Day of the Cornerstone

“The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This came from the Lord; it is wonderful in our eyes. This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:22-24)

When you hear someone quote, “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it,” most of the time we think they are talking about today. They are encouraging someone, maybe even themselves, to rejoice in this day today because it is a day the Lord has given us to live in and to serve. Of course, there is great truth there. Each day is a new day that the Lord has given us, and we need to choose rejoicing over every other possibility. Rejoicing wins hands down over anything else.

While this is a great idea, it isn’t necessarily what the psalmist was talking about. When you look at the larger context you see it. He isn’t talking about a particular day but about a time or a season or era. The New Testament in fact quotes verses 22 and 23 of Psalm 118 in reference to its fulfillment in Jesus. The psalmist was looking forward toward that day when the Messiah would come. He would be a stone rejected by the builders but which actually became the cornerstone. It was the promise of the Lord to be fulfilled. The psalmist called it “wonderful,” and we today who know Jesus also call it wonderful. We are now in His day. The Lord made this. It’s wonderful. And we need to choose to rejoice and be glad in it.

Lord, We thank You, and we rejoice. Amen.