Every Monday evening at Redeemer we have Divine Service. Last night I decided to offer a service of Evening Prayer for our Nation. This is the sermon I preached based on Psalm 2.
There are six words I want you to remember tomorrow. He who sits in the heavens laughs. Or if you want to cut that in half, “The Lord laughs.”
No matter what happens tomorrow with the election, no matter what Covid does or does not do to your family, no matter what direction our country or the world goes believe this, hold on to this, “He who sits in the heavens laughs.”
Let me give you the briefest of history of the Lord’s laughter from God’s Word. The nations have raged. People have plotted in vain. The Kings of the earth have set themselves against the Lord and against His anointed. They all wanted to be rid of God and throw off His bonds.
Pharaoh enslaved the Lord’s people. He killed their baby boys. He mocked the Lord and his servant Moses. 10 plagues later he let the people go, but then repented of his decision. He would show those Hebrew slaves who had power and might. With chariots and horses he stormed after Moses and the children of God. He backed them up against the Red Sea and momentarily delighted in his apparent victory. But the Lord baptized Moses and his people in the Red Sea, bringing them out of death and into life on the far shore. The Lord laughed as Pharaoh and his army drowned and God’s people saw deliverance.
Herod the Great raged at the Lord and His anointed. He heard from the wise men that a new king was born in Bethlehem. When the wise men deceived him he took counsel and sent his soldiers to kill every boy in
Bethlehem under two. The Lord did not laugh over the evil. He does not laugh over the government murdering infants, but He laughed at Herod the Great, as if Herod could rid Himself of God’s King. Jesus was in Egypt safe and sound before a soldier entered Bethlehem.
Pontius Pilate was a cowardly ruler. He had made mistake after mistake as Governor of Judea. One more strike and Caesar would take him out and when Caesar took you out no one ever found you again. So Pilate the Politician tried to satisfy his constituents the Jews. He handed over to death a man whom he said was “not guilty” three times. He thought he was securing his power. He who sits in the heavens laughed. Without a clue Pilate was doing the Father’s bidding to offer up His Son.
The Bible and history are filled with such stories. The nations trust in the power and might. Kings and Princes and Presidents try to take God’s place with their power or promises. Evil men do evil deeds to further themselves. And the Lord laughs.
Why does the Lord laugh? He tells us, “I have set my King on Zion, my Holy Hill.” He tells us who this King is, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you.”
All of human history flows to the only begotten Son of God becoming man. All of human history flows from the Son of God being enthroned on Zion, the holy habitation of the Most High – seated at the right hand of the Father in His risen flesh.
God is in control – ask Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Moses. Ask Deborah, Gideon, and Samson. Ask Saul, David, and Solomon. Ask Nebuchadnezzar and Cyrus. Ask Herod the Great, Pontius Pilate, and Caesar Augustus. Ask Peter, Paul, James, and John.
God is not just in control. He is doing all things for the sake of His Son. Little Israel made it through empires and captivity and enslavement so that a Hebrew virgin named Mary could give birth to Jesus in the land of Judah in little Bethlehem when Augustus ruled Rome and Quirinius was governor of Syria. Rome brought hundreds of years of peace to the civilized world, but God worked real peace when His Son was crowned with thorns, robed with our sins, and enthroned on the cross outside Jerusalem. Jesus Christ rose from the dead and the Son is now set on Zion. The Kingdom of heaven is open for all believers. Your enemies have lost as sure as Christ is risen. Death will not keep you. The Devil cannot accuse you. Your sin cannot shame you. The gates of hell have not and cannot and will not prevail against the Kingdom of God, the reign of Jesus of Nazareth.
He who sits in the heavens laughs. Jesus has been sitting on His throne for 2000 years and His Kingdom is still on earth and growing everyday in every place where His forgiveness is preached, His name is hallowed, and His sacraments are given. His Kingdom has survived tyrants and murderers and communists and socialists. His Kingdom has survived the martyrdom of His subjects and the onslaught of Islam. Jesus will still be sitting on Zion, the Lord’s Holy Hill, tomorrow night and Wednesday morning. He will sit there until He rises to finally usher in His Kingdom by sight.
So, serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry with you and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in Him.
“He who sits in the heavens laughs.” And so should you. In the name of Jesus. Amen.
Amen