The Singing Savior
Matthew 26:30; Mark 14:26
How have you typically pictured Jesus in the dark hours of His betrayal? I think it’s been easy for me to imagine Him marked by a kind of tough, long-suffering resolve in the scenes of His arrest, trial, crucifixion, and burial. However, this brief transition in the Holy Week account gives us an important insight into the heart of our Savior in these moments.
Brothers and sisters, our Savior was singing.
This one verse sits between the euphoria of the Upper Room’s celebratory supper and the depths of cosmic judgment in the garden of Gethsemane. Jesus had already been betrayed by Judas, and our all-knowing Savior knew the descent He was about to enter into—the judgment of God. Yet He chose to gather these weak, unbelieving misfits into a circle to sing a very important song together.
So what “hymn” did they sing? (No, it wasn’t one of our favorites here at Grace Fellowship.) Historians and scholars say they likely sang from Psalm 118, which was part of the Hallel Psalms traditionally sung after the Jewish Passover meal. I would encourage you to read this psalm with fresh eyes. Imagine with me: the disciples gather together to sing their “traditional” song once again, yet Jesus, with a joyful shout, leads them in worship, singing these 900-year-old words:
Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His steadfast love endures forever!
The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?
I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the Lord.
This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous shall enter through it.
The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.
Bind the festal sacrifice with cords, up to the horns of the altar.
We know on this side of the cross that these truths can be about no other than our Savior. Yet on their side of the cross, the fog of fear and the weariness of waiting kept them from seeing so clearly what Jesus was doing. And yet, Jesus still sang with them.
He sang because He could see the joy beyond the cross. Though the clouds of Calvary were horrifyingly grim, the sun of eternal joy shone through it all—and this hope left our Savior singing. The same Savior who sang through His suffering now invites us to do the same.
You may be weary and ready to give up this Easter, but your Savior takes hold of your hand and sings. You may be struggling with unbelief, yet your Savior still leads the song. Whatever your circumstances, know this Easter: your Savior sings because He is able to love His own to the very end (John 13:1).
Brothers and sisters, our Savior was singing.
This one verse sits between the euphoria of the Upper Room’s celebratory supper and the depths of cosmic judgment in the garden of Gethsemane. Jesus had already been betrayed by Judas, and our all-knowing Savior knew the descent He was about to enter into—the judgment of God. Yet He chose to gather these weak, unbelieving misfits into a circle to sing a very important song together.
So what “hymn” did they sing? (No, it wasn’t one of our favorites here at Grace Fellowship.) Historians and scholars say they likely sang from Psalm 118, which was part of the Hallel Psalms traditionally sung after the Jewish Passover meal. I would encourage you to read this psalm with fresh eyes. Imagine with me: the disciples gather together to sing their “traditional” song once again, yet Jesus, with a joyful shout, leads them in worship, singing these 900-year-old words:
Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His steadfast love endures forever!
The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?
I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the Lord.
This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous shall enter through it.
The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.
Bind the festal sacrifice with cords, up to the horns of the altar.
We know on this side of the cross that these truths can be about no other than our Savior. Yet on their side of the cross, the fog of fear and the weariness of waiting kept them from seeing so clearly what Jesus was doing. And yet, Jesus still sang with them.
He sang because He could see the joy beyond the cross. Though the clouds of Calvary were horrifyingly grim, the sun of eternal joy shone through it all—and this hope left our Savior singing. The same Savior who sang through His suffering now invites us to do the same.
You may be weary and ready to give up this Easter, but your Savior takes hold of your hand and sings. You may be struggling with unbelief, yet your Savior still leads the song. Whatever your circumstances, know this Easter: your Savior sings because He is able to love His own to the very end (John 13:1).
Prayer: Our Father, would you give us eyes to see this Easter your faithfulness above every trail that faces us. Stir our affections and deepen our joy at the thought of your eternal love for us in Christ. Amen
Song: “He Will Hold Me Fast” Shane and Shane