This year, our Advent theme will be “Far as the Curse is Found.”

Many are surprised to discover that “Joy to the World” was actually written in reference to the future return of Christ—not His birth. Though it is typically sung at Christmas time, this famous hymn was written by Isaac Watts as a poetic translation of Psalm 98—which ends by referring to God’s final judgment at the end of time. But this song and its lyrics are fitting to sing during Advent, because the Advent season is intended to grow us in our anticipation of Christ’s return!

One of of Watts’ famous lines from the song is:

He comes to make His blessings known
far as the curse is found.

As we continue our journey through Genesis, we’ll arrive at the end of the third chapter, where God pronounces a curse upon the serpent, the human race, and the entire world. These texts will help point us to the first coming of the “serpent crusher” there in Bethlehem and to His eventual return in glory—both of which are part of salvation history where our gracious God reverses the curse.

We’ve provided a few simple resources which could help you engage with the Lord this Christmas season. Use the buttons below to check them out.