The day the Lord has made

“This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

This one Bible verse has brought joy to countless people throughout the generations. It is found in Psalm 118. In Jewish tradition, Psalms 113-118 are called the Hallel (A word for “praise.” From it we get the word “Halleluiah”).

We are told that at Passover, Psalms 113 and 114 were sung before the Passover meal. Psalms 115 through 118 were sung after the meal. So it has been suggested that Psalm 118 was the last hymn sung by Jesus and his disciples at the Last Supper.

Matthew 26:30 states, “When they had sung the hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.” So when they had recited the words of Psalm 118, Jesus went out to face his destiny. Why would this be important?

Let’s look at the three verses which immediately precede, “this is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” And think about Jesus and his disciples singing this after their last meal together before the crucifixion. The verses right before go like this: “I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation. The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.”

And then we read, “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” No wonder that this Old Testament verse became so important to the New Testament church. They, and we, can rejoice because the stone which was rejected, Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior, has become the Cornerstone of our lives. This is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes.

What does this mean for our lives, why is it something that we can rejoice in? I believe that this shows us a basic truth of life, that God can take what is broken and rejected and make it into something beautiful and treasured. Jesus Christ dying on the cross for the sins of humanity, and makes it into something to be treasured, Jesus, risen from the dead, and bringing us forgiveness of sins and salvation.

You know that life can be difficult. Sometimes things happen to us, or to someone we love that seems unbearable. But we hear again today the promise that our God can take that which is broken and make it whole once again.

This is what can happen when we allow the stone that was rejected to be the cornerstone of our lives. Christ has given his life that we may have new life. And because of that we can declare with confidence that “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”