For May 20th:

“When they had sung the hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.” Mark 14:26

“The Last Supper likely concluded sometime just before midnight. Jesus had broken bread with the disciples, washed their feet, predicted Judas’ betrayal, and taught the disciples the final lessons he wanted them to learn before his death. Now he was preparing to lead them across the Kidron Valley to the garden of Gethsemane, where he knew he would be arrested. The end was drawing near. Yet there was one last thing he and his disciples did at the supper before beginning the journey to Gethsemane: They sang a hymn together.

            The hymn that traditionally closes the Passover Seder, and hence the hymn that Mark likely refers to in this passage, is Psalm 118. This hymn begins and ends with the words ‘O Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;/ his steadfast love endures forever!’ (Psalm 118:1, 29). The psalm is an invitation to trust God even in the face of enemies that would destroy. With the singing of these words, Jesus prepared himself and his disciples for what lay ahead.

            Singing praise to God in the face of adversity is an act of defiance toward evil. It is also an act of trust in God, one that gives strength, peace, and hope. By singing praise to God in the face of hardship or even death, we are saying, ‘No matter what happens, no matter how bad things may be, I will trust in God to deliver me.’ As Jesus approached his death, he sang a hymn of praise to God…”

Adam Hamilton, 24 Hours That Changed the World, 2009