Let the King of Glory In!
Friend, every day is a good day to praise the Lord. All the earth is His and everything in it… and we join all creation in worshiping the Lord of heaven and earth (Psalm 24.1; Acts 17.24). Even the mountains, hills, and trees burst into song, lifting praise to Him!
You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Isaiah 55.12
The season of Easter is here—an opportunity to tell others what God has done. On Easter weekend, we sorrow in the death of Jesus and celebrate His resurrection. We tell of what He made possible for all who call Him Lord. This holiday is about the good news of the gospel and giving glory to God for it. Amen.
In this season, how beautiful it is to join Christians worldwide in declaring who Jesus is. Think about it! On Easter, we simultaneously worship with our sisters and brothers in Christ around the world—in every nation, culture, and language—declaring that He has risen!
As I began writing this Easter edition of The Free Newsletter, I remembered one of my most notable Easter memories. Around a decade ago, on Easter Sunday, I was in the country of Myanmar in southeast Asia.
On that morning, we traveled by taxi from our hotel to join a Christian congregation gathered in the upstairs meeting room of an orphanage. We were welcomed by friends (the orphanage house parents) and ushered through the small crowd of 40-50 adults and children.
As visitors and ministers from America, we were shown to the front row and seats of honor. The seating all around was a rather hodge-podge of benches and chairs of assorted sizes and colors. You often find this in church gatherings in the poorest places of the developing world.
The service began with greetings and hymn singing. Not a word of English was sung, but we recognized the melody of a couple of familiar tunes and sang along.
When we sat down, we realized our seats of honor were Adirondack chairs. Yes, the chairs you would usually find around a fire pit or at the beach, with a considerable incline that forces you to lean back and enjoy the scenery or sunshine.
So, after we shared a quiet smile over our chairs, we leaned right on back and enjoyed the special singing. Most of the special music was presented by a group of teens standing on a small platform right in front of where we sat. I could have reached my foot out and touched the platform—we were that close. Imagine me leaning back in my Adirondack chair, looking right up into their faces.
On Easter Sunday, dressed in their best outfits, they gave us their absolute best. I can tell you the look on those faces that morning reflected pure devotion to their Savior. The young men and women, all raised in that orphanage, first experienced familial love and acceptance there. More importantly, they were introduced to the Lord of heaven and earth—the King of glory.
As I tell this story, it may sound like I’m making fun of the Adirondack chairs. I promise you I am not. This is real life, friends. This is how much of the Christian world gathers to worship. It’s wherever they can gather in safety, whenever they can find a vacant room to meet in, and whatever seating is available to hold the crowd.
Whatever the circumstances, they relish the opportunity to worship and glorify the Lord! (Story continued below.)
A psalm for Easter
Psalm 24 is a favorite psalm of mine. Your Bible may include a superscription at the beginning that says, “of David” or “a psalm of David.” We like to assume this superscription indicates authorship. It may be the case, though many theologians tell us there is also the possibility it means (in Hebrew) for David or to David.1
Whatever the case, this psalm displays the devotion and adoration that today’s Bible readers expect from David the shepherd, psalmist, and king.
The many psalms attributed to David paint a picture of one who had learned to draw near to God despite the stringent requirements of the Old Testament worship model. Words filled with honesty, humility, emotion, and vulnerability mark the Davidic Psalms. When we read them, they draw us in, teaching us to come to God in like manner.
In Psalm 24.1, the psalmist declares the earth is the Lord’s and everything in it… He then makes clear his devotion and access to God by asking, “Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord?” The psalmist responds to his own question, “The one who has clean hands and a pure heart.” He is saying, “It is I, Lord. You have vindicated me and made me righteous in your sight.” (vv. 4-5)
Is this not what He has done for us? Under the new covenant, Jesus made a way for us to come into God’s presence. Through His death and resurrection—which we celebrate wholeheartedly in this season of Easter—He provided a way for us to be made clean and right in God’s eyes. Hallelujah!
(Back to my story…)
In the tropical climate of Southeast Asia, they take advantage of the cooler time of day to have church. It was early morning, and all the windows were open in that third-story room. A breeze was blowing. The trees were waving. The birds were singing. The sounds of the city were beginning to come alive.
My brother (a career minister, preacher, and missionary leader) stepped upon that platform, along with the pastor-translator, to preach a simple Easter message.
As he shared the message, my brother was overcome with emotion. Leaning back in my Adirondack chair, I could see tears streaming down his face as he communicated the goodness of God to those gathered in the room. Before it was over, I was crying, too.
It was not lost to me (or the others in our group, as we discussed later) the simplicity of our surroundings. The mismatched chairs and benches. The adults and children in their simple Sunday best. Their humble efforts to present special music and make us feel so welcome.
The feel and sounds and smells of all of creation coming alive to celebrate resurrection and new life. The King of Glory surely met us there that Easter morning.
A Call to Worship the King of Glory
Psalm 24 culminates with a fervent ‘call to worship’. The psalmist continues with his questions and answers by asking, “Who is this King of glory?”
Friend, though any day is a good time to praise the Lord, what better time than Easter to invite the King of glory into our worship, our situation, our heartache, our success, and our everyday lives?
In this Easter season, would you join me? Let us join our voices with the Old Testament psalmist in declaring these words from Psalm 24.
Who is this King of glory?
The Lord strong and mighty,
the Lord mighty in battle.Lift up your heads, you gates;
lift them up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.Who is he, this King of glory?
The Lord Almighty—
he is the King of glory. (vv. 8-10)
