In Pastor Grant Brown's sermon titled 'Resurrection Sunday', he explores the relationship between Psalm 2 and the New Testament, particularly focusing on how it foretells the crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ. The sermon emphasizes God's sovereignty and the futility of earthly powers that conspire against Him, illustrating this through the laughter of God at the death of Christ, which ultimately led to the defeat of these powers. Pastor Brown discusses the dual significance of Jesus being 'begotten' in both the incarnation and resurrection, highlighting the Trinity's role in salvation and affirming Jesus as the Son of God. The sermon also draws parallels between Jesus' baptism, transfiguration, and resurrection, noting how each event confirms both who Jesus is and what He came to accomplish. Pastor Brown urges believers to find assurance in their salvation and future resurrection through the victory and laughter of God as depicted in Psalm 2.

Why are the nations in and uproar, and the peoples devising a vain thing? The kings of the earth take their stand, and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against His anointed, saying, Let us tear their fetters apart, and cast away their cords from us. He who sits in the heavens laughs. The Lord scoffs at them. Then he will speak to them in his anger and terrify them in his fury, saying, but ask for me.

I have installed my king upon Zion, my holy mountain. I will surely tell of the decree of the Lord. He said to me, you are my son. Today I have begotten you. Ask of me and I will surely give the nations as your inheritance and the very ends of the earth as your possession.

You shall break them with a rod of iron. You shall shatter them like earthenware. Now therefore, O kings, show discernment. Take warning, O judges of the earth. Worship the Lord with reverence and rejoice with trembling.

Do homage to the son that he not become angry, and you perish in the way. For his wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in him. May God bless the reading and now the preaching of his perfect word. Amen.

You may proceed. We began last Lord's Day with the truth that the same Holy Spirit who inspired David to write Psalm 2 inspired the New Testament writers to tell you exactly how you are to understand Psalm 2 today. And so on Palm Sunday, last Lord's Day, we examined where in the New Testament Psalm 2 is quoted. And we examined what those New Testament passages tell us that Psalm 2 is all about and what do we find? Well we found that Psalm 2 by and large according to the book of Acts is almost expressly about the death the resurrection and the ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ And if you weren't here last Lord's Day, and some of you weren't, I'll do my best in just a moment to summarize these things.

But what we're doing is we're looking at the New Testament, same spirit, and we're saying the same spirit who wrote Psalm 2 wrote Acts, wrote the letters of the apostles, what does the New Testament, same spirit, how does the New Testament tell us to understand Psalm 2? And we found some remarkable things. We found that in Acts chapter 4 verses 24 through 28, that the first three verses of Psalm 2 are all about the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ. So Psalm 2 verses 1 through 3 are all about the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ. The kings of the earth, the rulers of the earth, Acts four tells us those kings and those rulers are none other than Pontius Pilate and Herod and the Jews and the Gentiles and they put aside their differences they were enemies before but in the in their angst against Christ Jesus they put aside their differences to cast off the Lordship of Jesus Christ they've taken their stand against the Lord's anointed and Acts chapter 4 tells us that the Lord's anointed is none other than Jesus Christ the Son of God and so Acts chapter 4 tells us that Psalm 2 verses 1 through 3 it's all about Herod Pilate the Sanhedrin the Romans They're taking their stand against the Lord's anointed.

They're taking counsel together against the Lord Jesus. And what do they do? What do they do? They do Psalm two verse three. Come, let us tear apart their fetters, cast away their cords from us, let us rid ourselves of this Messiah, let us rid ourselves of this one who is called the Christ, this Jesus.

And how do they do that? How do they rid themselves of this Messiah? They hang him on a tree. They crucify the Lord Jesus Christ. The King of Kings who rode in on a donkey, Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

That same king, the kings of the earth, the rulers of the earth, they get together, they conspire, and they crucify Him. They kill Him. And what is God the Father's response to the killing of Jesus Christ his Son? Verse 4. He who sits in the heavens laughs.

The Lord scoffs at them. Then he will speak to them in his anger and terrify them in his fury, saying, but ask for me. I have installed my king upon Zion, my holy mountain. The Lord laughs. The Lord scoffs Why?

Because they fell for it The enemies of Christ Pilate Herod Satan himself The very things that the enemies of Christ thought they were doing. Defeating Jesus, casting off his lordship, through putting him on a tree, through putting him in a grave. That is the very thing that sealed their defeat. As Paul says in 1st Corinthians chapter 2 verses 7 and 8, if the rulers of this age had understood what they were doing they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. That's why God laughed 2, 000 years ago.

That's why this prophecy of God's laughter 3, 000 years ago in Psalm 2 verse 4, that's why it was fulfilled 1, 000 years later. Because the enemies of Christ fell for it. Satan didn't know that when he entered Judas and had Judas betrayed, Satan didn't know that that betrayal and that subsequent death of Jesus would bring about the redemption of the world. If he would have known, he wouldn't have entered Judas. He wouldn't have done these things.

As Aslan puts it, don't you love a good Narnia quote in the middle of a sermon? It's not even in the middle of it, it's the beginning. As Aslan put it, he didn't know of the deeper magic that was uttered before the creation of the world. Before the foundations of the world were laid, Satan didn't know of the covenant of redemption. If he knew of it, he didn't get it.

Satan didn't know the power that was in the spotless, unblemished lamb of God offered up for the sins of the world. He didn't know that that kind of death, the death of the creator for his creatures, the death of the bride group for his bride. Satan didn't know, Satan didn't understand that this laying down of his life in love would be like a seed that goes into the ground and dies but is then raised up to never die again whose yield is not just thirty-fold, it's not just sixty-fold, it's a hundred-fold to the ends of the earth. That's what's going on there. And so The Lord laughs.

The Lord laughs. That's what happened when the enemies of Christ put the Lord Jesus to death. They sealed their own defeat and made certain the triumph of the Lord Jesus Christ. And so the Lord laughed. The Lord scoffed at them.

All of their plotting, all of their scheming, what was it? Vain. Vain. Because this, this, the death and resurrection and ascension of Christ, this is how the world is made new. Death and resurrection.

Death and resurrection. This is how the world is made new. Death and resurrection. Death and resurrection. This is how the world is made new.

Death and resurrection. Starting with the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus. So that's precisely what God the Father sent Jesus Christ his Son to do, to die and to be raised, to atone for your sins and to be raised up for your justification, to bury condemnation and to raise up glory forever the Lord laughs the Lord laughs why well because of verse 6 I have installed my king upon Mount Zion, my holy mountain. The Lord laughs because he's installed his king upon Mount Zion. But he died, Lord.

I mean, He died. How can you install your king upon Mount Zion when he's in the tomb? What's the answer? Verse seven is the answer. You raise him up from the tomb.

How can you install your king upon Mount Zion when he's in the grave resurrection? That's how. Verse 7, that's how. That's what we find ourselves in this morning. The resurrection of the King of Kings.

If you remember from last Lord's Day, that's exactly what verse 7 of Psalm 2 is all about, the resurrection of King Jesus. In Acts 13 verse 33, write that down if you weren't here last Lord's Day, we looked at that last Lord's Day so we're not going to go there this morning, but in Acts 13, 33, Paul quotes Psalm 2 verse 7 and he tells you explicitly this Psalm is very much about God the Father raising up Jesus his son from the dead. You don't need to wonder what Psalm 2 verse 7 is about. Acts 13 33 tells you Psalm 2 verse 7 is about God the Father raising Christ his Son up from the dead. So Psalm 2 verse 7 is about resurrection.

If verse 6 of your text is true, and it is, that God the Father has installed his once crucified Son on Mount Zion in the heavenly places, If that's true and it is, then that son must necessarily be raised. He must be begotten from the dead. And that's what verse 7 tells us precisely happened. Right? Two thousand years ago, that happened.

Verse 7 happened two thousand years ago when God the Father raised his son Jesus from the tomb. So listen to the prophecy of verse seven fulfilled according to Acts 13 33. Prophecy fulfilled through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Psalm 2 verse 7, let's read that together. I will surely tell of the decree of the Lord, he said to me, you are my son, today I have begotten you.

And again, if you need a Bible verse to understand, are you sure that's talking about the resurrection look at acts 13 33 acts 13 33 and verse 7 you will find is about an empty tomb But what's up with that word at the end of verse seven? It says, today I have begotten you, begotten, begotten. What's up with that word begotten? Verse seven, he said to me, you are my son, today I have begotten you, begotten. John 3.16, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son.

Isn't the word begotten in John 3 16 pastor, isn't that talking about his incarnation? For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son. Is that talking about the incarnation possibly? But you're saying it's talking about his resurrection. What?

Is the word begotten there talking about his incarnation Or is the word begotten there talking about his resurrection? What's the answer? Yes. I love that answer. The Bible answers that very clearly.

The Lord Jesus Christ is the eternally begotten Son of God in the John 3.16 sense. He was the Word made flesh. And yes, the Lord Jesus is the Christ begotten from the dead both are yes Colossians 1 18 Christ Jesus is also head of the body of the church and he is the beginning the firstborn from the dead so that he will be first in everything. And the King James translates revelations 1-5 using identical language. Revelation chapter 1 verse 5 in the King James Version, and from Jesus Christ who is the faithful witness and the first begotten of the dead.

Now does that sound like similar language to Psalm 2? Same language. The first begotten of the dead and the prince of the kings of the earth. So I hope you're getting this. There is the Son of God who was begotten in a John 3.16 sense, as the Nicene Creed puts it, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made, who for us and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit by the Virgin Mary and was made man.

There is the begotten in that sense, in the incarnation sense, and there is also in the Bible the begotten in the resurrection sense. The first born from the dead Colossians 1 18. The first begotten of the dead Revelation 1 5. That's the begotten, That's the resurrection begotten of Psalm 2, verse 7. And again, just go to Acts 13.33 to see if that's the case.

Acts, or sorry, Psalm 2, verse 7, this is empty tomb language. So let me try to explain to you in the remainder of this sermon why that is so important. I have a number of reasons. First, for anyone in this room who questions whether Jesus Christ was the Son of God or not, was he really the Son of God? Well here's your answer.

He was and he is. In verse 7, God the Father says to Jesus' son, you are my son. And Acts 13, 33 says that's about Jesus. My son. Jesus is the son of God.

So if you talk to Muslims around the world they will tell you sure Jesus was a prophet, sure Jesus was a good teacher, sure Jesus is even sent by God. We're good with all that but he's not the Son of God. And they would not... And I think that they would deny that the Old Testament teaches anything about Jesus being the Son of God to friends. That's not true.

The Old Testament very much teaches in Psalm 2 verse 7, Jesus is the Son of God. You are my son. Today I have begotten you. Jesus is the son of God. That's point number one.

Second thing you need to learn about this verse. You've got the Trinity in Psalm 2. Got the Trinity. You think the Trinity is merely a New Testament concept. No.

God the Father is here speaking to God the Son. He's telling God the Son, you are my Son, and then you've got the Spirit of God issuing the decree. You have the Holy Spirit inspiring the text. It's triune just like your salvation. It's triune just like your baptism.

It's triune. God in three persons. Blessed Trinity. Blessed Trinity. So by the way if you take away the Trinity, you take away the Trinity, you have no salvation.

You've got God the Father purposing your salvation before the foundations of the world were laid. Then you have Christ the Son securing that purpose to salvation through his death and resurrection. Then you have the Holy Spirit applying that salvation that was secured by the Son and purposed by the Father. You have the Holy Spirit applying that redemption to your life. If you take one of those elements away, no salvation for you.

Your salvation is a triune salvation, which is why your baptism is a triune baptism, which is why when we do the Lord's table this is a triune communion the God that you belong to is triune God in three persons blessed Trinity so aren't you grateful for the triumph salvation that you have if God the Father pouring out His righteous wrath upon Christ His Son. His Son propitiates that wrath in your place, Sid. But if it was merely a matter of Jesus propitiating and satisfying the wrath of God, you should ask the question, but how can it be made effective for me? Because the Bible teaches me that I'm dead in my sin, I would never seek for God, I would only run away from Him. That's what the Bible says.

The Bible's picture is not mankind standing in the courtyard of the Almighty and raising their hands up and saying, Pick me, pick me, save me. That's not the picture of the Bible. Picture of the Bible is God who is thrice holy stands above all. And there is nobody in the courtyard because they fled, they hate God, they are workers of iniquity, they want nothing to do with the almighty God who they have spurned. There is no one in the courtyard save the Son of God.

And the Son of God bears the righteous wrath for the elect and the world. And then the Holy Spirit chases down those that have fled that courtyard, you, and you, and you, and you. He chases you down. And he applies the sovereign work of Christ to your life. You take away the Trinity.

You take away any hope you have of salvation. So I love seeing the Trinity in Psalm 2. The Father speaking to the Son and the Holy Spirit here, inspiring the text and we see the same in Acts 13.33. So in Psalm 2 you have Jesus' Godson and you've got the Trinity. Third, the language in verse 7 sounds familiar.

This is the best part in my mind. I think it sounds familiar. Does the language in verse seven sound familiar to you at all? You should. You are my son.

You are my son. Where have you heard God the Father speak like that to his son in the New Testament? Think about it really hard. For just a second. You got it?

Starts with a B and ends with ab-tism. Baptism, you're good at this. Baptism, good. Mark chapter Mark chapter one verses nine through eleven. Let's go there really, really quickly.

Mark chapter one. Verses nine through eleven. Mark 1, beginning in verse 9, In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. Immediately coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens opening and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him. And a voice came out of the heavens, You are my beloved Son and you I am well pleased.

Now there's the Trinity again. But you need to get this. At His baptism, God the Father, what does He do? He opens up the heavens, the Spirit comes down, and God the Father declares to His Son, Jesus, You are my son. You are my beloved son in whom I'm well pleased.

It's the same language as in Psalm 2, verse 7. You are my son. Now, Is that the only place in the New Testament that God the Father says that to Jesus' son? Can you think of another place? How about his transfiguration?

Keep your finger in Mark 1 if you'd like. I just wanted you to see the text. You turn just about, I don't know, six or seven pages over, nine or ten pages over, go to Mark chapter 9. Mark chapter 9. In Mark chapter 9, We have the transfiguration of Jesus.

Jesus, he takes with him Peter and James and John. They go up on a high mountain by themselves. And Jesus is transfigured before them. And you'll read there, if you read verses one through six, you'll find out that after the transfiguration is going on, Peter starts blurting things out. Then after that, what happens?

Look in Mark 9 verse 7. Mark 9 verse 7, then a cloud formed, overshadowing them. And a voice came out of the cloud. This is very similar to the baptism language isn't it so far? Heaven's parting, a voice coming from the heavens, cloud overshadows him, a voice came out of the heavens saying, this is my beloved son, Listen to him.

Now that's the same language that's at his baptism. And it's the same language as in Psalm 2 verse 7. Same language as baptism, same language as his transfiguration, and same language according to Psalm 2 verse 7 about his resurrection baptism transfiguration resurrection all three instances what is God the Father declaring you are my son why is that significant this significant for a lot of reasons I'm only going to get into one this morning. The second one, we'll have to wait until next time. This is significant because what God the Father is doing in Christ, let me ask you, what is God the Father doing in Christ's baptism and in Christ's transfiguration and ultimately in Christ's resurrection?

Well, in all three instances, in part, he's confirming who Jesus is, right? Every time, like Mark's Gospel opens and we've been through this, took us about 67 sermons, we went through Mark's Gospel, and at the beginning you're thinking, John the Baptist appears and he says, one who's coming after me, he's the Messiah. He's the one that all these prophets were talking about. And what happens? Jesus Christ appears.

And what does God the Father say? Hey, you know about that prophet that I sent named John? Well, I'm gonna go ahead and give you my opinion on who this is. This is my son, Jesus the Christ. This is the Messiah.

He does the same thing at the Transfiguration, does the same thing at the Resurrection. This is my son. He identifies who Jesus is. That is what he's doing, but he's not only doing that. He's not just confirming who Jesus is, he is confirming what Jesus has come to do.

It's massively important. What did the Son of God come to do? What did the Son of God come to do? He came to die and be raised. To die in your place as a sinner, right?

Your sinner, to die in your place sinner, the righteous for the unrighteous, so he might bring you to God. He died to suffer the wrath of God that you deserve in your place, sinner, so that by faith in Him through repentance and faith, trusting in His finished work on the cross, the wrath of God that was due to your sin would be metered out and dealt with forever. We call that propitiation. Children, that's a hard word, isn't it? Can you say that?

Propitiation. Not bad, let's try it one more time. Propitiation. Children, that is a glorious word. It's really hard to say, but it means that God the Father took all of the anger that He had against you and your sin and Jesus stepped in and Jesus says, I'll take that anger in your place.

I'll take that penalty in your place. I'll bear the wrath of God in your place, little girl and little boy. Just believe upon me. Repent of your sins and trust in me and I will satisfy. I will propitiate the wrath of God for you.

That's why you have to die, to bear the punishment for your iniquity, for your law breaking. Jesus would suffer the wrath of God due to your lusts. Jesus would suffer the wrath of God due to your pride. Jesus would suffer the wrath of God due to your lies, and he would bear the penalty in his body on the tree for you. That's why he was baptized, by the way.

Jesus was identifying with his people. I wonder if you ever asked the question, why was Jesus baptized? Have you ever asked that question? It's a really good question. Children, if you haven't asked that question yet, you need to go home and ask your mom and dad.

Mom and dad, you better listen. Why was Jesus baptized? Well, here's one reason. Jesus was identifying with his people. Jesus came, he was baptized to fulfill all righteousness.

What? Jesus has come to identify with his people. I have come to stand in the place of my people. That's what he's saying in his baptism. I have come to stand in the place of my people." That's what he's saying in his baptism.

I have come to stand in your place. I have come to be your great high priest. I have come as the righteous for the unrighteous to bring you to God. I have come to bear the wrath of God that is coming upon your iniquity. I have come to bear it in the stead of my people.

And I have come to give them life, life abundant. So that's one of the reasons that Jesus was baptized. To identify with you church, to identify with you, to identify with his people. I will go under and I will come up again for you. I will die and I will be raised for you so that you could die and you could be raised with me.

That's what he said in part. Jesus is saying, my death will be your death And my resurrection will be your resurrection, so that the curse of death from the first Adam in the garden would be reversed and all those in the second Adam, Jesus, would be made alive. I have come, Jesus is saying in his baptism, to die and to be raised so that the world will be made new. That's what's going on at the Son of God's baptism. That's what the Son of God came to do.

He came to die and to be raised. To save you and to save the world. So when God the Father says at the baptism of Jesus, you are my son, he's not only confirming who Jesus is, he's confirming as Jesus is coming up out of the water after his baptism, he's confirming, hey, what my son just proclaimed in symbol, he's gonna do. I'm confirming to you what Jesus has come to do to die and be raised and that is the exact same thing that happens at the transfiguration What does God the Father say about Jesus, His Son on the mountain? Do you remember?

These lots of things happen. He becomes transfigured. Elijah, Moses, Peter can't, whoa! And then God tells Peter to be quiet and he says this is my beloved son. Then what?

Listen to me. Now you need to ask the question, okay, God the Father wanted these men to listen to Jesus. What had Jesus just been telling them? He'd just been telling them something, do you remember? Just right at the very end of chapter 8 in Mark.

You know what Jesus tells his disciples? He tells Peter particularly, disciples, Peter, I'm going to be betrayed. I'm going to suffer and I am going to die. But I will be raised. And the disciples, Particularly Peter they're not very fond of that Do you remember that?

Do you Remember how Peter is asked by Jesus, who do you say that I am? You're the Christ? You're the Son of God. He confirms who Jesus is, but immediately then, when Jesus tells him, and I've come to die and be raised. I've come to suffer and die.

Peter doesn't like what the Son of God has come to do. He doesn't agree with that. That's not the way that real kings rule. That's not how a king brings about his kingdom. His death and resurrection business.

That's not how kings bring about triumph. And God the Father from heaven says very clearly, yes it is. Listen to him. This is my son, and I'm confirming to you that what Jesus has told you he will do must happen. So just like in his baptism in the transfiguration, God the Father was not simply confirming who Jesus is, but what Jesus has come to do, to die and to be raised.

And so what does Jesus do? What does Jesus do? He dies. And on the cross, what does He cry out? It is finished.

To Telestine. Do you remember that phrase? It is one of the most glorious phrases you will ever read. He's hanging there, suffering under the wrath of God, and he cries out as he breathes his last, it is finished. The earth shakes.

Rocks split in two. The temple curtains torn from top to bottom. And for three days, Everybody was wondering, was it really finished? For three days, they were wondering, is this salvation that Jesus said that he would die and be raised to accomplish? Did it really happen?

Was it really secured? Had propitiation really taken place? Had God the Father's wrath really been satisfied on this, Jesus his son? Had the work of reconciliation to bring sinful men and the thrice holy God united together? Was that work really accomplished?

Was it really finished? Was my sin, was your sin, where the sins of the world dealt with? For three days everybody was asking, really? And on the third day, what did God the Father say according to Psalm 2 verse 7? You are My son.

What did the Father say in verse 7? You are my son. When he said it at his baptism, he was confirming what Jesus would come to do. When he said it at his transfiguration, he was confirming what Jesus had come to do. When he said it at his resurrection, what was he confirming?

He did it. He did it. Now I tried to make that point. I thought that was way more interesting than you made out to be. He did it.

God the Father in the resurrection vindicated His Son. There was no doubt. The work of salvation really was accomplished through the finished work of Jesus Christ His Son. How do you know that? How do you know the finished work of Christ was really accomplished through His Son?

How do you know? Because the father raised the son from the dead. There was no doubt. The final and the perfect sacrifice for sin had been offered up. There would be no more need for the blood of lambs and goats, for this final sacrifice of a lamb, unblemished, has covered your sins, Christians.

How do you know? Because God made the tomb empty. There is no doubt that condemnation for all who belong to Jesus by faith has been swallowed up in victory. There is no doubt that the kingdom of God is upon us. There is no doubt that death itself is on the chopping block and will soon be put under the Lord Jesus' feet.

But how do you know those things for sure? I keep saying there is no doubt. There is no doubt. There is no doubt. How do you know for sure?

Because this King Jesus of Psalm 2 knows his way out of the grave. I hope you're seeing why verse 7 of Psalm 2 is so powerful. You are my son changes everything. Everything that this Jesus has come to do, This Jesus who identified with his people at his baptism and he prophesied of his atoning work at his transfiguration. Everything he said he would accomplish, he accomplished because up from the grave he arose with a mighty triumph or his foes.

He arose the victor from the dark domain and he lives forever with his saints to reign. Why? Because he is the son of God. Psalm two, verse seven, I will surely tell of the decree of the Lord. He said to me, you are my son.

Today I have begotten you Prophecy fulfilled in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. You know what that means then, don't you? If Jesus is the first begotten from the dead, and he is according to Revelation 1 5 and If Jesus is the firstborn from the dead and he is according to Colossians 1 18 If Jesus is the first begotten from the grave you know what that implies right there must be a second there must be a third there must be a fourth there must be a fifth there must be a whole lot more resurrection be getting from the dead all the way down to a thousand generations for all who belong to that King Jesus. For all who belong by faith to him who was first raised from the dead. So children of God, children of God, in your baptism, what does God the Father declare to you?

He says, because of the work of my Son in your baptism, he says, because of Jesus, you too are my beloved Son, and you I'm well pleased. He said that to his son, right? He says it to you. If he raised his son up from the grave, will he not then raise you? He must.

He promises he will. Listen to this wonderful passage from 1 Corinthians. Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who are asleep. For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.

But each in his own order, Christ the firstfruits, after that those who are Christ's at his coming. Then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when he has abolished all rule and all authority and power, for he must reign until he's put all his enemies under his feet, and the last enemy that will be abolished is death." How do you know any of that is true? How do you know that 1 Corinthians 15 that I just read from, that Christ is raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who fall asleep, and all that are in him will be made alive? He's putting out all his enemies under his feet and the last enemy to be abolished will be death. How do you know it's true?

How do you know that all I preach this morning from Psalm 2 can be trusted? Check the tomb. Empty? Listen. Is that laughter that you hear?

Where's it coming from? Oh, look up. Oh, it's coming from Mount Zion. There he stands in Mount Zion. Laughing.

The Lord laughing, scourding your enemies, scourding death itself. How? Why? Because there's a king installed on Mount Zion at his right hand. A king who went into the grave and gave death a really big black eye 2000 years ago and he told death to shut up.

There's a king who has now renamed dying for all Christians. He calls it falling asleep. Why? Because those who fall asleep wake up again. And all who fall asleep in the Lord Jesus Christ, death cannot hold.

The grave cannot keep because that enemy death answers to Jesus now and that enemy will soon be under his feet by the power of his gospel. Because Jesus lives again, our glorious King. So where, O death, is now thy sting? Dying once, he all doth save. Where is thy victory, O grave?

Love's redeeming work is done. Christ fought the fight, the battle won. And death in vain forbid him rise, because the Lord laughed. Christ has opened paradise. And all God's people said, hallelujah.

We're going to sing that now. Isaac, if you'd come.