Re:Verse passage – Psalm 96 (day four)
Merry Christmas, church family! The presents may all be unwrapped and Christmas dinner is eaten, but the celebration continues! On the liturgical calendar, Christmas is a twelve-day season in which we say, “Hallelujah!” Our waiting in Advent is over and Christ has come!
Psalm 96 beautifully prophesies of the glory of Jesus. We who live on this side of the resurrection know it to be an accurate depiction of Christ. But pretend for a moment that you don’t know the rest of the story, and consider how Jesus came to earth. He came as an infant, to a poor family living under an oppressive government, born amongst animals because the world had not yet been taught to “prepare him room.” Nothing about this situation sounds glorious, yet Psalm 96 commands that we ascribe him glory.
The incarnation redefined reality. Jesus redefined glory. Glory no longer exists in gold and silver, crowns and palaces, but in goodness, mercy, humility, and justice. Glory has taken on a new form, which gives us every reason to keep the celebration going. We’ll examine Christ’s glory more in the coming days, but for now, celebrate and lift your hallelujah! God sent us the Messiah, just like he said he would.