Exegeting the Hymns #20 - Joy Has Dawned

Joy Has Dawned
w/m Keith Getty, Stuart Townend

As we enter the Christmas season, we will look at some new and old songs that we will sing this month. The first is a newer song to us, even though it was written 13 years ago by the some of the best new hymn writers of the last century, Keith Getty and Stuart Townend. Everything you would expect from the duo that gave us “In Christ Alone” is here in this carol.

Joy has dawned upon the world
Promised from creation
God’s salvation now unfurled
Hope for every nation
Not with fanfares from above
Not with scenes of glory
But a humble gift of love
Jesus born of Mary

Sounds of wonder fill the sky
With the songs of angels
As the mighty Prince of Life
Shelters in a stable
Hands that set each star in place
Shaped the earth in darkness
Cling now to a mother’s breast
Vulnerable and helpless

Shepherds bow before the Lamb
Gazing at the glory
Gifts of men from distant lands
Prophesy the story
Gold - a King is born today
Incense - God is with us
Myrrh - His death will make a way
And by His blood He’ll win us

Son of Adam, Son of heaven
Given as a ransom
Reconciling God and man
Christ, our mighty champion!
What a Savior! What a Friend!
What a glorious mystery!
Once a babe in Bethlehem
Now the Lord of history.

Joy has dawned upon the world, promised from creation. Although Jesus Christ in human form was not revealed before 2000 years ago, He was the Lamb slain from before the foundation of the world, promised to “Crush the serpent’s head” in the very opening chapters of the Bible. God’s salvation now unfurled, hope for every nation. Under the old covenant, God’s people looked forward to the coming Messiah, but now the person and work of Jesus Christ has been fully revealed. Even as gentiles, we receive the blessing promised to Abraham (all the nations of the earth shall be blessed). Not with fanfares from above, not with scenes of glory, but a humble gift of love - Jesus born of Mary. In one of the most unimpressive entrances into the world’s scene, Jesus, King of kings and Lord of lords, is born like a pauper, without a place to lay his head. God’s ways are truly not our ways.

Sounds of wonder fill the sky with the songs of angels as the mighty Prince of Life shelters in a stable. I love Townend’s use of nouns as verbs in his songwriting. It so often paints a much richer, more vivid picture than more commonly used words. “Shelters” in a stable points to the confounding helplessness of the one who created and sustains the universe. Hands that set each star in place, shaped the earth in darkness cling now to a mother’s breast, vulnerable and helpless.

Shepherds bow before the Lamb gazing at the glory. Jesus came to seek and save that which is lost. His earthly ministry was not spent fraternizing with the rich and famous, but with those who had nothing and were willing to forsake all to follow Him.  

Next, Getty and Townend give us a theology lesson on the life of Christ through the lens of the gifts of the Magi. Gifts of men from distant lands prophesy the story. Gold - a King is born today, Incense - God is with us, Myrrh - His death will make a way and by His blood He’ll win us. Gold represents Christ’s Kingship. The Magi were the King-makers of the day. John MacArthur explains it this way, “We find that He is given worship from a group of men whose unique responsibility in their culture was to identify kings. They were Middle Eastern king makers, the magi.” Frankincense shows the holiness and righteousness of Christ. Gotquestions.org says “The gift of frankincense to the Christ child was symbolic of His willingness to become a sacrifice, wholly giving Himself up, analogous to a burnt offering.” Myrrh symbolizes the bitterness, suffering, and affliction that this baby would endure on our behalf to save His people from their sins.

Son of Adam, Son of heaven given as a ransom, reconciling God and man, Christ, our mighty champion! Jesus, both 100% God and 100% man, was the only one who could reconcile us to the Father. He could bear an infinite number of our sins because He is an infinite being. What a Savior! What a Friend! What a glorious mystery! Once a babe in Bethlehem, now the Lord of history. If one thing is clear, it is that all of history points to the life and work of Christ during the 33 years He spent on this planet as a man. Everything before, pointed to His coming, and everything since looks back at His finished work on the cross. Joy, true joy, dawned on the world that day in Bethlehem.

---