The Correct Response to the Resurrection

I suspect as you read the title of today’s passage and the Bible reading, you are asking yourself, ‘What does the resurrection found in the New Testament have to do with Psalm 103?' No, it isn’t one of the psalms that Jesus quoted. Neither is it one of the prophetic psalms that predicted his birth, death or resurrection. But bear with me, this is going somewhere, I promise.

Recently, I heard a sermon at my local church about the resurrection. I was struck by a line the preacher said: 'The Old Testament is littered with clues pointing to the Messiah that couldn’t fully be understood until Jesus came, died and rose again.' As I reflect on this passage in the Psalms, I can’t help but think that David was on to something far greater than he could comprehend at the time. Looking through the Psalm, words like “forgives,” “redeems,” "salvation" and "mercy" not only reveal the character of God but act as a foreshadow of what is to come through the Messiah.

In light of the resurrection, I can truly say to my soul that there is only one response that is required of me. I am to praise the Lord with all that is within me and bless his holy name. Why? Because no matter what circumstances I find myself in, I can remind my soul that my past has been wiped clean, my present is in God’s hands, and my future (despite what it looks like now) is brighter than what I can see. Jesus declared on the cross that it is finished (John 19:30), and Paul wrote that we as God’s children are heirs of his glory (Romans 8:17). How can we not praise him?