Messiah: He Came (Holy Week Series)

Psalm 118

Welcome, Dismiss children and Goals

Turn to Psalm 118

Introducing our Holy Week Series:

Throughout the Old Testament, we are setup to look for this Messiah figure who will fulfill the promises of God and be the climax of the covenants.

When we come to the New Testament Gospels we are jumping right into the middle of a story that has been developing for a long time. As we approach Easter this week, we need to realize the full picture of Christ’s fulfillment regarding Old Testament promises.

Genesis to Revelation the story of God’s redemptive plan for humanity unfolds across the pages of Scripture. Jesus Christ as the messiah figure of the Old Testament is a key idea we don’t want to neglect as we come into Easter this next week.

The Psalms are a collection of poetry, songs, and emotive reflections expressing the character of God, the heart cry of hurting people, and some allude to necessary components of the coming messianic king….and those are the ones we will be dialing in on in this 4 part holy week series. Messianic Psalms are set in a context but foreshadow various aspects of the ruling king who is to come.

Today we will remember how Christ came and reflect on Psalm 118

Messiah: He Came, He Died, He Rose, He Reigns

Through this series we will see These messianic Psalms show us how Jesus is the promised king who suffered for and saves his people

Read Psalm 118

Pray

Main Idea: Christ came to rule in love, save in power, and to redeem those who rejected him.

Illustration: Have you ever had multiple people tell you about the same restaurant but expound on completely different aspects? So it is with the various aspects of Jesus Christ foretold throughout the various pictures in the Old Testament.

Christ came to rule in love

Psalm 118 is widely thought to be davidic perhaps when he first comes into power as king in Jerusalem? The exact circumstances are unclear so we won’t speculate too much.

It is a passover Psalm which adds the significance of when Jesus is coming in Jerusalem and this Psalm is quoted as he enters Jerusalem.

What we do know is that this Psalm was used to commemorate the coming of the king into Jerusalem for Jewish Festivals. It moves from corporate to individual worship ascribing glory to God for what he has done for his people. When Jesus comes into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday the week of Passover, the people of Israel quoted this Psalm calling him the Son of David. Shouting Hosanna which is an exclamation that God saves.

Verses 1-4 open up the Psalm with exponential praise and adoration of the Lord recognizing his covenant loyalty in leading the king into Jerusalem.

This opening sets the tone of steadfast love of the Lord driving all of these actions from God.

The steadfast love of the Lord drives the messianic promises of the Bible. The beginning and the end of this Psalm reflects on the steadfast love of the Lord as being sure which binds together the truths we will unpack here.

“give thanks to the Lord” is a command at the start and the why is “for his steadfast love endures forever.” Then we are given three groups who state “his love endures forever.” If you’ve been to a concert where the artist calls out different states or demographics asking for a roar….It’s kind of like that. The basic statement at the beginning here is “let all people’s recognize the covenant faithful love of our God is ongoing.”

Romans 5:8 “8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Have a hard time understanding God’s love for us? Christ the king died in your place with you not being able to give him anything in return.

His rule and reign is marked by compassion and sacrificial love.

God loves you and he came into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday 2,000 years ago knowing he was on a trajectory towards death. He willingly went to face rejection and death out of his love for his people.

Illustration: Think of your favorite historical leader of all time. What are some of the marks of that leader? Our favorites are usually marked by compassion, honesty, or consistent self sacrificing love for people.

Application:

Have you come to understand the messianc reign of Christ was initiated because of his love?

2. Christ came to save in power

Not only does Christ initiate a love for his people but he saves his people in power.

While the historical psalmist is refering to the character of Yahweh, we know that as Jesus comes into the world, he is the full expression of these character traits of God displayed.

Verses 5-21 recount the faithfulness of the Lord to save out of various recounted circumstances.

The promises here are numerous and paint us a picture of the character of God who

answers us when we call (vs 5)

he sets us free (vs 5)

he is on our side (vs 6 and 7) so fear has no place as man has no power and triumph belongs to those who walk with the Lord

He is our place of refuge (vs 8 and 9). Man and princes are impotent in comparison.

As the nations surround and enemies encircle, the Lord is our help (vs 11-13)

The promises for intervention from the Lord on various fronts here ought to remind us we do not serve an ambivalent God so removed from our context of need. He desires to provide and protect.

In verse 14 the Lord has become our salvation and glad songs of salvation are sung by the righteous. At the incarnation Jesus took on human flesh in order to be our federal head taking our penalty.

The “right hand of the Lord” in verses 15 and 16 is a wording used to describe the action of God on behalf of his people.

Exodus 15:6 “6 Your right hand, O Lord, glorious in power, your right hand, O Lord, shatters the enemy.”

It is also used to describe the intervention of God ultimately shown in the work of Christ.

Isaiah 53:1 “1 Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”

Isaiah 59:14–17 “14 Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands far away; for truth has stumbled in the public squares, and uprightness cannot enter. 15 Truth is lacking, and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey. The Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no justice. 16 He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no one to intercede; then his own arm brought him salvation, and his righteousness upheld him. 17 He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on his head; he put on garments of vengeance for clothing, and wrapped himself in zeal as a cloak.”

Jesus is the right arm of the Lord himself becoming our salvation and the embodiment of God acting on our behalf.

Verses 19-21 really identify this Psalm as an entrance Psalm hence why it is quoted in all 4 gospels when Jesus enters the gates of Jerusalem.

The king enters into Jerusalem as a conquering ruler who triumphantly rides into the city. This is the picture of Jesus as he enters Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.

Illustration: When the Soviet Union swept across Europe in 1945 liberating nations from Nazi Germany many Eastern Europeans believed they were being saved only to later realize they were being transferred to a new dictatorship. It’s like escaping drug addiction through an alcohol addiction or fighting through a mountain of debt only to become miserly with your money….Salvation in Christ comes fully and completely as he frees us in full power.

Application:

Have you experienced the saving power of Christ? Do you believe he can save you?

3. Christ came to redeem those who rejected him

Verse 22 is one of the more quoted Old Testament verses in the New Testament all referring to Christ.

Which in the context, this refers to opposition to the king entering the city but the NT authors see this as fulfilled by the rejection of the Jewish leaders particularly.

There are many that rejected Jesus as the Messiah and many today still reject Christ in their hearts. Look at how this particular verse is applied a few different places in the New Testament:

When Jesus is speaking to the pharisees during the parable of the tenants:

Matthew 21:42 “42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: “ ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?”

When Peter is speaking to the Pharisees regarding the resurrection and the religious leaders culpability.

Acts 4:11 “11 This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone.”

Or Paul in Ephesians 2 when speaking about the way in which the Church is unified on Christ as our foundation:

Ephesians 2:20–21 “20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord.”

The basic tenant here is that Israel has rejected the Lord (Old Testament idea). The religious elite of Christ’s day rejected him as the Messiah but in an ironic turn of events this stone which the builders rejected has in fact become the cornerstone that God has used to build his people the church into a holy temple. God delights in using what is foolish in this world to shame the strong. The one who has been rejected and despised by men has in fact become the central piece of the equation.

1 Peter 2:6 “6 For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.””

Jesus suffered great rejection on our behalf. God exalted him above all. The suffering savior endured rejection and revilement on our behalf.

“This is the day the Lord has made” if we understand that in the Old Testament day of the Lord sense, we are talking about an eternal salvation idea. Not a lets get happy today idea.

In the Palm Sunday narrative of Matthew we have two Old Testament text quotes. One from Psalm 118 and one from Zechariah 9.

Zechariah 9:9 “9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”

This passage is referring to the messianic reign that is to come in Zechariah and then the other quotation is from Psalm 118.

Matthew 21:9 “9 And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!””

Verse 25 “save us we pray” in the Gospels the people shout “hosanna” which is an exclamation regarding the seen salvation of the Lord. As Jesus walks into Jerusalem, the people are exclaiming that Jesus is the salvation of the Lord coming on their behalf.

Notice they call him “the son of David” and shout “hosanna in the highest.” these are not titles lightly given to Christ but refer to the messianic reign of the coming king the Jews were awaiting from the Old Testament Scriptures.

As Jesus marches into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, he not only fulfills the Old Testament prophecies in Zechariah and Psalm 118 but he embodies the davidic king who was promised in 2 Samuel 7 who’s established reign would be forever.

Notice verse 27 tells us the light of God has shone on us…..As Jesus is called the light of the world he fulfills this promise

Salvation and redemption is ours in Christ today. It was purchased by the suffering of our savior. Christ the king displayed his steadfast love through his coming and he made a way where there was no way by going to the cross.

Illustration: “I don’t want to be accountable, one year before Skyler’s salvation”

Application:

The suffering savior reigns with love, saves in power and will redeem those who have rejected him in their hearts. Have you rejected the Lord today?

Do you struggle to accept his love for you?

Do you not believe he can save today with power?

Main Idea: Christ came to rule in love, save in power, and to redeem those who rejected him.