"The stone the builders rejected
has become the capstone;
the LORD has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes.
has become the capstone;
the LORD has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes.
This is the day the LORD has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it."
let us rejoice and be glad in it."
Psalm 118:24
There is a lot of rejoicing going on at Christmastime. The angels brought good news of great joy to the shepherds culminating in a concert performed by a choir of angels singing praises to God. Rejoicing in this news, the shepherds joyfully visited the baby lying in a manger and left glorifying and praising God for what they had seen and heard. Simeon, a man at the temple who was filled with the Holy Spirit, praised God when He held the Christ child eight days later, as did the prophetess Anna when she recognized the Messiah and told everyone about the redemption that was coming through Jesus. Magi from the East were overjoyed when they saw the star which heralded the birth of our Savior, and they followed it until they came to the place where He lay in order that they could worship Him.
Many of us are joyful at this time of year, but most of the reasons we use to celebrate have nothing to do with that first Christmas, over 2000 years ago! The best motivation for a party lies hidden in filthy borrowed stable, visible only to those who are watching and paying attention.
A capstone is the final piece laid in the making of a stone wall or structure. It is formed to certain specifications in order that it can be placed exactly according to the blueprint, thus completing the masonry project. There is surely great rejoicing as the final stone in slid into place, bringing to an end months of planning and labor.
In Luke 20:9-17, Jesus revealed himself as the capstone referred to in Psalm 118. After years of prophecies telling of the coming of a Messiah, and of countless deaths of those who came to tell, the time had finally come to complete God's plan by sending His own Son to take the punishment for the sin of all mankind; a reason to rejoice, indeed!
Rejected Not everyone rejoices at the fulfillment of so many prophecies in the birth of a baby born to a young girl. But, as Paul taught in I Corinthians 1:18, ". . . the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." Jesus is rejected by many as the rightful King of all Kings.
God's Handiwork Only a Master Planner could formulate a blueprint in which the final piece would fit perfectly. This is what God has done in sending Jesus to take our punishment so that I might live forever with Him. It is completely a work of God's mighty Hand. We cannot even recognize our need for Jesus without God's work in our lives. Jesus said, "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him." (John 6:44) Additionally, salvation is offered freely to us by God. "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God." (Ephesians 2:8) The Lord has done this!
Marvelous George Gershwin penned a song called "s' Wonderful" whose chorus goes like this:
'S wonderful ! 'S marvelous !
(That) You should care for me !
'S awful nice ! 'S paradise !
'S what I love to see !
(That) You should care for me !
'S awful nice ! 'S paradise !
'S what I love to see !
This is the day when I can celebrate that the One who was rejected by many has been sent by God to save us. How marvelous: that gives me something to rejoice about!
As I begin this day, it is my prayer that I will remember to rejoice in all that God has done.
How often do I forget the miracle of Jesus?
When do I find myself replacing the humble manger with other things at Christmastime?
It is wonderful to think that God sent his son, Jesus, to save us all. I wouldn't want to forget at Christmas; even though you easily can with all this advertising about getting stuff!
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