01Read along
The study behind the song
Built on Psalm 118, Matthew 21:42, Matthew 21:9, Acts 4:11, Mark 14:26, and Hebrews 13:6.
This Is The Day walks straight through Psalm 118, the closing song of the Hallel that pilgrims sang at Passover and likely the hymn Jesus sang with His disciples before going out to the Mount of Olives. The verses follow the psalmist's path: crying out in distress and being set in a broad place, surrounded like a swarm of bees yet upheld by the Lord's right hand, disciplined but never given over to death.
Then the song arrives at the gates of righteousness and lingers on the images the New Testament seized on. There is the stone the builders rejected, now the cornerstone, which Jesus applied to Himself and Peter preached before the Sanhedrin. There is "Hosanna," literally "save us, we pray," with "Blessed is He who comes," shouted on Palm Sunday. And there is "The Lord is on my side; what can man do?", which Hebrews echoes for believers under pressure.
The chorus drives home verse 24. Because the rejected Stone has risen, today belongs to the Lord: a day to rejoice, walk through His gates, and leave chains and shame behind.
02Sing along
Lyrics
Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good...
His steadfast love endures forever.
Open up the gates of righteousness, brother!
Let's Go!
Out of my distress I called upon the Lord, and He answered me and set me in a broad place!
No longer trapped in the narrow walls of my fear, walking out into the sunlight of His grace!
The Lord is on my side, so tell me what can man do? Better take refuge in Him than put your trust in a crew!
Better take refuge in the King than in princes or power, He’s my strength and my song in the darkest hour!
Surrounded on every single side like a swarm of bees, pushed hard so I was falling right down to my knees!
In the name of the Lord I cut 'em off in the dirt, the right hand of the Lord does valiantly through the hurt!
I shall not die, no, I shall live to recount all the deeds of the Savior on Calvary’s mount!
Disciplined heavy, yes, chastened by love, yet He never gave me over to the grave from above!
This is the day that the Lord has made!
We will rejoice and be glad in it!
Open up the gates, let the righteous walk in,
No more chains, no more shame, no more weight of sin!
Yeah, this is the day that the Lord has made!
Open to me the gates of righteousness now, I will enter through and give thanks with a vow!
This is the gate of the Lord where the righteous shall enter, standing face to face with the grace at the center!
Look at the Stone that the builders rejected, tossed in the rubble, despised and neglected!
Now He’s the Chief Cornerstone holding the wall, the foundation of truth that can never fall!
This is the Lord’s doing, marvelous in our eyes, breaking every counterfeit, shattering lies!
Save us, we pray, O Lord! Hosanna we shout! Give us success as we’re walking it out!
Blessed is He who comes in the name of the King, from the house of the Lord hear the brotherhood sing!
The Lord is God, and He’s made His light to shine upon us, bind the festal sacrifice, His mercy is honest!
This is the day that the Lord has made!
We will rejoice and be glad in it!
Open up the gates, let the righteous walk in,
No more chains, no more shame, no more weight of sin!
Yeah, this is the day that the Lord has made!
You are my God, and I will give thanks to You! (Give thanks to You!)
You are my God, I will extol You! (We will extol You!)
Yesterday’s gone, tomorrow ain't here,
Right now in the red dirt, the Savior is near!
Eighteen to eighty-eight, wake up your soul, today is the day that the King made whole!
Don't waste another sunrise carrying yesterday's pride, step into the broad place where the redeemed abide!
From the narrow cell to the wide-open sky, lifted from the ashes where the broken lie!
No fear of man, no fear of the grave, the Rejected Stone rose up mighty to save!
Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, let it echo through the holler and the neighborhood!
His steadfast love endures forever and ever, bound to the Cornerstone, nothing can sever!
This is the day that the Lord has made!
We will rejoice and be glad in it!
Open up the gates, let the righteous walk in,
No more chains, no more shame, no more weight of sin!
Yeah, this is the day that the Lord has made!
His steadfast love endures forever...
Rejoice and be glad in it!