Psalm 98:4-6

            {Prayer}

            There are certain moments in life when joy just comes out. Birthday parties, pep rallies, Christmas morning, concerts where everyone sings together.

            That kind of joyful noise is exactly what Psalm 98 is talking about when it says, “Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music” (98:4). It’s that over-the-top excitement that we can’t contain. It just burst out of us. Think about the excitement of getting the thing you’ve always wanted for your birthday or Christmas. That’s the kind of joyful noise Psalm 98 is talking about.

When you think about it that way, it’s no wonder that one of our most favorite Christmas hymns is Joy to the World. In fact, Joy to the World is based on Psalm 98. We usually sing it in December, but here’s the thing … the joy that Joy to the World proclaims isn’t just a Christmas joy. It’s everyday joy. It’s Jesus joy!

            Usually, we think of joy as being a response to something exciting – a goal scored, a tournament won, the gender of a child revealed. But the joy of Psalm 98 is a little bit different. It’s actually commanded. And it’s commanded for a reason.

            The psalm begins, “Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him” (98:1). When this psalm was written, the author may have been thinking about a few things. He may have been thinking about how God delivered His people from slavery through the Red Sea or how God rescued His people from exile through a nonbelieving king named Cyrus. But when we hear these words, our thoughts go to Jesus.

            We heard earlier in Luke 19 that as Jesus rode into Jerusalem “the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen” (19:37). This Palm Sunday event comes straight out of the prophecy found in Zechariah 9. “Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey” (9:9). The Palm Sunday crowd is shouting with the same joy we hear in Psalm 98. Their joyful, not just because of the miracles they had seen, but because of who Jesus is.

Jesus is a King, but not a king who comes to take, but a King who comes to give. Not a king who comes with force and majesty, but with forgiveness and grace. Not a king who comes for the rich and famous, but for sinners … for people like you and me.

            But this joyful noise is raining on someone else’s parade. You see, some of the Pharisees in the crowd were not so happy about this excitement over Jesus. They tell Jesus to rebuke His disciples. Why? Because they were used to being the center of attention. They were used to people coming to them, praising them, following them. And since the crowds were now turning to Jesus instead, the Pharisees wanted Jesus silenced. Deep down … they wanted Jesus gone.

            And honestly … We can relate right? When someone else seems to get more than we do, we feel jealous. When someone else’s life seems smooth and our feels heavy, we feel envious. Sometimes, deep down, we wish others could feel what we feel … tired, stressed, overwhelmed … and suddenly joy feels really hard.

            But there is something even deeper going on. Our sin, it disrupts the flow of life. It makes me want to focus on me. It makes me quiet when God is calling for me to praise Him. My sin doesn’t naturally burst out in joy toward God … it runs away from Him instead.

            But here’s the good news … no matter how far we try to run away from God, He still pursues after us. He leaves the ninety-nine to go after the one, to go after you, after me. Through His mighty works, through His Word, through His people, God continues … by His right hand and His holy arm … to work salvation for us.

            When the Pharisees tell Jesus to rebuke His disciples for shouting with joy, Jesus says no. He flat out refuses to do it. Jesus says “I tell you, if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out” (Luke 19:40). That’s how big this moment is. Even if the people were silent, creation itself will burst forth in joyful noise for the creation knows that King of kings has come!

            Psalm 98 says “Let the sea resound, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it. Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy” (98:7-8). Creation rejoices because something big is happening. Something so big that it will affect the whole world.

            You see, God has done marvelous things. He freed His people from slavery in Egypt. He delivered them exile in Babylon. And now He descends from the heavenly realms to be born in human flesh in and is laid in a messy manger for wayward, reluctant, not-always-joyful noise-makers like you and me. And creation rejoices on Palm Sunday because it knows where this joyful King is headed.

            Jesus rides into Jerusalem, proclaimed as the King who comes in the name of the Lord. Jesus rides in not to a throne, not to be crowned, not to judge sinners. Jesus rides in for a cross, to be beaten, crucified, and murdered for you. Jesus suffers, bleeds, and dies to save you and me and all people from their sins.

            And for a moment, the noise stops. The Pharisees silence Jesus. His disciples bury His body in a tomb. All is still, all is quiet. … At least for three days. On the third day, creation burst forth in joyful noise again as the stone is rolled away and a glorified Jesus walks out of the darkness of death and into life. Jesus rises! The disciples rejoice. And we give thanks, maybe we even do a happy dance, because Jesus proves that sin, death, and the devil do not get the final word over us. Jesus does!

            And this is why we get together on days like today. We gather to make a joyful noise to our God who has done marvelous things. God does these marvelous things through His Word, through His Church, and through places like our Little Lamb Preschool and Christian schools everywhere. When the kids come to school each day, they learn more than how to make green choices, their letters, numbers, and how to write their names. They learn about Jesus. They learn and celebrate that Jesus loves them. Jesus forgives them. And Jesus is with them. Jesus is with them wherever they go. And each day, these little lambs grow in the joy and love of Jesus … a joy that carries them into classrooms, homes, friendships, and the future.

            Whether you’re three, four, five, or ninety-five … this Jesus joy is for you. Your King has come. He comes humble. He comes forgiving. He comes victorious. And that kind of joy doesn’t stay quiet.

            With joy and excitement in our hearts, we sing, we pray, we forgive, we love, we serve, and we rejoice. Not because life is easy, but because Jesus is faithful. He walks with us through the valleys and leads us toward the resurrection life.

            “Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth … because your King has come to save you! Amen.

            The peace of God, that surpasses all human understanding, guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord, now and forever. Amen.