Passover Psalms at the Last Supper

Key takeaways

The significance of the Passover meal and hymns, particularly the Psalms sung by Jesus and His disciples, as a means of remembering God’s deliverance and establishing a connection to the Exodus narrative.
Psalm 113 showcases God's commitment to elevating the lowly and oppressed, embodying the essence of the Exodus story.
Psalms 114-115 highlight God's unmatched power over nature and reaffirm His role as the sovereign protector of His people during their journey from slavery to freedom.
The collective themes in Psalms 116-118 urge listeners to see their personal struggles and triumphs as part of a larger exodus journey, emphasizing God's faithful presence and love.

Summary

Exploring the Passover Hymn

The episode opens with Jon and Tim discussing the significance of the hymn that Jesus and His disciples sang during the Passover meal, which is identified as Psalms 113-118, known as the Passover Hallel. This collection frames the Exodus story and helps Israel remember their deliverance from slavery in Egypt, which they commemorate annually.

Psalm 113: The Theme of Humility and Exaltation

This segment dives into Psalm 113, highlighting God’s character as one who humbles Himself to elevate the lowly, including the oppressed and barren. The discussion features connections to the broader Exodus narrative, illustrating how God’s intervention brings about transformations from despair to exaltation, framing personal hardships as part of an Exodus journey.

Psalms 114-115: Yahweh's Sovereignty over Nations

Tim and Jon explore Psalms 114 and 115, emphasizing God's supreme power as the Israelites transition from Egypt to the Promised Land. The psalms poetically articulate how nature responds to God’s commands, reinforcing the theme of deliverance as a profound act of divine authority. The discussion shifts to the nations, encouraging them to recognize Yahweh's power and to trust Him.

Psalms 116-118: Personal and Cosmic Exodus Stories

In this part, the focus is on Psalms 116-118, highlighting personal reflections on the Exodus. Psalm 116 represents an individual’s cry for help and subsequent deliverance, while Psalm 117 invites all nations to praise God for His unconditional love. The narrative culminates in Psalm 118, echoing themes of community praise and personal testimony, reiterating that God's actions impact not only Israel but the wider world.

Show notes

The Exodus Way E7 — In Mark 14, we’re told that Jesus and his disciples celebrated Passover and sang a hymn before going out to the garden of Gethsemane. So what hymn did they sing? Rabbinic tradition going back to the time of Jesus records that during Passover, Jewish people sang Psalm 113-118, a collection of songs known as the Passover Hallel. In this episode, Jon and Tim explore these six psalms’ references to the Exodus story and what they might have meant to Jesus on the night of the last supper.

CHAPTERS

What Hymn Did Jesus and His Disciples Sing at Passover? (0:00-:6:15)
Psalm 113: Seeing With Exodus Glasses (6:15-14:53)
Psalms 114-115: Yahweh’s Power Among the Nations (14:53-25:46)
Psalms 116-118: Reflecting on Our Own Exodus Journey (25:46-34:58)

OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

View this episode’s official transcript.

REFERENCED RESOURCES

The Babylonian Talmud
The Tosefta
You can view annotations for this episode—plus our entire library of videos, podcasts, articles, and classes—in the BibleProject app, available for Android and iOS.
Check out Tim’s extensive collection of recommended books here.

SHOW MUSIC

“Small Town Palm Trees” by Mama Aiuto - Topic
“Penpals Perhaps” by Sleepy Fish & Coa
“Where the Streets Are Cold & Lonely” by Mama Aiuto
BibleProject theme song by TENTS

SHOW CREDITS

Production of today’s episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer, and Cooper Peltz, managing producer. Tyler Bailey is our supervising engineer. Frank Garza and Aaron Olsen edited today’s episode. Aaron Olsen and Tyler Bailey provided the sound design and mix. JB Witty does our show notes, and Hannah Woo provides the annotations for our app. Our host and creative director is Jon Collins, and our lead scholar is Tim Mackie.

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