How Could the Lord Sing at a Time Like This?

And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. (Mark 14:26 NKJV)

What Song or Hymn did the Lord Sing?

As far as I know, this is the only time we read of the Lord singing during His earthly sojourn.  I don’t know what song He sang.  In order to find out,  you will have to read the commentaries where the authors seem to know more than we are told in the Bible.  I suspect there is a reason why we are not told what was being sung because it gives us all reason to think about the setting.  It impresses us with the fact that they all sang together after breaking bread together and before the Lord was betrayed in the garden.  

Now most commentators think the singing was from the Psalms.  I would agree with that since the book of Psalms (or better the books of Psalms)  is the Jewish hymn book. However, did He sing a prophetic Psalm, or a song of lament or one of the songs that the Jewish people sang on the occasions when they were approaching the temple for worship?

Singing to Encourage When Trials Come

The Lord had told his disciples that he was going to be betrayed at the last supper in that upper room.  While the exact chronology of what happened in the upper room is not clear to me, what is clear is that by instituting what  we call the Lord’s supper, the Lord was telling His disciples that He was going to die and that they were going to experience sorrow.  They were going to be confused by the events of the next 24 hours since they were looking for a King and not for a  sacrificial Lamb.  

Now when I go to the dentist, I know that I am going to experience some pain.  When I had a wisdom tooth removed, I figured that I could get through it by thinking about the fact that the pain would be for an hour and then it would be over. In other words, I didn’t concentrate on the pain, I concentrated on the relief that I would have after that impacted tooth was removed.  If we think of the humanity of the Lord, I suspect that it was the joy that was set before Him (Hebrews 12:2) that got Him through the agony of the garden and the pain of the crucifixion. Psalm 30 verse 5 reminds us that weeping may endure for the night but joy comes in the morning.  The Lord’s joy came on resurrection morning. I think keeping the joy of the resurrection in mind would have encouraged Him when all men forsook Him and when even His Father forsook HIm.  Could that have been the Psalm that they sang?

Psalm 16 seems to be even clearer about the prophetic truth of the resurrection.  It says, “I have set the LORD always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will rest in hope. For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore (Psalm 16:8-11 NKJV).”  Think of it, God would not allow His Holy One to see corruption!  Perhaps that would be the song that the Lord would have sung with His disciples.

I cannot understand from a human point of view how the Lord could have sung at all, knowing what lay before HIm.  But He sang!   I wonder who played the harp or the guitar or the trumpets or the cymbals.  All kinds of instruments were used in singing the Psalms in the Old Testament, but this singing was from the heart and it wasn’t designed to entertain, it was (in my opinion) designed to encourage.  

We Should be Singing Now and We will be Singing in Heaven

The Lord was discouraged in the Garden.  He said that His soul was exceeding sorrowful even unto death.  But before he entered the garden,  He sang.  Apparently his disciples sang with Him.  There will come a day when we who are believers and who are truly saved will sing in heaven.  But maybe we would be stronger during times of affliction if we could sing from the heart when we least feel like singing.  Maybe our times of sorrow (and we all have such times) would be turned to joy.  

I have always been impressed by Christians who sing when nobody is around to hear them (I have come unsuspecting on Christians who are doing that).  I suspect  I should do more singing . . . it certainly isn’t my strong suit.  Maybe the sky would seem to be bluer, the grass would be greener,  the breezes would seem to be softer and the sun might shine brighter if we could learn to sing now before we get to heaven. 

Bruce Collins

Meditation for the weeks of March 1, 8, and 15, 2026

If you would like further conversation about the issues in these meditations, contact me at collinsbd@yahoo.com and I will try to accommodate you with a virtual Bible Study.