Sermon Snippet – Our Sorrowing and Suffering Savior Sings
INTRODUCTION – In Matthew 26:20-30, Jesus commemorates the Passover, remembering God’s gracious deliverance of Israel from slavery in Egypt. Our Lord’s precise fulfillment of the details of the Passover service is fascinating, but let us today focus on the fact that Jesus sang the traditional Passover Psalms, leading His disciples as was customary. As He sings these hymns, He does so with the full knowledge that in a few hours He will be hanging on a cross and that after six hours there He will give up His life and die for us and in our places. Let us consider a few of the words that Jesus sang.
1. PSALMS 113 AND 114 WERE SUNG JUST PRIOR TO THE SHARING OF THE ROAST LAMB AND BREAD
Psalm 113:4-6 reminds us of the grand humility of our Savior God: “The LORD is high above all nations, and His glory above the heavens. Who is like unto the LORD our God, Who dwelleth on high, Who humbleth Himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth!” The greatest example of this humility is found in the person and works of God the Son, Jesus Christ, as Philippians 2:5-8 explains. Psalm 114 briefly retells the account of the Exodus of Israel from Egypt. Verse 7 kindly commands, “Tremble, thou earth, in the presence of the LORD, at the presence of the God of Jacob.” The earth did “tremble” at the exact time of Jesus’ death on the Cross, as an earthquake struck Jerusalem (Matthew 27:50-52). The words of a traditional American spiritual come to mind: “O, sometimes, it makes me tremble, tremble, tremble.” Deliverance from spiritual slavery is eternal freedom to love and serve our Deliverer.
2. PSALMS 115 THROUGH 118 WERE SUNG AT THE END OF THE PASSOVER SERVICE
Psalm 115:1 reminds us that we have no merit before God – but we do have the Meritorious One, Jesus Christ: “Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto Thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and Thy truth’s sake.” The Communion service is not about us; no, Jesus said, “This do in remembrance of Me” (I Corinthians 11:24-25). Psalm 116:3 prophesies the passion of Christ: “The sorrows of death compassed Me, and the pains of hell got hold upon Me: I found trouble and sorrow.” Verse 13 points us to the shed blood of Jesus on the Cross: “I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD.” Verse 15 makes it clear that this “cup” is actual death: “Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His saints.” Psalm 117:2 speaks of God’s covenant love – “His merciful kindness” – a covenant made possible by Jesus’ sacrificial atonement. Psalm 118 includes words that Jesus applies directly to Himself: “The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner” (verse 22; Matthew 21:42-44). Jesus sang all of these words – and fulfilled them.
CONCLUSION – Perhaps the poignant power of these Passover Psalms is best exemplified in Psalm 118:24: “This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” Remarkably, almost unbelievably, Jesus sang these words on the day of His Crucifixion (the Jewish day was measured from sunset to sunset). Yes, Jesus sang these words – and He meant them: “Looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith; Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2). May each of us enter into this joy through a personal, saving relationship with Jesus – a relationship that is eternal. May we then together join in the Communion remembrance of our Savior’s sorrowing, suffering, and singing love.