Passover Psalms Day 1: Praise!
by Pei Zuan Tam
Easter and Passover is less than 2 weeks away. Passover is a yearly Jewish festival remembering that God rescued their ancestors out of Egypt and slavery. It is truly a season of redemption and renewal. No wonder God chose this time as the time for the cross, thus the day of Easter.
Our study today and for the coming 2 days will center on John 12, a story of Jesus celebrating Passover In Jerusalem. Like all other observant Jews, Jesus and his disciples recited the “Hallel” (meaning Praise) Psalms in Passover. Wouldn’t it be fun if we do the same, to try to glimpse into the mood and thoughts of Jesus in John 12? Therefore, we will study John 12 alongside Psalms 113, the first Hallel for Passover.
Our story picks up 6 days before Passover. Jesus entered Jerusalem in the fashion of the righteous King. The crowd shouted “Hoshana!” The air was filled with jubilant praise.
Scriptures
“Praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord, you his servants; praise the name of the Lord.
Let the name of the Lord be praised, both now and forevermore.
From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised.”
“Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.”
Lesson
God created us in many ways unique to all other creations. One of them is our ability to willfully give our praises to our creator. No other creations besides angels do that (Psalms 8). A little dose of godliness in us (Genesis 1:27) is stirred and we enter the moment of closeness with God with a jubilant shout, an outburst of song, a moment of silence in awe, etc.
A lifestyle of praise, on the other hand, is more than just moment-to-moment of highs and spirits elevated (Deuteronomy 6:5). Likewise, “the hour” for the Son of Man was more than the conspicuous hour on the cross. It marked the cumulation of years of faithful obedience (Hebrews 5:8); in fact it marked the first time since creation a man had not sinned in face of many temptations — the first man deserving eternal life (Hebrews 5:9). But the first seed of eternal life would soon lay down his own right for life so that “from the rising of the sun to the place where it sets” many could be born again with him into a true life of praise. All these were done for the praise and glory of God.
Question/meditation
Have you found a moment of Hallel (praise) today in your quiet hour with God? Are there activities and chores you do throughout the day that present you the opportunities to keep making conscious choices to glorify God?
P.S.
Some Bible translations title this section “Jesus predicts his death”. But look again at the text, what did that sound like to someone who believed in a warrior Messiah when he heard Jesus proclaimed “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified… anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me,” especially in the midst of the fervent crowd shouting “Hoshana”? To an itching ear, would that sound like a self-sacrificial king predicting his death, or more like the Messiah summoning his brave and death-defying warriors?
This experience preceding the “last supper” set the stage for many dramatic events to come, including Peter’s militant violence against the temple guard and his subsequent denial of Jesus. Food for thoughts.