!

Videos

Reawaken hymns lyric video


Phil Wickham/The Chosen video

This is a great uplifting medley of “Joy to the World” with “Joyful, Joyful!”


additional resources

Hymnary

Hymnary has lots of helpful information on hymns, including scans of hymnal pages, and text comparisons.

Hymnology Archive

The Hymnology Archive has in-depth research on hymn texts, tunes, and authors.

Reawaken Hymns

Reawaken Hymns has great resources (chord charts, lyric sheets, multitracks, etc.) for churches and families who want to play and sing these hymns.

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Word & Wonder
Word & Wonder

Word & Wonder exists to help families grow in the truth of God's word and the wonder of his love.

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