Watts initially published “Joy to the World” in 1719 as a paraphrase of Psalm 98, entitled “The Messiah’s Coming and Kingdom.” The term paraphrase doesn’t do justice to this hymn. It would be more accurate to call it a Christological interpretation – a brief sermon explaining how the psalmist foretold the person and work of our Savior and King, Jesus Christ.

In the first chapter of John’s Gospel, he writes that “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (v. 14). We stand in awe when we read this (or we ought to), because we are told that the eternal Son of God took on human flesh, and chose to live in the midst of his people.