This Is The Day to Rejoice

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June 22nd, 2012

Deliverance demands demonstration. In Psalm 118, a king leads Israel in jubilant praise for victory. Though they were surrounded by enemies like a swarm of bees, the Lord brought victory; now, “shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous” (v. 15a).

It is no wonder that the words of this Psalm came to mind when the crowd welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem on that first Palm Sunday (John 12:13). Israel was once again faced with overwhelming force: the Roman legions. The corrupt descendants of Herod, not David, sat on the throne. Here was Jesus. His day was approaching; he knew it would not end with coronation but a cross. Jesus told Philip and his Greek friends, “Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour” (John 12:27).

“This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it” (v. 24), whether it is a day of triumphant rejoicing or obedient sacrifice, it is still God’s day and “his love endures forever” (v. 29).

Tags: Jesus