If you knew your death was imminent, what song would you sing? Mark 14:26 recounts the end of the “last” Passover supper of Jesus with His disciples, and states, “after they had sung a hymn, they went out.” What was “The Last Song” Jesus sang before His death?
Pondering the same question, I spent some time reviewing Passover tradition, and through my Lenten journey in selected psalms, ended up sitting with the Hallel.
According to Jewish tradition, the set of Psalms referred to as the Hallel, sourced in the Hebrew word for “praise”, consists specifically of Psalms 113-118. Jews sing the Hallel at all major Jewish holidays except for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
While the bible fails to name specifically the song sung by Jesus and His disciples, Jewish tradition points to the Passover tradition of singing Psalms 113-114, about midway through the meal, with Psalms 115-118 sung at the closing, leaving the very last song, as Psalm 118.
a song of enduring love
Having read Psalm 118 many times, reading it at this point during Lent pulls me into the heart of Jesus in His last hours on earth.
Can you imagine the scene in the Upper Room? The fellowship of men who have spent the last three years together, coupled with an urgency upon the heart of Jesus to fortify them for His parting?
How fitting are the first few lines of Psalm 118 as they begin singing of God’s enduring love:
“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. 2 Let Israel say:
“His love endures forever.” 3 Let the house of Aaron say: “His love endures forever.” 4 Let those who fear the Lord say: “His love endures forever.”
Psalm 118:1-4
Leaving the men He knew so intimately weighed heavy on the heart of Jesus that last night in the Upper Room. Yet aside from having them with Him forever, (John 17), most important was to ensure they held fast His unfailing love.
Uniting His voice with theirs in the opening lines of Psalm 118 was a gift they came to understand in the years to come when they sang it again after His ascension.
a song of suffering
Moving to tones of discouragement, verses 5-14 both recount and foretell betrayal, rejection, and abandonment by those He came to redeem.
“When hard pressed, I cried to the Lord;
he brought me into a spacious place.
6 The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid.
What can mere mortals do to me?
7 The Lord is with me; he is my helper.
I look in triumph on my enemies.
8 It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in humans.
9 It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in princes.
10 All the nations surrounded me,
but in the name of the Lord I cut them down.
11 They surrounded me on every side,
but in the name of the Lord I cut them down.
12 They swarmed around me like bees,
but they were consumed as quickly as burning thorns;
in the name of the Lord I cut them down.
13 I was pushed back and about to fall,
but the Lord helped me.
14 The Lord is my strength and my defense;
he has become my salvation.”
Psalm 118:5-14
These words also depicted the grief and suffering endured in the Garden of Gethsemane, where Christ was pressed beyond measure with thoughts of what lay before Him. Yet no doubt He found strength in the ultimate victory God would bring.
a song of salvation
Nothing less than dramatic, the writer of Psalm 118 alternates between God’s love and goodness and suffering. Verses 15-21 invite us into the triumph of God’s salvation. Moving us back to focus on God’s love and goodness.
“Shouts of joy and victory
resound in the tents of the righteous:
“The Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!
16 The Lord’s right hand is lifted high;
the Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!”
17 I will not die but live,
and will proclaim what the Lord has done.
18 The Lord has chastened me severely,
but he has not given me over to death.
19 Open for me the gates of the righteous;
I will enter and give thanks to the Lord.
20 This is the gate of the Lord
through which the righteous may enter.
21 I will give you thanks, for you answered me;
you have become my salvation.”
Psalm 118:15-21
Imagine how these words fell on the heart of Jesus as they made their way to the Garden of Gethsemane. Not only do they whisper Hope in the midst of sorrow and suffering, but they speak of the Gate Liturgy required to approach the Presence of God established in Leviticus.
Only the High Priest entered into the Presence of God represented by the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle, and only then with the blood of atonement.
Jesus sang these words knowing on the other side of the crucifixion He would enter the presence of God with His own blood as the final payment for the sin of mankind. Paving the way for all the righteous to follow.
a song of sacrifice
From God’s enduring love and goodness to suffering, then onto the Joy of God’s salvation, verses 22-27 arrive at the somber truth of the cost of salvation: sacrifice.
“The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
23 the Lord has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes.
24 The Lord has done it this very day;
let us rejoice today and be glad.
25 Lord, save us!
Lord, grant us success!
26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
From the house of the Lord we bless you.
27 The Lord is God,
and he has made his light shine on us.
With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession
up to the horns of the altar.”
Psalm 118:22-27
Jesus, as He ascended the Mount of Olives to the Garden of Gethsemane, sings of the Ascension sacrifice as the ascension sacrifice.
The blood of bulls and goats never took away sin, (Hebrews 10:1-10) Jesus came as the final Passover Lamb, the sacrifice which atoned for sin once and for all.
a song of exaltation
Ending the psalm in the same manner as he began, the psalmist ushers in praise and exaltation in the final two verses for God’s enduring love and goodness.
“You are my God, and I will praise you;
you are my God, and I will exalt you.
29 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his love endures forever.”
Psalm 118:28-29
The last words of the last song Jesus sang fortified both His own human heart and those of His beloved men for the events yet to unfold.
The penultimate words of the evening sung from Psalm 118:28-29 echoed the depth of Jesus’ heart as revealed to the Father in His prayer in John 17.
Did these words echo in the disciples’ minds when they witnessed His death?
the last song of lent
I wonder, was the psalmist inspired by God to write this psalm so many years prior for Jesus’ comfort on this last night?
Though some lines clearly seem written for the people, how many were written for Him?
Reading the words of Psalm 118 immersed in the telling of those last hours fills me with awe, grief, and deep love for the God-Man who chose betrayal, injustice, and death for me.
How magnificent the words weave a picture of the divine omniscience, love, mercy, and power, with human suffering, betrayal, and grief.
Yes, as God, Jesus knew the beginning from the end, but as man, He sang the words not only as worship, but as consolation for a heart breaking from the weight of what lay before.
Perhaps the perfect close to Lent this Holy Week might be the reading of the full Hallel, Psalms 113-118. Linger with each and save Psalm 118 for the last song.
Then move through the Stations of the Cross as I outline HERE and pick up a FREE handout with the full outline.
Donna, this is beautiful. I hadn’t stopped to pause and reflect that Jesus may have sung a last song until now. I so appreciate this informative message with such encouragement within.
Visiting today from Let’s Have Coffee #15
Thank you, Paula, for your kind words, I praise God you were blessed by the story of the Hallel! Happy Easter my sweet friend!
Ps: Thanks bunches for sharing this with Sweet Tea & Friends this month dear friend.
My pleasure to join you, Paula at Sweet Tea & Friends!!
Donna,
I read about the Hallel for the first time last year. The idea that Christ lifted these words in prayer and praise breaks my heart. Yet the power residing in each Psalm cannot be denied. He knew victory was within reach.
Thank you for encouraging my heart!
Tammy the Hallel is truly beautiful, filled with tradition and prophecy, the richness of meditating upon the words, and the thought of Christ singing the words as the fulfillment of both tradition and prophecy is truly moving.
Donna, I never realized Jesus had a last song. It brought to mind the many times, while sitting in church, a song has moved me to tears or to the point of being unable to even sing. I will make time today to read Psalm 118 again, slowly, taking in the significance of these words in light of the Cross. Beautiful post!
Joanne, studying Passover tradition really enlightens what life was like for Jesus. As a Jew He surely kept the Jewish Passover tradition passed down. Sometimes we tend to forget what the culture really was like in those times, and the richness of the tradition is truly beautiful, especially considering Christ as the final Passover lamb.
Donna, I never realized that Jesus had a last song. What a wonderful resource this is and your stations of the cross. Thank you💖🙏
Deborah, spending time with Jewish Passover tradition helps me understand just what those last hours may have been like for Jesus. He observed the Passover tradition and surely sang the Hallel on more than one occasion in His earthly lifetime.
Wow, Donna … I will never read Psalm 118 the same again! Such a profound thought that this psalm may have been written originally to comfort Jesus as He became the once-and-for-all sacrifice for our sins. Beautiful post, dear friend. 🙂
Lois, I know exactly what you mean, reading it in the context in which Christ may have sung it on His way to crucifixion truly brings a depth of meaning to it. Thank you for your kind words!