Speaker: Pastor Neil Lindwall

Additional Resources: Extra readings and details are available and appear on this page indented like this.

Psalm 98 “speaks of praise to God for His work of salvation in widening circles – first Israel, then all the earth, and finally all creation.” – Enduring Word Commentary, David Guzik

NIV Psalm 98:1-9 /1-3/ Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him. 2 The Lord has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations. 3 He has remembered his love and his faithfulness to Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. /4-6/ 4 Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music; 5 make music to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing, 6 with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn— shout for joy before the Lord, the King. /7-9/ 7 Let the sea resound, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it. 8 Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy; 9 let them sing before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity.  

Salvation = yeshû‛â – properly, salvation; deliverance out of danger – and into the benefits of the rescue, i.e. saved from and to; bring out of and into what is next (as part and parcel of the deliverance). – HELPS Lexicon.

NIV Genesis 37:4 But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peacefully to him.  

NIV Genesis 45:5 And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.

 NIV Luke 23:34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.

Why Joy To The World is More About the Second Coming than the First.  

Joy To The World Speaks of the Whole Earth Receiving Her King.

Joy to the world, the Lord is come; 

Let earth receive her King! 

Let every heart prepare him room 

And heaven and nature sing! 

But That’s Not What Happened…

NIV John 1:11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.

NIV Isaiah 53:3 He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.

NIV Genesis 37:19-20 “Here comes that dreamer!” (baal-alom) they said to each other. 20 “Come now, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him. Then we’ll see what comes of his dreams.”

NIV Genesis 50:20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.

NIV Matthew 26:54&56 But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?” 56 But this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.

NIV John 13:18 “I am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen. But this is to fulfill this passage of Scripture: ‘He who shared my bread has turned against me.’  

Why Joy To The World is More About the Second Coming than the First.  

Joy To The World Speaks of the End of Sins, Sorrows, & the Curse.

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!  

NIV Genesis 37:8 His brothers said to him, “Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us?” And they hated him all the more because of his dream and what he had said.

NIV Genesis 42:1-2 When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why do you just keep looking at each other?” 2 He continued, “I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us, so that we may live and not die.”

NIV John 1:10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 

NIV Matthew 27:54 When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!” 

NIV Luke 24:25-27 He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.  

NIV Genesis 50:24-25 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die. But God will surely come to your aid and take you up out of this land to the land he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” 25 And Joseph made the Israelites swear an oath and said, “God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up from this place.”

Surely Come = pāqad̠ – properly, make a personal visit to issue a "tailor-made" order. This attends to the real need of the person or situation and reflects a first-hand understanding of the matter to prescribe what meets the true need at hand (i.e. that "really fits"). – HELPS Lexicon.

Why Joy To The World is More About the Second Coming than the First.  

Joy To The World Speaks of the Millennial Reign of Christ!

He rules the world with truth and grace 

And makes the nations prove 

The glories of his righteousness 

And wonders of his love! 

NIV Revelation 1:5-7 and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, 6 and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen. 7 “Look, he is coming with the clouds,” and “every eye will see him, even those who pierced him”; and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.” So shall it be! Amen.

NIV Isaiah 2:2-4 In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. 3 Many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. 4 He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.

NIV Zechariah 14:9 & 16 The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord, and his name the only name.  16 Then the survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord Almighty, and to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles. 

During Advent We look Two Ways:

BACK to Christ’s 1st Coming & Incarnation (Christmas), to save us.

FORWARD to Christ’s 2nd Coming, to Judge the Nations & Rule His Kingdom.

NIV Revelation 22:12-13 “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.

Joy To The World!

May It Start Right Here In Us.

• Love & Worship Him for All He Has Done.
• Trust & Praise Him for All He Is Doing.
• Wait Joyfully & Hopefully for His Return.