“This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.” With glowing smile, my pastor Larry Nixon welcomed us to worship with these words my first year in college. Unforgettable words. Jesus also shows us the context in his dialogue with his critics, the religious leaders.
As his critics became increasingly angry with him, Jesus reminded them in this chapter that God cared for all people, including the tax collectors and prostitutes. He himself was the cornerstone. The religious leaders inexplicably rejected him. So Jesus would become the chief Cornerstone of God’s work in the world.
Jesus becomes the fulfillment of the law to everyone who believes. God took the one the world rejected and made him the centerpiece of life. No wonder Psalm 118 continues, “This is the Lord’s doing, and it is wonderful to see. This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.” So our joy is in the fact that Jesus is the chosen Cornerstone. Let’s build our lives around him and then we can join the joy: “This is the day . . .”
