The Risen Lord Is Our Source of Rejoicing
“Therefore my heart is glad, and my tongue rejoiced. My flesh also will rest in hope.” (Acts 2:26)
What a wonderful springtime verse. For those of us who live in frozen tundra areas, spring is such a great season. Things come “back to life” again. The verse is really an affirmation of that experience. But it is also much more.
This verse is part of what we often call Peter’s Pentecost Sermon. The recent events in Jerusalem were still circulating among the people. An amazing thing happened during the Passover; Jesus was crucified. But the story didn’t end there. There were stories going around that Jesus had risen. Jewish leaders were saying that his disciples had stolen his body. Fifty days later, once again, the Jewish leaders were assembled in the temple. Then, there was a sound like a violent wind and tongues of fire on the heads of those whom they knew as Jesus’s disciples. They exclaimed, “We hear them declaring in our own languages the wonderful works of God.”
Peter’s address was an explanation of what was taking place. Explaining Jesus’s death, he now pointed out that the Scriptures had foretold it. David himself had pointed to it. Quoting Psalm 16, Peter declared that here, David was talking about Jesus. If you look at the verses, you can say that by inspiration, David was actually quoting Jesus. Because Jesus was never shaken from his mission, his heart was glad, and his tongue rejoiced. He confidently prayed, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!”
The reason why we can make this verse our own affirmation is because Jesus made it true. He fulfilled his mission. God the Father declared his mission accomplished by his resurrection.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, we praise you for making our hearts glad and for bringing a joy-filled song to our tongues. We always rest in hope no matter what is going on in our lives, all because you have risen. Help us to always declare, “The Lord has risen; he has risen indeed!” Amen.