A New Song
Christmas Day 2018 anno Domini – Redeemer
The text is Psalm 98, please take out your hymnal and we’ll read it responsively from the hymnal.
The word “new” has lost its luster. Whatever you gave last night as new is already old. The wise preacher of Ecclesiastes said, “There is nothing new under the sun.” As soon as you finally get that new car, new kitchen, new house, new spouse, new job you’ll discover that you still have the same problems you had before. (Which might lead you to conclude – perhaps you’re the problem?)
Then we come upon this Psalm, one of the Psalms appointed for Christmas day and the Psalmist proclaims, “Oh sing to the LORD a new song.” Is there really something new under the sun? Is there something that won’t be the “same old same old.”
Yes there is – first note that unique way Lord is printed in the Psalm, with small capital letters. It’s printed that way because that is not just the title “Lord” but rather the name of God. In fancy “I went to seminary I’m a really smart pastor” language that word stands for the Hebrew “tetra grammaton” which means the four letters that the Hebrew Bible uses for the name of God – Y-H-W-H “Yahweh” in Hebrew or as some transliterate into English – Jehovah.
The God to whom the Psalmist directs us to sing has a specific name – the Lord, Yahweh. The generic god whose name we put on our money or have in our pledge could be any god. The Lord is not any God. He is the God who created the heavens and the earth in six days. He is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He is the God who appeared to Moses in the burning bush and declared, “I am who I am.”
Oh sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things. Now here we encounter that something new. The Lord God actually does things, marvelous things. It has been said that the easiest way to distinquish a false god from a true God is this. A false god doesn’t do anything. You do everything for it. The true God does everything for you and gives it to you. For example, America worships Christmas. We put a lot of stock in presents and families and meals and our time together. These are all good gifts from God, but certainly Christmas the holiday can become a false god. We fear that we haven’t been fair. We trust that it will bring happiness, and we love the food, family, and presents. But let me ask? Who does all the work? Does “Christmas” do that for you or do you do it for Christmas?
His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him. The Lord does the work for you. If you need someone’s hand and arm to reach you, then you are in danger. If you need salvation then you are lost or wandering.
Psalm 98 was most likely sung by the children of Judah when they were captives. That’s right, they sang this new song and thankful Psalm while they were prisoners of war. The Babylonians had overrun the land of Judah, destroyed the temple, and taken captives – guys like Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Then the LORD did something marvelous, although it didn’t look that marvelous. The Persian empire conquered the Babylonian empire and the POW’s of Babylon became prisoners to the Persians. They exchanged the King of Babylon for the King of Persia. However, Isaiah the Prophet, who lived about a hundred years before these events, had prophesied that the Lord had anointed a guy named Cyrus to subdue nations and to free His children from captivity. Well, guess what the King of Persia’s name was? Cyrus. And under Cyrus, 70 years of captivity ended for Judah. Ezra and Nehemiah were among the faithful remnant who returned to Judah and began to rebuild Jerusalem.
So what does this have to do with Christmas? Why was this Psalm chosen for Christmas day?
Well, today we sing to the LORD a new song. He has done something new and it has to do with His name. Today we do not celebrate the birth of any god. Islam does not celebrate Christmas because Allah does not have a son. That is beneath him according to the Koran. God the Father does have a son and when He gave that son into the flesh of Mary He gave Him a very specific name – Jesus.
Jesus is the Father’s right hand and His holy arm who worked salvation for Him. It is a recorded fact of history that the Romans crucified Jesus on a cross outside Jerusalem with two criminals. He was buried in a tomb, sealed with a stone, and guarded by Roman soldiers. Up until that point Jesus might have been written off as the same old same old. Sure there were stories about his miraculous birth. He was a great teacher and was said to perform miracles, but then his life ended the same old way – in death; in His case the most horrible death imaginable – a Roman crucifixion. His disciples probably felt like the children of Judah back in the Old Testament as they went from slaves of the Babylonians to slaves of the Persians. Another hope and another disappointment. But as the Lord’s anointed Cyrus freed God’s Old Testament children, the Father had anointed this Jesus of Nazareth to be Savior of the world. (By the way the word anointed in Hebrew is Messiah, and in Greek Christ). Cyrus was a messiah in the Old Testament. Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ. Three days after Jesus died, He rose from the dead. Now there’s something new. (If you don’t believe me check out the cemeteries when you’re driving home today. I’m guessing the dead are still dead.)
Even though the world is waging a good war against it, all around the world today is Christmas – the Mass celebrating Christ’s birth. And in five months the world will celebrate Easter – the Resurrection of our Lord. Even though churches in America are mostly empty today, the whole world indirectly recognizes something completely new happened when Jesus was born and when He rose again.
Like those Old Testament people you would not know what this really means apart from God’s Word. They had the Word of Isaiah which told them to look for a Cyrus. You have the Word of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John who all tell you look to Jesus. He died for the sin of the world. He died for your sin.
Sin is why you get the same old same old in this world. It is why everything new on earth eventually grows old and why promises of new and improved often disappoint and fail. Sin is why things are not getting better, but getting worse. In Jesus birth there is something new, ever new and everlasting. His death takes away your sin and that gives you a new life, an eternal life. You can truly enjoy the gifts of God in the world because your faith and hope is not here. You are no longer enslaved to trying to make the most of this captivity because you are free. You don’t have to make the most of every moment and worry about the perfect Christmas – you have an eternity before you and Christ makes the perfect Christ-mas – by giving you and your parents and your children and your lousy uncle the same forgiveness for all your sins. Once again there’s something new – forgiveness – God not treating you like your sins deserve. Try that out for Christmas – do not treat others as they deserve.
Sing to the Lord a new song because He’s done something new for you. He has saved you all by Himself for Himself. In the name of Jesus. Amen.