Many of us are familiar with ticker-tape parades, having seen one at least in news footage. They usually take place in very large cities where tall buildings line the streets. Shredded paper and confetti are tossed from the windows as some celebrity who is being honored parades down the street. Though a number of cities have held them, including my hometown of Chicago, New York City is most renowned for holding ticker-tape parades. These parades are given in honor of military heroes, political figures, sports celebrities, astronauts, and other notable people that we choose to honor. Our psalm speaks of a triumphant parade, and Who is being honored. Let’s look at this second half of Psalm 118.
Just like some of our ticker-tape parades would be for military generals following victory at war, when a king would return home from victory in battle in ancient Israel, they would be greeted by the people with cheers and music. If they were godly kings, such as David, they would go to the Temple to offer a thanksgiving sacrifice to God. When Jesus came into Jerusalem the week before He was crucified, people shouted praise, and He was the sacrifice. In verse 25 we read how the people cry out “save now” to the Lord. “Save now” translates to “hosanna” in Hebrew. Those were the words that the crowds shouted to Jesus on Palm Sunday. Yet a few days later they were shouting for Him to be crucified. How quickly the crowds can change. Those who are paraded today can be booed and canceled tomorrow.
Now we can sing Jesus’ praises because He has gotten victory over death and brought us salvation (vs. 17). Our hope is in Jesus Christ, who rose from the grave, and gives eternal life to all who trust in Him. We praise Jesus for His resurrection!
One highlight of our psalm is verses 22-24, which are prophetic of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Verse 22 speaks of a cornerstone, which is the first stone set in the construction of a building’s foundation. It is positioned carefully, because all other stones are set in reference to this stone, determining the position of the entire building. Without a good cornerstone, the building is in danger of collapse. Our psalmist indicates that the people rejected the cornerstone that was set, but that it then became the chief cornerstone. This was spoken in reference to the Messiah Jesus. The Jewish religious leaders rejected Him (Matthew 21:42), actually having Him killed, but God raised Him from the dead, and He is now seated at God’s right hand, the Chief Cornerstone of the Church. The Apostle Peter declared that God made Jesus both Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36). Peter identified the chief cornerstone as Jesus (Acts 4:11; I Peter 2:7).
Just days before His crucifixion, the Lord Jesus told the Parable of the Vineyard, one of His very last parables (Luke 20:9-19). In that parable, He spoke of the rejected son of the vineyard owner, and likened that to the rejected stone which became the chief cornerstone. Jesus was that rejected stone. The Jewish leaders were the builders who rejected Him, the One who came to deliver and save the nation.
Jesus also gave reference to verse 26. He taught in Matthew 23:37-39 that the nation of Israel would not see Him, their Messiah again after His Ascension until they could genuinely offer these words to Him, which will not be until Jesus’ Second Coming.
As we look over these last verses I want to point out verse 24. This is a verse that I say most every day upon first getting out of bed. For a stretch of my life, when going through some very difficult times, I was not all that eager to get up and start another day. I would have preferred to remain in bed, pulling the blanket over my head, and not face another day. But the Lord showed me that He has blessed me with another day, a new day with new opportunities. Each day is a gift from God, and we should rejoice and be glad in it.
In closing, no matter what we may be going through, we can get our strength for it from the Lord (vs. 14). We don’t need to depend on our own weakness. When we are discouraged, and depressed, and fearful, Jesus will give us a new song.
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