Activities for the Passion Week
Psalm 118
1. Give thanks to the LORD (verses 1-4)
2. Give testimony of the LORD (verses 5-21)
3. Seek salvation in the LORD (verses 22-29)
This morning, we are going to deviate from our regular exposition of Matthew 10. We are going to look at Psalm 118 this morning. My reason for doing so is quite simple. This morning is known across the world as "Palm Sunday." It is the Sunday before Easter, when the church throughout the world remembers the triumphal entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem. Throughout this week, the church will remember and reflect upon the last week of Jesus’ life on earth. At the beginning of the week, Jesus entered Jerusalem as a King. By the end of the week, the people rejected Him and had Him crucified. But God was faithful to raise Him from the dead and seat Him at the right hand of God, the Father, almighty. Of any Psalm, this Psalm captures much of Jesus in the Passion Week. It speaks of the triumphal entry, when the people were crying out, saying, "Hosanna to the Son of David; Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD! Hosanna in the highest!" (Matt. 21:9). It speaks of Jesus’ death and resurrection and exaltation. Verse 22 says, "The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief corner stone." This verse is quoted six times in the New Testament to refer to Jesus (Matt. 21:42; Mark 12:10; Luke 20:17; Acts 4:11; Eph. 2:20; 1 Pet. 2:7).
Christians ought to love this Psalm, especially during our remembrance of the Passion Week. We ought to reflect upon the rejected stone. Our response ought to be one of thanks and praise, "You are my God, and I give thanks to You; You are my God, I extol You" (verse 28). Yet, I will guarantee you that this Psalm will be read by more Jews than Christians this week. Psalm 118 is the last in a collection of Psalms which begin with Psalm 113. These Psalms (113-118) form a collection of Psalms called "The Egyptian Hallel," which the Jews use to commemorate and celebrate their historic deliverance from the bondage of slavery in Egypt. The common tradition (of Jesus’ day, as well as our own day) is for Jews to sing (or recite) Psalm 113 and Psalm 114 before they begin the Passover meal. When the Passover meal ends, they sing (or recite) the remaining four Psalms (115-118). When Jesus and His disciples finished the Passover, we are told that they sang a hymn and then went out to the Mount of Olives (Mark 14:26). In all likelihood, the hymn that they sang was Psalm 118. Many Jews today will still finish their Passover celebrations by reading or singing Psalm 118. This Saturday evening, we will be hosting a Seder meal at our house. At the end of the meal, we will read Psalm 118 as well. It is a Psalm that we ought to know and love.
Psalm 118 is a Psalm that is worthy of our attention this morning. It is very appropriate as we think about the passion week this year. This Psalm gives us three activities for the passion week. Let's look at the first one...
1. Give thanks to the LORD (verses 1-4)
This Psalm is all about giving thanks and praise and honor to the LORD. Look at how the Psalm begins, "Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting." (Psalm 118:1). Look at how the Psalm ends, "Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting." (Psalm 118:29) Peppered throughout the Psalm, you will find several other references to giving thanks. For example, listen to verses 19, 21, and 28, "Open to me the gates of righteousness; I shall enter through them, I shall give thanks to the LORD. ... I shall give thanks to You; for You have answered me. ... You are my God, and I give thanks to You; You are my God, I extol You." (Psalm 118:28)
The Psalm begins with praise. The Psalm ends with praise. The Psalm is filled with praise. In fact, you are invited to join the psalmist in praising God together with Him. In verse 1, you all are invited to "give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; for His lovingkindness is everlasting." In verse 2, the Psalmist invites the house of Israel to give testimony of the lovingkindness of the LORD. In verse 3, the Psalmist invites the house of Aaron to give testimony of the lovingkindness of the LORD. In verse 4, the Psalmist invites "those who fear the LORD" to give testimony of the lovingkindness of the LORD. Have you ever been to a concert, when the orchestra is playing. First, it begins softly, with a simple melody played on a single flute. Then, the strings join in by playing the same simple melody. Then, the woodwinds join in and the same melody is repeated. Then finally, the brass joins in with the same, simple melody. The building and building and building of the sound to a crescendo, in mezzo forte, simply emphasizes the melody that is played. This is similar to what we have here. We begin in verse two with Israel. In verse three, the house of Aaron joins in. Finally, it is those who fear the LORD who join into this chorus of praise. The melody is simple: "His lovingkindness is everlasting." This melody is repeated four times. It can be translated as "His mercy endures forever" (KJV, NKJV); "His love endures forever" (NIV); "His steadfast love endures forever" (RSV). The sense is all the same. God’s merciful, faithful, steadfast love continues forever.
This is a familiar chorus throughout the Psalms.
Psalm 110:5, "The LORD is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting, and His faithfulness to all generations."
Psalm 106:1, "Praise the LORD! Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting."
Psalm 136:1-26 - This phrase is repeated in every verse ...Ps. 136:1 - Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
Ps. 136:2 - Give thanks to the God of gods, For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
Ps. 136:3 - Give thanks to the Lord of lords, For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
Ps. 136:4 - To Him who alone does great wonders, For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
Ps. 136:5 - To Him who made the heavens with skill, For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
Ps. 136:6 - To Him who spread out the earth above the waters, For His lovingkindness is everlasting....
This melody describes the enduring faithfulness of God. It speaks first of...
a) God's Character - Lovingkindness
When the Psalmist speaks of the "lovingkindness" of the LORD, he is not describing God in His essence. The Psalmist is not describing God’s omnipotence, omniscience, omnipresence, holiness, or purity. The Hebrew word here for "lovingkindness" is hesed. This word speaks of how God interacts with His people. God is merciful and loving and kind to His people. He is faithful to His promises. He extends His mercy and His love. He forgives more than 70 times 7 times (Matt. 18:22). He is a Father to the fatherless (Ps. 146:9). He saves sinners (1 Tim. 1:15). He shepherds His sheep (1 Pet. 5:4). He is compassionate toward those who fear Him (Ps. 103:12). And perhaps the most important aspect of God's faithful character is that He remembers His covenant (Exodus 2:24).
This is the story of the Bible. It is a story of a faithful God to an undeserving people. When we read the Old Testament, we find Israel turning from the LORD and serving other gods. We find the people of Israel forsaking God’s commandments to them and walking in sinful ways. We find the Israelites forgetting what the LORD has done for them and complaining against Him. This is not an isolated incident, but a behavior pattern that is repeated time and time again. As our family has been reading through the Bible this year together, we have seen this situation with Israel become very apparent. Yet, despite Israel's unfaithfulness, God has been faithful. He has demonstrated His lovingkindness in that He never gave up on His people, but provided for them a deliverer, the Lord Jesus Christ.
As He walked the earth, Jesus demonstrated God’s lovingkindness. His lovingkindness was demonstrated by His compassion to those needing mercy (Matt. 9:13). It was also shown by His willing sacrifice upon the cross. John tells us, "Greater love has no man than this, that one lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13). Jesus demonstrated his compassion by doing exactly that. He also demonstrated compassion by His gracious act of kindness to Thomas, who had doubted His resurrection. Jesus told Him, "Reach here your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand, and put it into My side; and be not unbelieving, but believing" (John 20:27). Jesus' compassion was shown in His intentional re-instatement of Peter. Remember how Peter denied the Lord three times in the night of Jesus’ trial? Yet, later, Jesus would come to Peter and compassionately affirm Him in the task of leading the church. Jesus said, "Tend My lambs, ... Shepherd My sheep, ... Tend My Sheep" (John 21:15-17).
The melody that we see repeatedly in this Psalm speaks of God’s
character. It also speaks of...
b) God’s Continuance - Forever
God’s lovingkindness continues on forever. It is not for a moment. It is not for an hour. It is not for a week. It is not for a month. It is not for a year. It is not for a generation. It is not for a century. It is not for 15,000 years. It is not for two billion years. God’s lovingkindness continues on forever. This is not like His patience, which will come to an end someday when He pours out His wrath upon an unbelieving world (2 Pet. 3:9). His lovingkindness will endure in this age and in the age to come for a million billion trillion years. And even then, His lovingkindness has just begun. Does this stir your heart to praise the LORD? It is not just that God does good. God IS good! You can trust Him. You certainly should praise Him! The more you see of the great goodness of the LORD, your heart will be filled with a great desire to join the Psalmist in praising the LORD! This is what the Passion Week is about: God demonstrating His love.
Let us move on to the second activity for the Passion Week that I want to look at this morning. It is...
2. Give testimony of the LORD (verses 5-21)
Beginning in verse 5, the psalmist gives a testimony of God’s lovingkindness to save him. It continues on through verse 21. These verses are immensely personal. I counted more than 27 personal pronouns in these verses (i.e. "I", "me", "my", ...). Here are a few examples ...
"I called upon the LORD; The LORD answered me." (Psalm 118:5)
"The LORD is for me; I will not fear." (v. 6)
"The LORD is for me." (v. 7)
"The nations surrounded me; In the name of the LORD I will surely cut them off" (v.10)
"They surrounded me, yes, they surrounded me." (v.11)
"They surrounded me like bees." (v.12)
"You pushed me violently so that I was falling." (v.13)
"I shall not die, but live." (v.17)
"The LORD has disciplined me." (v.18)
"I shall enter through them, I shall give thanks to the LORD." (v.19)
Yet, this section is not about the psalmist himself. It is all about how God saved the psalmist. It is a testimony of one man who experienced God’s deliverance. You can see this in verse 14, "The LORD is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation." You can see this in verse 21, "I shall give thanks to You, for You have answered me; and You have become my salvation."
In verse 5, we get an overview of the danger out of which God delivered the Psalmist, "From my distress I called upon the LORD; and the LORD answered me and set me in a large place." There is a contrast here. The word "distress" is talking about a situation that is tight, squeezed, and constrained. Distress means pressure. In this situation, the psalmist cried to God for help. It is practically the only thing that could be done. And the LORDdelivered the psalmist, making him at ease in a broad place. In contrast to distress, safety is demonstrated here by being out in the open with no pressure. Perhaps you have been there. Maybe you have faced some difficult pressures in your life. Maybe you are feeling constrained and trapped in your situation, seeing the evil of your own sin, and receiving persecution from the hands of others. And you have cried out to Jesus, who alone can help you. He has forgiven the guilt of your sin. He has given you a perspective of the pressures surrounding you. You have received a sense of relief from the burdens you bear. He has caused your enemies to scatter. He has strengthened you in your weakness.
This is the testimony of the psalmist. Verse 5 is an outline of this entire testimony. It is all about the dangers he was in and how God delivered him from them.
The dangers
We read of the dangers beginning in verse 10 with a picture of his distress. It says, "All nations surrounded me." In verse 11, it gets worse, "They surrounded me, yes, they surrounded me;" In verse 12, it gets even worse, "They surrounded me like bees;" (This description has led many to believe that David wrote this Psalm, because an attack on the city is an attack on the king). The nations surrounded the psalmist. This is similar to how in the recent war, coalition forces have surrounded Baghdad and Saddam Hussein.
In verse 13, the danger even comes to the point of pushing him down, "You pushed me violently so that I was falling." We do not know who was pushing him. Perhaps it was one of those who hated him (as mentioned in verse 7). Perhaps it was one of those surrounding him (in verses 10-12). Perhaps it was the LORD, who was disciplining him. For, we are told in verse 18 that "The LORD has disciplined me severely." The psalmist was in great distress. There was pressure. There was danger. People were hating him (verse 7). Nations were surrounding him (verses 10-12). The LORD was disciplining him (verse 18). Yet, there was deliverance.
The deliverance
The constrained pressure upon the psalmist was relieved when he was set in a large place (verse 5). The fire of thorns was extinguished (verse 12). The LORDhelped him (verse 13). The LORD protected him from death (verse 18). In verse 17, we read, "I shall not die, but live, and tell of the works of the LORD." I do not know how the psalmist knew this. Perhaps God revealed it to him directly, after all, God did inspire him to write this Psalm. If this were David, perhaps he was reflecting upon one of the many promises that were given to him (for example, 2 Samuel 7). Probably the best way to understand this is that the Psalmist spoke these words after his great deliverance. He said, "I have been delivered! It looked like I was going to die. It looked like I was about to breathe my last, as the nations surrounded me! But, God rescued me! I am not going to die at the hand of these scoundrels who were seeking my life! I am going to live!"
I love the psalmist's resolve, "[I am going to] live, and tell of the works of the LORD!" This psalm is a testimony to the promise in verse 17 where the psalmist is telling us of the great deliverance in God that he experienced. This is our job as Christians. We are called to tell the world of what a great deliverance God has done for us. In the case of the psalmist here, it was all about being rescued from dangerous and difficult circumstances. His life had been spared through the miraculous deliverance of God. When it looked like life was bleak, God was still faithful to deliver him. He used Psalm 118 as an opportunity to teach the world of God’s lovingkindness. Throughout this psalm, there are several phrases that he repeats two or three times. These are things that he learned that we ought to learn as well.
Lesson #1: The LORD is for me (verses 6-7)
"The LORD is for me; I will not fear; what can man do to me? The LORD is for me among those who help me; Therefore I shall look with satisfaction on those who hate me." (Psalm 118:6, 7)
If God is on your side, you have no need to fear anything. In a few weeks, we will get back to Matthew 10 and expand upon the words of Jesus, "Do not fear those who kill the body, but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell" (Matt. 10:28). Man cannot do anything to you apart from the divine permission to do so. Satan had to ask God permission to afflict Job (Job 1-2). Even then, God limited what Satan could do. When Peter describes believers in Christ as "protected by the power of God through faith," it means that God’s hand is around them protecting them. No harm can come upon them, until the salvation is "revealed in the last time" (1 Peter 1:5).
Lesson #2: Refuge in the LORD is my best hope (verses 8-9).
"It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes." (Psalm 118:8,9)
A few weeks ago, we looked at Psalm 46, which had this same idea as its central message: Do not take refuge in military might, but trust in the LORD. Psalm 46 says, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. ... The nations made an uproar, the kingdoms tottered; He raised His voice, the earth melted. The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our stronghold" (Ps. 46:1, 6-7). I do not care how powerful the man is. I do not care how mighty the prince is. Kings and kingdoms come and go. It has been said that the LORD buries every king. Your best hope lies in the LORD, who can turn the hearts of men "like channels of water" (Prov. 21:1).
Lesson #3: His strength is my strength (verses 10-12).
"All nations surrounded me; In the name of the LORD I will surely cut them off. They surrounded me, yes, they surrounded me; In the name of the LORD I will surely cut them off. They surrounded me like bees; They were extinguished as a fire of thorns; In the name of the LORD I will surely cut them off." (Psalm 118:10-12)
At first inspection, the psalmist may appear to be saying that he, himself, would be cutting off his enemies, who were surrounding him. But do not miss the key words here: "In the name of the LORD." These six words imply that it is in God’s strength that we will do these mighty things. This is the point the psalmist made in verse 14, "The LORD is my strength and song." God told Paul, "power is perfected in weakness" (2 Cor. 12:9). Paul understood, "when I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Cor. 12:10). This only makes sense if God’s strength works through you. It is only in the name of the LORD that we will be strong to endure the difficulties that come our way.
Lesson #4: The LORD is mighty in power (verses 15-16).
"The sound of joyful shouting and salvation is in the tents of the righteous; The right hand of the LORD does valiantly. The right hand of the LORD is exalted; The right hand of the LORD does valiantly." (Psalm 118:15-16)
Perhaps you saw the statue of Saddam Hussein come down this week. In that statue, his right hand was held up high as an expression of his might and power. I heard it reported that this giant stature was four stories tall! For all of the power and might that Saddam Hussein had, he has it no more. The power of Saddam Hussein is but a dim reflection upon the power of God. God’s power is righteous and pure. God’s power will never be toppled. God’s power is limitless. Perhaps Psalm 115:3 sums it up, "Our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases." And so, the psalmist says, "I shall not die, but live, and tell of the works of the LORD." The psalmist was in great danger and God delivered him. So, he told the world about it. And these are the lessons that he teaches: The LORD is for me (verses 6-7); Refuge in the LORD is my best hope (verses 8-9); My strength is His strength (verses 10-12); The LORD is mighty in power (verses 15-16).
Has God rescued you from danger? Have you told the world about it? If you are in an accident of some type and God protects you in some way, tell others about it and give glory to God, who is for you. If you have experienced financial difficulties, but have seen the LORDdeliver you through them, tell others about it and give glory to God, who is your only hope. If you face pressures and difficulties in the workplace, and God so works to remove some of your enemies, tell others about it and give glory to God, who is your strength in weakness. If you have experienced sickness, but the LORD has brought you through it healthy, tell others about it and give glory to God, who is mighty in power.
The Pearsons have done an excellent job of this. Last Tuesday evening, they gave a testimony of God’s goodness and grace to them through the battle with cancer that they have faced. God has been gracious to the Pearson family. They are all about telling their story. In fact, I heard that they did such an excellent job that I have asked them to write an article for our next newsletter issue of Food for the Flock. It is an opportunity for them to write their own "Psalm 118." You will see that issue in the newsletter coming out in a few weeks. Be sure to read it. It will encourage your soul. I am looking forward to you all being edified by their testimony of salvation from cancer.
Maybe you have not been delivered from some great illness or some terrible accident or some great financial crisis or some great family crisis. But, have you been delivered from your sins? Do you know of the forgiveness of sins that is found in Jesus Christ? Were the truth known, your peril as a sinner facing God’s wrath is a much greater danger than a difficulty at work, or an illness you face or even an army arising to kill you. A rebellious sinner is facing the lake of fire, unless he repents and pleads for mercy at the foot of the cross. I do believe that Jonathan Edwards’ description is not far from the truth, "The God that holds you over the pit of hell, much as one holds a spider, or some loathsome insect over the fire, abhors you, and is dreadfully provoked: his wrath towards you burns like fire; he looks upon you as worthy of nothing else, but to be cast into the fire; he is of purer eyes than to bear to have you in his sight; you are ten thousand times more abominable in his eyes, than the most hateful venomous serpent is in ours. You have offended him infinitely more than ever a stubborn rebel did his prince; and yet it is nothing but his hand that holds you from falling into the fire every moment" (Jonathan Edwards, Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God).
Jude describes Christians as those "snatched out of the fire" (Jude 23). Paul said that Christians were "children of wrath" (Eph. 2:3), who were made "vessels of mercy" (Rom. 9:23). The glorious message of the gospel is that by His grace, through faith, God delights to save His enemies (Rom. 5:10). If you know of that deliverance, you should be telling others about it. Perhaps you are telling your neighbor, or your co-worker. Maybe you are telling your family members.
Perhaps you can write your own Psalm 118. You might be aware of what Tony and Julianna Ladas from Kishwaukee Bible Church have just experienced. Julianna was about 23 weeks along in a pregnancy when they discovered through an ultrasound that the baby's heart had a major problem. The left side of the heart had stopped developing. While in the womb, Julianna was able to supply the blood to the baby, but once the baby whom they named Maleah was born, the baby would die. Over the past several weeks, they have been to many doctors, trying to figure out what to do. In the process, Tony has been on the phone much while at work. So he wrote up a testimony of his difficulties and the faithfulness of God through this time. This testimony was published in its entirety in his company's newsletter. This was a Psalm 118 testimony. To make a long story short, they went to Boston for a highly experimental in-utero surgery. Last Tuesday, they had the surgery, and the baby died. I am sure that Tony and Julianna will have many opportunities to give testimony of their salvation in Christ. Perhaps Tony will have another opportunity to write another testimony for his company's newsletter in the future.
If you can write your own Psalm 118, perhaps you can take what you write and make it into a Christmas card to send to all of your friends and relatives this December. The psalmist said, "He has become my salvation" (verse 14). The psalmist said, "You have become my salvation" (verse 21). Knowing of his deliverance, the Psalmist gives his resolve in verse 19-21. He says,
"Open to me the gates of righteousness; I shall enter through them." (Psalm 118:19)
I believe that he is simply saying, "Show me the righteous way, and I will go that way." This is the way that the righteous go: "This is the gate of the LORD: The righteous will enter through it" (verse 20). This means that when it comes to my life, I am going to pursue what is right! Doing what is right is the way that you take refuge in the LORD (verses 8-9).
The psalmist says, "I am going to walk in righteousness." The psalmist also says, "I shall worship the LORD and give Him all the glory." Verse 19 says, "I shall give thanks to the LORD." Verse 21 says, "I shall give thanks to You, for You have answered me." A philanthropist, who does many good, right, proper and helpful things in this world is getting only half of the picture. He has failed to give honor where honor is due. The moral agnostic, who may be a relatively good man, has missed half of his duty of righteousness. He has failed to give thanks to God. Genuine righteousness will manifest itself in the assembly of the saints in worship of God. The good deeds that people do that are void of God are false piety. God is not pleased.
Yesterday, several of us passed out brochures giving information about our church. Whenever I do such an activity, I am always encouraged in my boldness to speak with others about Christ. Well, after we finished, I went to a playground with my children and met a man there who was watching his grandchildren play. We got to talking a little bit. I turned the conversation to speak about church. He found out that I was a pastor, and he began to clean up his language. I gave him a bit of my testimony. He told me that he has a home church, but has not been there in years. He said, "I still believe, though." Though he thinks himself to be a pretty good guy, by his failure to worship the LORD with all the saints, he has missed it. The righteous path of the redeemed includes "giving thanks to the LORD."
We have discussed two activities for the Passion Week. Let us now look at the third one,
3. Seek salvation in the LORD (verses 22-29)
a) A Rejected Stone (verse 22)
Verse 22 simply says, "The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief corner stone." I remember working one summer as a carpenter. We were building apartment buildings. The truck came from the lumber-yard and dumped this huge pallet of 2x4 studs in the front lawn. As the rookie on the job, it was my job to take the 2x4’s and look down them and see how straight they were. Some were straight as an arrow. We kept these. Some were bowed or a little crooked. If they were too crooked, we rejected them and sent them back for a refund. Whenever I purchase lumber today, I always take the straightest of the lot that Lowe’s has to offer.
In the time of the Psalmist, buildings were often built with stones. They would take a stone and start chipping away at it, forming it into the exact shape that they wanted. When finished, it would lay it on top of another stone. These builders were good! Today, if you go and visit the temple mount in Jerusalem, you will find there massive stones (4 feet by 3 feet by 10 feet, and one is 25 feet long). They were chiseled so straight that they needed no mortar on the temple. Each of these massive stones sits right on top of each other, with no cracks or crevices. It is incredible! This is why one of Jesus’ disciples pointed out the wonderful architecture of the temple, saying, "Teacher, behold what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!" (Mark 13:1).
If they had a stone which had some type of defect in it, they would reject it, like we reject crooked 2x4’s today. The builders knew what they were doing. The wrong stone placed at the base of a building would compromise the entire structure when it was forced to bear the weight of the entire load of the building. The psalmist is here describing a stone, which was examined by the builders, who contemplated using it in building of some type of structure. Yet, through something that they saw as wrong with the stone, they rejected it. But the psalmist points out that this stone, actually becomes the chief corner stone of another building. How foolish the builders were to reject it! The corner stone is the stone of most importance. There is much discussion as to whether this stone is the top stone of an arch, that bears all of the load, or whether this stone is the stone placed at the foundation of the building that becomes the plumb-line for the rest of the building. I am not sure that this matters. What matters is that this stone, thought to be of no use, actually became the stone of greatest prominence! These builders thought that they knew what they were doing, but they misjudged the value of this stone!
This verse is referring to Jesus Christ. It is talking about how this very Jesus, who was rejected and despised, has actually become the very foundation and prominent portion of God’s kingdom. Paul described the church as "having been built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone" (Eph. 2:20). Peter said that we come to Jesus, "as to a living stone, rejected by men, but choice and precious in the sight of God" (1 Pet. 2:4). Peter also said that "this precious value ... is for you who believe. But for those who disbelieve, ‘The stone which the builders rejected, this became the very corner stone’" (1 Pet. 2:7). Though perfect and spotless and blameless, Jesus was still rejected. They crucified Him upon the cross. Yet, He became "the chief corner stone." God raised Him from the dead and exalted Him "far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in the one to come" (Eph. 1:21).
b) A Sovereign Lord (verse 23a)
The fact that Jesus was going to be rejected did not take God by surprise. He knew that His people would reject Him. "He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him" (John 1:12). "His own" refers to the Jewish people. They rejected him. It goes further than that. Not only did the LORD know that it was going to happen, He actually made sure that it was going to happen by causing it to happen! Look at the first half of verse 23, "This is the LORD’s doing." The NIV translates it as, "The LORD has done this." Literally, this reads, "from the LORD." God made the builders reject Jesus! This is what the Bible teaches.
In Acts 4, there are a couple of verses that explain this most clearly. The early church was praying in light of the persecution that they were experiencing. The thing that gave them great comfort in their praying was the fact that the death of Jesus did not take God by surprise. Rather, God was in control of the entire situation! We read in Acts 4:27-28,
"For truly in this city there were gathered together against Thy holy servant Jesus, whom Thou didst anoint, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever Thy hand and Thy purpose predestined to occur." (Acts 4:27-28)
Who killed Jesus? Judas played his part in betraying Jesus (Luke 22:4). Satan played his part in entering Judas and influencing his actions (Luke 22:3). The Jewish religious leaders played their part in accusing Jesus falsely (Mark 14:56) and in pressing Pilate to have Him be crucified (Luke 23:4-7). Herod played his part in refusing to release an innocent man (Luke 23:8-12). The Jewish crowds played their part in being insistent that Jesus be crucified (Luke 23:23). Pilate played his part in ordering Jesus to be crucified (Luke 23:25). The Roman soldiers played their part in carrying out the crucifixion (Luke 23:44-47). But in a way greater than that of all of these people it was the LORD who killed Jesus as he orchestrated all of the events surrounding the crucifixion of Jesus. All of these people did, "whatever Thy hand and Thy purpose predestined to occur." Isaiah 53:10 says that "the LORD was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief; if He would render Himself as a guilt offering."
By saying that God killed Jesus, we aren't saying that these people are not responsible for putting Jesus to death. Yes, Judas was responsible for his part in betraying Jesus. Yes, Herod was responsible for his part in failing to release Jesus. Yes, Pontius Pilate was responsible for sentencing Jesus to death. Yes, the Gentiles (i.e. the Roman soldiers) were responsible for putting Jesus to death, as they carried out the crucifixion. Yes, the Jews were responsible for putting Jesus to death. After all, they were in the crowd who cried out, "Crucify Him! ... Crucify Him!" (Mark 15:13, 14). Yet, all of it was according to the predestined purpose of God (Acts 4:28). In His sovereignty, God does not take away responsibility. If He did, Jesus prayed in vain, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing" (Luke 23:34). Let’s never forget that "the mind of man plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps" (Prov. 16:9). I do not know how a sinless, righteous, holy, and perfect God can control the sinful actions of men, without sinning Himself. But, He does.
We can rejoice that He has done so. Because it is the plan of our salvation. If Jesus was not rejected, we would still be in our sins! We ought to look at that and marvel and adore the plan of God that would take this precious stone (1 Pet. 2:4) and cause it to be rejected, that we might "have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Rom. 5:1). This takes us back to Psalm 118, where we see ...
c) A Rejoicing People (verses 23b-24)
Look at the second half of verse 23, "It is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day which the LORD has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it" (verses 23b-24). I trust that you are familiar with the song, "This is the day, (echo), that the LORD has made, (echo), Let us rejoice, (echo), and be glad in it (echo)." Perhaps you have sung it as a child. We can look at the weather outside today, and sing, "This is the day, (echo), that the LORD has made." (Especially today, when the weather is perfect - a high of 80 degrees without a cloud in the sky, like it is today!) In saying this and giving glory to God in this way, we would be absolutely correct. We can rejoice when God gives us good weather for us to enjoy. We can rejoice when God gives us another day of life to enjoy. This is exactly right. There is nothing wrong with this.
But let me ask you, "what day is being talked about in Psalm 118?" It is the day of the rejection of the corner stone. It is the day of the exaltation of the corner stone. It is the day that surrounds the Easter week when Jesus was rejected, crucified, resurrected and exalted. God’s saving plan is indeed marvelous in our eyes. It is marvelous that He came to earth in the form of a man, that He lived a perfect and sinless life, that He was despised by His people, Israel, that He was crucified as a criminal, and that His death actually becomes the means through which we gain life and immorality! One commentator wrote,
"What can be more truly marvelous, than that a person, put to death as a malefactor, and laid in the grave, should from thence arise immortal, and become the head of an immortal society; should ascend into heaven, be invested with power, and crowned with glory, and should prepare a way for the sons of Adam to follow him into those mansions of eternal bliss?" (Horne as quoted in W. S. Plumer's commentary on the Psalms, p. 1017).
Every Christian ought to marvel at these things. We should continually ask the question found in the hymn:
And can it be that I should gain An int'rest in the Savior's blood?
Died He for me, who caused Him pain? For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! how can it be That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
REFRAIN: Amazing love! how can it be
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me.
Did you know that the angels "long to look" at this salvation that God has given to us? (1 Peter 1:12). Did you know that God’s wisdom in the heavenly places is made known through the church as we grasp and believe the gospel of Jesus Christ? Every week as we come here to worship together, we do so because of this day. We rejoice in this day! This week, as you focus your minds and hearts upon the suffering and death of Jesus Christ, may you be filled with rejoicing and awe and wonder!
We often sing the following song:
How marvelous, how wise, how great! How infinite to contemplate!
Jehovah’s saving plan.
He saw me in my lost estate, yet purposed to regenerate,
This faithless, fallen man.
(author: James Montgomery Boice)
d) A Hope of Salvation (verses 25-27)
The psalmist leaves us with a hope of salvation that is described in verses 25-27.
"O LORD , do save, we beseech Thee; O LORD , we beseech Thee, do send prosperity! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the LORD ; We have blessed you from the house of the LORD .The LORD is God, and He has given us light; Bind the festival sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar." (Psalm 118:25-27)
In order to see this verse in its fulness, you need to take a brief Hebrew lesson. Listen to verse 25 in Hebrew: "Ana Adonai, hoshiya-na." Does this sound familiar? This is what the people were saying when Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey 2000 years ago. This is what the people were saying when the multitude "spread their garments in the road" (Matt. 21:8). This is what the people were saying when many "were cutting branches from the trees, and spreading them in the road" (Matt. 21:8). They said, "Hosanna to the Son of David; Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest!" (Matt. 21:9). It was verses 25 and 26 that the people were saying on that day! These words were easy words for them to say. They said them every year at the end of the Seder meal! These words were surely upon their minds as they would say them again in a few day.
The people knew what they were saying on that day. In verse 27, they said, "The LORD is God, and He has given us light." They were enlightened to know what was happening that day. They said, "Hosanna to the Son of David." The reference to "Son of David" is an obvious messianic title. They were saying, "Save us now, oh, Messiah!" They were looking for their king to come and save them from the oppressive hands of the Romans. The Pharisees sure understood that they were saying this. They told Him, "Teacher, rebuke Your disciples" (Luke 22:39). They were telling Jesus to stop the parade! Jesus, You are not the Messiah. Tell them to stop. Remember when Jesus said, "I tell you, if these become silent, the stones will cry out!" (Luke 19:40). This was a key moment in history. The Scripture had to be fulfilled. As Messiah entered Jerusalem, Psalm 118 was being fulfilled! He was going to be rejected. But first He had to be identified as Messiah. If the voices of the people would not fulfill Psalm 118, then the stones would fulfill Psalm 118.
Of course, the people misunderstood the deliverance that was coming. They were 100% correct that salvation was coming. But they were incorrect to assume that it meant political salvation from the Roman oppression. Jesus would accomplish salvation from sins in that week. In a very real sense, He was "the festival sacrifice" that was bound "with cords to the horns of the altar" (verse 27).
His political kingdom awaits. It is coming. We have this hope that He will come and judge the earth and make everything that is wrong right. And this is our hope and our expectation. This is how the Bible ends: "Come, Lord Jesus" (Rev. 22:20). As the people on the day of Palm Sunday cried, "Hosanna!" They were looking for a Messiah to come and establish His reign and rule upon the earth. Likewise, we also look forward to this time. It is proper for us to say, "O LORD, do save, we beseech Thee" (verse 25), especially when we see the injustice being done in the world today! But, as we say this, it is appropriate for us to realize that He has become our God, through faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We sing this with far greater understanding than the Jews. We can say, "You are my God, and I give thanks to You; You are my God, I extol You" (verse 28).
I began this sermon with an invitation to praise (verse 1). I end with an invitation to praise (verse 29), "Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting." As we end, you will have an opportunity to sing "Hosanna!" Perhaps in a more fuller sense than you have ever sung before, because you have seen Psalm 118 in context. May you fill your passion week by giving thanks to the LORD, giving testimony of the LORD, and seeking salvation in the LORD.
This sermon was delivered to Rock Valley Bible Church on
April 13, 2003 by Steve Brandon.
For more information see www.rvbc.cc.