Praise the Lord! Praise, O servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord! Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and forevermore! From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised! (Verses 1-3)
And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Matthew 26:30
Passover. The solemn celebration of the angel of death passing over the children of Israel when God's hand struck the Egyptians with the final plague before the Israelites were allowed out of captivity. The joyful celebration of deliverance from slavery. A reflection on the miracles of a mighty God so engaged with and so faithful to His people that He used the nature He created and controls to force the hand of a mighty tyrant. The perfect lamb, slaughtered, its blood smeared on the doorposts of each of the homes of those trusting in the blood to hide them from the enemy who lurked in a deadly scourge over Egypt. And the holy hope of a Messiah, perfect, powerful--For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given. And the government shall be upon His shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there shall be no end (Isaiah 9). And each year the Hallel is sung. Psalm 113-118. And so it begins with "Praise the Lord! Forever and ever all day and night! Praise Him!"
Jesus reclined at dinner with the disciples the night of His arrest sharing the Passover meal with them. Their Counselor and confidant. Their leader and Prince. The exact representation of the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father. Who'd calmed the seas once again with a word from His mouth. Who'd rescued the sick and delivered those enslaved by demons. Who'd fed the crowds once more in the wilderness. Made food from nothing. Manna of a different kind. From two fish and five loaves of bread. Jesus spoke a new covenant of love and power. Written this time on hearts, not stones. The Child of Isaiah's prophecy, the God of the Passover Hallel, now sitting as the Lamb of Passover with His closest friends. Now as they were eating, Jesus took the bread and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, "Take, eat. This is my body." And He took a cup, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, "Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom." (Matthew 26).
And then they sang this hymn. As they did every Passover. And it began, "Praise the Lord, O His servants!" I'm wondering what went through the mind of Jesus as this took place. In the hours before He fulfilled the hope of Passover to become Messiah, murdered in a cleansing bloodbath outside of Jerusalem, naked and spat upon, the Mighty God of All. The songs of Hallel they'd all sung from their youth. In remembrance of God's mighty deeds. Jesus the very voice that commanded them to be--Frogs, come forth! Rivers, turn to blood! Locusts, come from every direction! Hearing in the melodies and feeling in the lyrics the funeral dirge offered up as praise. Jesus understood what He'd known centuries before in Egypt...there was to be another Lamb. The disciples were lifting their voices to God, thankful for the Passover deliverance, the taste of seder wine still fresh in their mouths. "This is my blood." Sealing a new covenant. Ending forever the need for a perfect little lamb to bleed forgiveness over Israel. Opening up the gateway for entrance into the Father's house--an eternal promised land. The nations between us and home, toppled in the war between our enemy and our Mighty God as the blood of Jesus vanquished the prince of the power of the air. No more Jerichos, no more marching around Mt. Sinai, nor more waiting for Moses to hear from God. The Lamb of God knocked down the door that separates us from the Eternal Father when He rose from the dead. "Come on in!" He cries. "I kicked that door down forever! This is your home now!"
Anticipating the victory, Jesus sang. It was still all before Him that night. The words He'd inspired the psalmists to write, He'd come to embody and fulfill. That one dark night in history. Separated from all the others, a dividing point in time. The Hallel written for such a day as this. It means praise. How fitting that Jesus should join those He loved in singing it together. How fitting that as Jesus sits now at the right hand of the throne of God to intercede for us, we lift our hands and shout from the rising of the sun to its going down, "The name of the Lord be praised!" And the promise? One day Jesus will hand me the bread, "This is my body, broken for you. Take. Eat." I will look into His face as He passes me the cup. "Drink all of it, daughter. This is the blood that bought your freedom." And there will be a twinkle in His eyes as the nectar of that wine sweetens my mouth while we celebrate together in our Father's kingdom.
And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Matthew 26:30
Passover. The solemn celebration of the angel of death passing over the children of Israel when God's hand struck the Egyptians with the final plague before the Israelites were allowed out of captivity. The joyful celebration of deliverance from slavery. A reflection on the miracles of a mighty God so engaged with and so faithful to His people that He used the nature He created and controls to force the hand of a mighty tyrant. The perfect lamb, slaughtered, its blood smeared on the doorposts of each of the homes of those trusting in the blood to hide them from the enemy who lurked in a deadly scourge over Egypt. And the holy hope of a Messiah, perfect, powerful--For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given. And the government shall be upon His shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there shall be no end (Isaiah 9). And each year the Hallel is sung. Psalm 113-118. And so it begins with "Praise the Lord! Forever and ever all day and night! Praise Him!"
Jesus reclined at dinner with the disciples the night of His arrest sharing the Passover meal with them. Their Counselor and confidant. Their leader and Prince. The exact representation of the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father. Who'd calmed the seas once again with a word from His mouth. Who'd rescued the sick and delivered those enslaved by demons. Who'd fed the crowds once more in the wilderness. Made food from nothing. Manna of a different kind. From two fish and five loaves of bread. Jesus spoke a new covenant of love and power. Written this time on hearts, not stones. The Child of Isaiah's prophecy, the God of the Passover Hallel, now sitting as the Lamb of Passover with His closest friends. Now as they were eating, Jesus took the bread and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, "Take, eat. This is my body." And He took a cup, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, "Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom." (Matthew 26).
And then they sang this hymn. As they did every Passover. And it began, "Praise the Lord, O His servants!" I'm wondering what went through the mind of Jesus as this took place. In the hours before He fulfilled the hope of Passover to become Messiah, murdered in a cleansing bloodbath outside of Jerusalem, naked and spat upon, the Mighty God of All. The songs of Hallel they'd all sung from their youth. In remembrance of God's mighty deeds. Jesus the very voice that commanded them to be--Frogs, come forth! Rivers, turn to blood! Locusts, come from every direction! Hearing in the melodies and feeling in the lyrics the funeral dirge offered up as praise. Jesus understood what He'd known centuries before in Egypt...there was to be another Lamb. The disciples were lifting their voices to God, thankful for the Passover deliverance, the taste of seder wine still fresh in their mouths. "This is my blood." Sealing a new covenant. Ending forever the need for a perfect little lamb to bleed forgiveness over Israel. Opening up the gateway for entrance into the Father's house--an eternal promised land. The nations between us and home, toppled in the war between our enemy and our Mighty God as the blood of Jesus vanquished the prince of the power of the air. No more Jerichos, no more marching around Mt. Sinai, nor more waiting for Moses to hear from God. The Lamb of God knocked down the door that separates us from the Eternal Father when He rose from the dead. "Come on in!" He cries. "I kicked that door down forever! This is your home now!"
Anticipating the victory, Jesus sang. It was still all before Him that night. The words He'd inspired the psalmists to write, He'd come to embody and fulfill. That one dark night in history. Separated from all the others, a dividing point in time. The Hallel written for such a day as this. It means praise. How fitting that Jesus should join those He loved in singing it together. How fitting that as Jesus sits now at the right hand of the throne of God to intercede for us, we lift our hands and shout from the rising of the sun to its going down, "The name of the Lord be praised!" And the promise? One day Jesus will hand me the bread, "This is my body, broken for you. Take. Eat." I will look into His face as He passes me the cup. "Drink all of it, daughter. This is the blood that bought your freedom." And there will be a twinkle in His eyes as the nectar of that wine sweetens my mouth while we celebrate together in our Father's kingdom.
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