But God’s faithful love endures forever

Matthew 26:30 Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives.

Psalm 136:1, 23-26

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!

His faithful love endures forever.

He remembered us in our weakness.

His faithful love endures forever.

He saved us from our enemies.

His faithful love endures forever.

He gives food to every living thing.

His faithful love endures forever.

Give thanks to the God of heaven.

His faithful love endures forever.

Have you ever wondered what hymn Jesus and his disciples sang at the end of the Last Supper, before they went to the Garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives?

We can’t know for sure, but it’s possible Jesus’ last song was Psalm 136, the “Great Hallel” traditionally sung at the end of the Passover Seder, after the Hallel (Psalms 113-118, the first two sung or recited at the beginning of the meal and the rest toward the end). The custom of ending with other “Songs of Redemption” (about God freeing Israel from Egypt) didn’t begin until at least a couple of centuries later.

Take a moment to read all of Psalm 136 (or listen to it, below), and imagine what this might have meant to Jesus. He had just explained to his disciples that he would be betrayed and arrested, his blood “poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many” (Matthew 26:28).

His faithful love [mercy, in some translations] endures forever, even through injustice, rejection, shame, mockery, abuse, death.

What does this mean to you, today, with whatever you face?

Psalm 136 Jason Silver

Psalm 136 (Your Mercy Endures) Greg LaFollette