Mark 14:23-26

“Then He took the cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. And He said to them, ‘This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many. Assuredly, I say to you, I will no longer drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.’ And when they had sung [h]a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.” Mark 14:23-36

It wasn’t unusual for Jesus to pray over a meal. Even during this special last supper, He never forgot to thank God. Some things that we do are routine. We’re doing it because it’s the right thing to do, and we’re almost on auto-pilot.

That’s not to say that the Lord Jesus wasn’t genuine in His giving of thanks. What’s most surprising is that He chose to sing hymns on the way out to the Garden. He had just confirmed that Judas would betray Him and that all the disciples would scatter by the end of the night. He also knew that He was headed for the worst night anyone had ever experienced. What lied ahead was mocking, scorn, beatings, humiliation, and the cross. No one would be able to take His place.

Yet, Jesus sang the hymn with the disciples. More specifically, it would have been customary to sing Psalm 136 after the Passover Supper. “Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.” He was able to will His mind, heart, and lips to praise God even through the trials that lay ahead for Him.

We’ve all been abandoned, and we’ve all experienced pain. Sometimes even worse is the anxiety before we walk through something. Knowing that you’re headed for calamity is even more challenging to deal with, yet we are not alone. Jesus praised God in the storm. He gave thanks and sang to the One He loved. Never lose sight of that. We have our praise, and we have the power to thank God even in the face of terror.