Christmas 2009, how will it be indelibly etched in our minds? The loss of a dear family member or friend, sickness, unemployment, families apart due to the war and other factors, economic difficulties, etc., sometimes cloud our holidays.

In spite of these and other concerns, we are called to rejoice at the good news of great joy - Joy to the World - Jesus the Lord has come! That is the news we share as we face these difficulties. The Lord has come. Jesus is here with us in the midst of the challenges of life. Jesus Himself said, "In this world you will have tribulation, but I have overcome the World."

John described Jesus' birth as light, coming into a world of darkness. Problems in the world also existed at the time of Jesus' birth. Psalm 98 is the source of most of the text from which Isaac Watt penned the beloved Christmas carol, Joy to the World."

From this Psalm I want to suggest three reasons the Lord has come:

The Lord has come:

I. To Reveal Righteousness

This Psalm is generally described as a Messianic Psalm - a prophecy of the kingdom of the Messiah - a prophesy whose fulfillment was so certain to reveal righteousness that it was written in past tense many years before Jesus Christ came to earth.

Jesus came as the holy, sinless, righteous Son of God to demonstrate real righteousness with which the supposed righteousness of the religious leaders of the day was compared to filthy rags. Jesus' life gave the people of the world a new standard. For this reason the Psalmist calls on the people to sing a new song for the wonderful things God has done.

Even though Christ has come, we live in a sin-darkened world. Moral standards in society plummet and sometimes Christians allow their standards to be shaped by those around them. Jesus came to reveal righteousness and we should determine with the Holy Spirit's help to reveal His righteousness.

II. To Reveal Salvation

As you have often heard with the Christmas story, Jesus was born to be our Savior, to save His people from their sins. He, who never sinned, became our sin substitute, to reveal salvation and to make it available for us. This is a wonderful thing. This is part of the victory Jesus gained. In so doing He showed us mercy, His loving kindness, His faithfulness.

In sending Jesus Christ, God overcame many difficulties to make our redemption possible. Jesus defeated sin, Satan, and death - not by waving a magic wand, but by suffering for us, by taking our place.

When Joseph was told that Mary was going to give birth to the Son of God, he was also told that he was to name the child Jesus, because Jesus was going to be born to save people from their sins. That is, Jesus was to reveal salvation. The very name of Jesus means salvation.

III. To Rule the World

When we realize that the Lord has come to reveal righteousness and to reveal salvation - we also see that He came to rule the world. However, Jesus does not force His rule upon us. As Isaac Watt words it in the carol, "He rules the world with truth and grace, and makes the nations prove the glories of His righteousness.

Of course, one day, the Lord will come again to judge the earth, the world, and the peoples with justice and equity. At this second coming Jesus will certainly rule the world. He will be the judge. Those who have received Jesus as their personal Savior shall reign with Him. Along with that, those who have not received Jesus as their Savior will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Our submitting to the Lordship of Jesus Christ is Voluntary. It is not forced upon us. Jesus loves us and wants us to receive Him as our king - preparing room in our heart for Him. Receiving Jesus does not take away our problems - does not keep us from losing a loved one - does not assure us good health - does not keep nations from war. BUT THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT JESUS RULES THE WORLD AND HE HAS COME TO BE WITH US IN THE MIDST OF WHATEVER DIFFICULTIES WE MAY FACE - WHEN WE KEEP OUR HEARTS OPEN TO HIM.

Conclusion

The result my friends is JOY, real joy, not superficial denying or ignoring the dilemmas we face, but deep inner joy. This inner joy comes to us by believing, knowing, and trusting that the Lord has come.

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