This is the day the Lord has made;
let’s rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalm 118:24 CSB

The night Jesus and His disciples celebrated Passover, a night we know as “The Last Supper”, Jewish tradition tells us that they would have sung Psalm 118 as part of their remembrance of God’s faithful love to His people. That night, along with His disciples, Jesus sang verse 24 of Psalm 118 which reads, “This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it”.

And oh friend, have you ever stopped to think that even as He sang those words to His Heavenly Father, our Lord Jesus knew that He was only moments away from being betrayed by a close friend and arrested; He sang praises to God, knowing that all through the night and into the next day, He would be mocked, beaten, spit upon, and ultimately crucified – that He would suffer and die a grueling death to save people…

– who doubted He was who He said He was,
– who rejected Him as Messiah because He didn’t fit their idea of one,
– who conspired to murder Him to protect their earthly power,
– who watched Him die with indifference or even for entertainment,
– who denied being His friend and follower
– who sold Him out for a few coins
– who would decide that His life was “just a religious story”
– who would twist His teachings for their own profit
– who would accept His salvation, but refuse to go one step further with Him
– who would abuse His grace again and again and again

Our Lord Jesus sang to His Father in recognition that God was in control. God made THAT day as He has made every other day, and Jesus knew what that day held and STILL, He proclaimed to His Father that He would be glad in it. And as we near Easter, I am reminded of a fact that I need reminding of often:

I AM ALL of those “whos” listed above.

I have doubted He is who He says He is or that He can do what He says He can do. I have rejected His way or His character because it doesn’t always fit what I think is “right” or “just”. I have conspired to silence Him in my heart to protect my plan for how my life should go. I have taken His sacrifice for granted, downplayed our relationship, sold Him out to promote myself, treated His word like it was “just a story”, twisted His words in my head/heart to fit my narrative or make me feel more comfortable in my sin. I accepted His salvation, but hesitate to follow Him far more often than even I realize. I abuse His grace on a daily basis in a dozen ways.

Jesus knew every rotten, rebellious, stiff-necked thing I would ever think, say, or do and instead of facing that day with resentment or reluctance, He chose to go to the cross rejoicing in the Lord and being glad that God had made THAT day.

And friend, Jesus knew every rotten, rebellious, stiff-necked thing you would ever think, say, or do too. He knew all of the “whos” that you would be too. And STILL, He gladly sacrificed Himself for you on THAT day. Each day and every day, He pursues you with a love unlike any other love.

If you’ve never accepted that love, I encourage you to do so today. If you aren’t sure how to do that, shoot me a message or leave a comment; I’d love to share how with you.

If you’ve forgotten that you’re one of the “whos”, if you’ve been taking His sacrificial love for granted, if you’ve gotten a little too comfortable in your salvation, I encourage you to spend some time today reflecting on your daily need for Jesus, for His salvation, mercy, grace, and so much more.

This is the day that the Lord has made! May we be found rejoicing in Him and praising His name with gladness!