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Psalm 122:1-4 – I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord!” Our feet have been standing within your gates, O Jerusalem! Jerusalem—built as a city that is bound firmly together, to which the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, as was decreed for Israel, to give thanks to the Name of the Lord.
This psalm is a Song of Ascents, from a collection of psalms sung by the Israelites as they traveled to Jerusalem. They praised God as they ascended through the Judean hills to Jerusalem, the city of God and the site of His temple. All of the men of Israel were required to make the pilgrimage to Jerusalem three times a year. Families also made the trip, as Jesus and His parents did (see Luke 2:41-42). The travelers celebrated three festivals in Jerusalem—the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Booths—a harvest festival remembering the Israelites’ journey through the wilderness to the Promised Land. During these great feasts in Jerusalem, the people remembered and celebrated what God had done for them. He brought them out of slavery in Egypt, led them through the wilderness and blessed them with fruitful harvests. In each celebration, the people joyfully entered the house of the Lord, the temple in Jerusalem.
Soon we will celebrate Advent, the beginning of a new church year. Through the seasons and festivals of the church year—Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, and Pentecost—we will follow the life and ministry of our Lord Jesus. We will remember all that He has done for us, from His birth in Bethlehem, through His earthly ministry, His death, resurrection, and ascension, to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and His anticipated return. Throughout the year, and especially on festival days, we will say with joy, “Let us go to the house of the Lord!” Gathering to worship with brothers and sisters in Christ, we will give thanks to our Lord as we receive His gifts of Word and Sacrament.
During the season of Advent, we will celebrate Jesus’ birth, but we will also look forward to what lies ahead for all who trust in Him for salvation. At Jesus’ Second Advent, that is, His return on the Last Day, we will be raised bodily from death. With believers still living on that great day, our bodies will be clothed in glory. We will live forever in the presence of God. There will be no temple there, “for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb” (Revelation 21:22b). We will rejoice in all that God has done for us, but there will be no need for annual pilgrimages. Our feet will be standing within the gates of the heavenly city. We will be home.
WE PRAY: Lord Jesus, as I celebrate all You have done to bring about my salvation, I look forward to Your return. Come, Lord Jesus! Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Carol Geisler.
Reflection Questions:
- How did Old Testament feasts bless the spiritual life of the children of Israel?
- Do religious seasons and celebrations do the same for God’s people today? How so?
- As we approach Christmas, how can you use this time to grow closer to Jesus?
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