lectionary.com

Christmas · Christmas Midnight · Year B

Psalm 96

Declare His Glory Among the Nations

December 25, 2026

Christ with Singing and Music-Making Angels (centre panel), Hans Memling
Christ with Singing and Music-Making Angels (centre panel), Hans Memling, c. 1487–1490Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (KMSKA)
The centre of a vast organ-shutter ensemble from a Spanish abbey, now in Antwerp. Memling painted the instruments accurately enough that modern players have reconstructed them from the panels.These psalms call for a new song and name the instruments, and here are the instruments, painted by someone who had looked at them closely.Hans MemlingA German-born painter (c. 1430-1494) who settled in Bruges and became its most sought-after master, with a calm, orderly manner that made him popular with foreign merchants.Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (KMSKA)Antwerp's great collection, strongest in the Flemish primitives and in Rubens, reopened in 2022 after an eleven-year rebuilding.Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (KMSKA)
LSB Three-Year Lectionary
GospelLuke 2:1-14 (15-20)Lk 2:1-14 (15-20)
EpistleTitus 2:11-14Ti 2:11-14
Old TestamentIsa. 9:2-7Is 9:2-7
PsalterPs. 96Ps 96

Overview & Insights

“Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth.” (Psalm 96:1)

The liturgy of this psalm celebrating Yahweh’s kingship opens with calls to praise stated in general terms (vv. 1–3). Reasons for the praise are then stated in terms of Yahweh’s incomparability among those claiming divine status, his past act of making the heavens, and his royal attributes (vv. 4–6). The liturgy then moves to another section calling for praise but this time specifying how and where (vv. 7–9). The final section specifies the content of this praise, which looks especially to his future act of judging. In response, the whole cosmos is to reverberate with praise (vv. 10–13).

From Sermons.com: Join Today to access the most scholarly & well written preaching resources anywhere.

Take it further: Psalm 96

Commentary

Psalm 96 Commentary: Declaring the Glory of GodPs 96 Commentary: Declaring the Glory of God Enduring Word · David Guzik

David Guzik's verse by verse commentary on singing to the Lord a new song.

Commentary on Psalm 96Commentary on Ps 96 Working Preacher

Luther Seminary lectionary commentary on Psalm 96 from Working Preacher.

Psalm 96:1 CommentariesPs 96:1 Commentaries BibleHub

Classic and modern commentaries compiled side by side for Psalm 96:1.

Background & Word Study

Psalms 96 on SefariaPs 96 on Sefaria Sefaria

The Hebrew of Psalm 96 with Jewish commentaries alongside the English.

The Church Fathers

Psalm 96 - Catena Bible & CommentariesPs 96 - Catena Bible & Commentaries Catena

A catena of the Church Fathers commenting on Psalm 96.

Questions preachers ask

What kind of psalm is Psalm 96?

An enthronement hymn calling all the earth to sing and the nations to worship, declaring “the Lord reigns” and comes to judge the world in righteousness, so even the fields and the trees of the forest sing for joy.

Prep at sermons.com

Ready to write?

  • Full sermons on Luke 2:1-14 (15-20)
  • Illustrations cleared for use in worship
  • Commentary, quotes, and Bible dictionary
Open it at sermons.com →

Trusted by pastors since 1995.

Free every Tuesday

Illustrations & Sermon Prep in your inbox

The coming Sunday’s readings, a cleared-for-use illustration, and a sermon-prep head start. One email, free.