Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring was composed about 1723 and comes from the chorale tune of Cantata No. 147 (Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben -- Heart and Mouth and Deed and Life), first performed in Leipzig on July 2, 1723, for the Feast of the Visitation. The Cantata is in two parts, each part ending with the same chorale tune but to different texts. The praise of Christ is the main theme of the Cantata, so the words "Jesu, joy of man's desiring" reflect this sentiment even if they do not actually appear in the cantata text.
-- Kendall Briggs