Now We Have Reason to Shout for Joy :: Psalm 66:3, 5, 8-9 (1-2)

Hallelujah! He is risen! ... 

In this recognition, you have grace and peace from God in Christ, and a [reason to make a joyful] shout to God, all the earth! (v 1) 

For the past couple of Sundays, we have been meditating on the Introits of the Divine Service. This week we take up our versicles from Psalm 66. Introits, you should remember, are entrance hymns, songs we sing in response to God’s call to enter into his presence, where we receive his Divine Service. We sing in recognition that he serves us. He remembers us.

Introits are wonderful responses to his call. Consider today’s on this Fourth Sunday of Easter. 

6.

Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth! 

Sing the glory of his name. 

Lay upon him the glory of his praise!

Say to God, ‘How awesome are your works! 

With your strength, your enemies will be found liars.

Come and see the deeds of God.

Awesome are his deeds toward the sons of Adam.

Bless, O Peoples, our God. 

Be caused to hear the voice of his praise, 

the One who set our very being with life
and who has not given our feet to waver (Ps 66:1-3, 5, 8-9)

5.

Isn’t this Word of God awesome!? Of all the beautiful acts Christ has done, teaching us his psalms is one of HIS more awesome gifts. Through the psalms, Jesus teaches us to pray and praise ... to confess and give thanks for his absolution. He inspires the believer to have hope in the kingdom of God, where we will live in justice, righteousness, and glory. He teaches us to complain properly. And in a weird way, he even teaches us how to hate ... that is, to hate our sin and to dash the children of our hate against the rocks (Ps 137:9). 

Just as importantly, the Psalms enable us to hear the praise of the God who has acted ... and continues to act ... in creation, revelation, and redemption. God has opened your ears to hear his praise of your redemption ... and opened your eyes to see and behold his means of grace that deliver the forgiveness of sins. Suddenly, through the Psalms, the Gospel becomes more than just a Jesus who died on a cross. It reflects the truth that He is risen! And that we have received the inheritance of life and salvation in his kingdom.

4.

How awesome is it to enter God’s service to you in this way? 

With this hymn, you can now rejoice (vv 1, 5)! You can now lay upon Him glorious praise (vv 2-3) in view of his awesome deeds ... His Life, His death, His resurrection ... Your redemption. He has kept his promise from our Gospel reading to see you again (Jn 16:22). He has washed you and sanctified you and clothed you with royal robes to wear to HIS Feast, where we sing the glory of HIS name with all the company of heaven. 

That’s why we are here today, right? He promises always to come to you ... always to serve you ... always to restore HIS communion with you. Why wouldn’t we celebrate? You who were lost have been found. His fellowship becomes our fellowship. So it’s only fitting that we sing in response. Jesus himself brings unity to our congregation. He has called us together ... not so much so that we can worship him ... but so that he can render service to us. That’s what worship means.

When we are honest with ourselves, we realize that as sons and daughters of Adam (v 5) ... that is, born into sin, born in the image of fallen Man ... we are, therefore, separated from God. Accordingly, we realize that we have nothing to offer a God who is holy and right. As Paul says in Romans 12: Who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid? (vv 35) 

Instead, recognize the awesome deeds God has done in Christ ... He is Risen ... 

The Creator has reconciled Himself to you ... celebrating the life HE has given to your very being, as the Psalmist proclaimed (v 9). 

3.

The question is, how will you respond to this realization, that God has done this for you, too?

Contextually, that is the entire setting of Psalm 66, which is a Thanksgiving hymn in celebration of our redemption ... realized on this Easter Day ... not only corporately, but individually. The scene begins in public worship, perhaps at Passover, which celebrates the greatest redemptive act in the Old Testament, the Exodus. As Psalm 66 recalls, God led the people out of the bondage of death into the Promised Land. He turned the sea into dry ground. [The sons of Israel] went through the river on foot (v 4). 

Let’s face it ... we always face one hardship or another ... like Israel did for forty years in the wilderness. How can you rejoice when you refuse to forgive? How can you rejoice when your friend, spouse, or child is gravely ill? How can you sing a Psalm of Praise when it looks like rain, but the wind blows everything north or south or east or west? How can you rejoice when you know your federal government convicts six Christian friends for praying outside an abortion clinic, and now threatens them with huge fines and 12 years in prison? How do we learn to remember that He is Risen! ... 

2.

One way to sing the psalms, which help us repent. Please now turn to page 321 in your [Lutheran Service Book] and join me in conversing this faithful doctrine from the Ten Commandments. ... What is the Second Commandment? ... What did this mean? ... 

1.

It is precisely in repentance we are able to call upon him in prayer and praise.

While it is true that the opening verses bristle with imperatives (commands) to the whole earth ... the opening “shout for joy” is actually a causative imperative. In other words, it isn’t a normal command telling you what to do. The word here shows us that God has given us reason to shout for joy. 

That leads us into the Gospel. As Jesus said, Amen, Amen, I say to you you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. He meant you will weep because he died on a cross for you. But your sorrow will turn to joy (Jn 16:20), because though the author of life lived for you and died for you ... HE IS RISEN! ... And no one will take your joy from you! Death has lost its sting. On account of the blood of Jesus, you have been justified before God by God. Through Baptism, He has set our very being in life. Now we are able to come and see the works of God ... his supper ... where we receive his awesome deeds toward the sons of Adam, who long for forgiveness.

His incarnation, his holy birth, his baptism, his Word ... all of it culminated the night he took bread and wine and gave you his body and blood for your forgiveness. 

Now we have the best reason of all to sing for joy! 

The Living Christ gives his gift to his gathered guests every Lord’s Day. He does it to unite the Living Church with himself ... through HIS blood of HIS covenant. He does this to unite the assembly with each other. It’s for you ... in Jesus’ name.