As we seek to follow Jesus better, it is a good idea to frequently remind ourselves who we are following! We sometimes can focus too hard on figuring out how to follow, and we can become forgetful about the one we are following. There are many stories in the Gospels that could inform us about Jesus and His ministry on earth. Paul gives us a variety of wonderful insights in his letters to the churches as well. The New Testament is foundational when it comes to understanding Jesus, however this morning I want to try something a little different. The Old Testament has a great deal to show us about who Jesus is as well. When he was at Harding School of Theology, my professor Dr. Rick Oster often said, “When Jesus and the disciples thought of the Bible or quoted from the Bible, it was the Old Testament they had in mind.” The New Testament had not yet been written! The New Testament writers quoted Scripture frequently, so if it was important to them then it should be important to us as well.
There are many Old Testament passages we could read, but for now I would like to focus on Psalm 118. As a Psalm of Thanksgiving, it gives praise to God for all of the mighty things He has done. Let’s read it together, but while we do – there are some phrases in here which you might find familiar. Listen for them and we’ll identify a few when we are done.
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his love endures forever.
Let Israel say:
“His love endures forever.”
Let the house of Aaron say:
“His love endures forever.”
Let those who fear the Lord say:
“His love endures forever.”
When hard pressed, I cried to the Lord;
he brought me into a spacious place.
The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid.
What can mere mortals do to me?
The Lord is with me; he is my helper.
I look in triumph on my enemies.
It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in humans.
It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in princes.
All the nations surrounded me,
but in the name of the Lord I cut them down.
They surrounded me on every side,
but in the name of the Lord I cut them down.
They swarmed around me like bees,
but they were consumed as quickly as burning thorns;
in the name of the Lord I cut them down.
I was pushed back and about to fall,
but the Lord helped me.
The Lord is my strength and my defense;
he has become my salvation.
Shouts of joy and victory
resound in the tents of the righteous:
“The Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!
The Lord’s right hand is lifted high;
the Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!”
I will not die but live,
and will proclaim what the Lord has done.
The Lord has chastened me severely,
but he has not given me over to death.
Open for me the gates of the righteous;
I will enter and give thanks to the Lord.
This is the gate of the Lord
through which the righteous may enter.
I will give you thanks, for you answered me;
you have become my salvation.
The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
the Lord has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes.
The Lord has done it this very day;
let us rejoice today and be glad.
Lord, save us!
Lord, grant us success!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
From the house of the Lord we bless you.
The Lord is God,
and he has made his light shine on us.
With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession
up to the horns of the altar.
You are my God, and I will praise you;
you are my God, and I will exalt you.
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his love endures forever.
Did you hear some phrases that sound familiar? Here are some phrases that I heard:
“His love endures forever”
“The Lord is my strength”
“I will enter and give thanks to the Lord” (gates)
“The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone”
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord”
Keep these phrases in mind as we think about what this Psalm has to share with us. For the Israelites, this Psalm recounts a time when enemies were advancing and Israel was in distress. At that very time, God rescues Israel and restores peace to the nation. That event is definitely in there – but the language the Psalm uses points to an understanding that God’s rescue is about more than a single crisis. The psalmist is going to great lengths to make sure that you finish reading this Psalm with the feeling that God’s love has always been there and will continue to be there forever.
Psalm 118 is part of a group of six Psalms that go together, known as the “Egyptian Hallel.” It is a group of Psalms which celebrates the greatness of God surrounding the Exodus from Egypt. Each Psalm tells about that time from a different viewpoint, and Psalm 118 is the concluding psalm and the climax of the series.
- Psalm 113 praises God as the one who reverses the status of the poor, lowly, and needy.
- Psalm 114 tells the story of the Exodus and how God’s rule enters the world.
- Psalm 115 contrasts how God helps Israel with how other gods treat the rest of the nations.
- Psalm 116 expresses thanks to God for saving them from death.
- Psalm 117 calls on the rest of the nations to praise the Lord.
- And Psalm 118 sums them all up and announces that Israel exists to praise God.
Today, we typically think of the Passover in one of two ways. First, we often think about the actual event in Egypt when the Israelites spread blood on the doorposts and the angel of death killed all of the Egyptian firstborn. Second, we often think about Passover as the time when Jesus and his disciples got together in the upper room for the Last Supper. But when Jews in the first century thought of Passover, they would have thought of something else. For them, it was one of the most important festivals in the Jewish calendar. It lasted a whole week and many people made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. As a part of the celebration, these six Psalms would be read – one each day – leading up to the final Passover meal and the reading of Psalm 118. In fact, it was during this Passover week when Jesus applied verse 22 to Himself. After entering Jerusalem, Jesus was walking in the Temple courts when the chief priests tried to test Him. They could not answer His questions, so Jesus told them a parable about a group of tenants who killed the master’s messengers because they wanted the vineyard for themselves. At the end of that parable, Jesus adds a quote from Psalm 118: “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone” and He asks them to describe its meaning. Jesus is the stone which the builders rejected. The chief priests and the teachers of the law crucified Him, in part, because He made these claims. But Jesus is also the stone which God has made the cornerstone through raising Him from the grave. That’s important. It is central to our beliefs about the identity of Jesus! It helps to inform us as we seek to follow Him in our own lives. But if we stop there, we miss a great deal of context and meaning.
Jewish rabbis in the first century used a very common teaching method with their disciples. The rabbi would speak a small part of scripture, and then expect the disciples to recall the entire passage. For instance, they might be walking along the street together and observe some other people caught in some kind of situation. The rabbi might want to comment on that situation and teach his disciples something about what they are seeing. But rather than explaining everything in detail, the rabbi would simply tell his disciples a short part of a longer teaching. Then, he would expect his disciples to recall the rest of that teaching and apply all of it to whatever situation they were observing. We know that Jesus was considered a rabbi by His disciples. They often call Him teacher, and would have naturally experienced this kind of teaching by Jesus as well. Luke tells us that the scribes and priests knew Jesus was equating them to the evil tenants and that Jesus had portrayed himself in the parable as the master’s son. But Jesus also adds the quote from Psalm 118 as further clarification about who He is. By identifying Himself as the stone the builders rejected, Jesus isn’t just intending for them to think only about the cornerstone. He means for them to understand that the whole Psalm in some way applies to Him.
Psalm 118 is all about expressing Thanksgiving to God for rescuing His people. By tying his identity to the rejected stone in verse 22, Jesus is also saying that He is the “One who comes in the name of the Lord” in verse 26, and that the His presence is further proof that the Lord is good and “his love endures forever” as in verse 29. By connecting the two dots of Himself and the rejected stone, He is wanting you to continue connecting the dots in Psalm 118 about exactly who He is.
Because Jesus is the fulfillment of Psalm 118, we can also say that:
- Jesus is the new passover lamb, sacrificed to save the people.
- Jesus is the blood for the doorway, to turn away God’s wrath.
- Jesus is the one who is not dead, but lives to proclaim what the Lord has done!
- Jesus is the one who comes in the name of the Lord, who brings God’s light to shine on all of us.
- Jesus is the cornerstone for the kingdom which God is building.
- Jesus is the reason we too can join with Psalm 118 and give thanks to God for rescuing us!
I think it is possible to connect the dots just a little bit further, though. Jesus’ disciples would have known to think about everything in Psalm 118 after Jesus quoted verse 22. Yet, Psalm 118 was well-known as the final Psalm in the Egyptian Hallel set of Psalms. They were frequently read together, and each has more meaning within the set than by itself. It is possible that Jesus was intending for us to draw conclusions about His identity from this whole group of Psalms and not just Psalm 118.
Let’s look back and see what we find when we look at all six Psalms in light of Jesus.
- Psalm 113 praises God as the one who reverses the status of the poor, lowly, and needy. Jesus’ ministry paid special attention to the status of the poor, lowly, and needy.
- Psalm 114 tells the story of the Exodus and how God’s rule enters the world. Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection show us how God’s kingdom defeats sin and death.
- Psalm 115 contrasts how God helps Israel with how other gods treat the rest of the nations. Jesus’ compassion for all humans displays God’s enormous love for His people.
- Psalm 116 expresses thanks to God for saving them from death. Jesus’ always glorifies God instead of Himself, giving thanks for God’s blessings.
- Psalm 117 calls on the rest of the nations to praise the Lord. Jesus’ willingness to accept all, regardless, reflects God’s desire for all humanity to come to Him.
- And Psalm 118 sums them all up and announces that Israel exists to praise God. Jesus describes His people as a light on a hill for all to see and know.
The Egyptian Hallel is a celebration of how God rescued His people from slavery in Egypt. Jesus, by identifying Himself with these texts, is proof that God is still rescuing His people! We can celebrate because through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, God has rescued us from slavery to sin and death! Because His Love Endures Forever. Amen.
~ Clay
Fowlers in Japan 