Some have reflected on the simple thought that the Psalms, all of them, would have been on the lips of Jesus. As a Jew worshipping in local synagogues, the psalms were almost certainly well known to and sung by Jesus. It’s a marvellous thought to think of The Man and Creator of all, adding His voice to the choir of God’s people as they were gathered in a particular place and time. And it is perhaps an even greater marvel when we consider Jesus, in his darkest moments of anguish upon the cross, choosing the opening line of Psalm 22 to express what He was experiencing: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mt 27:46 – Ps 22:1) or from Psalm 31, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” (Lk 23:46 – Ps 31:5) or the echo of the final words of Psalm 22, “he has done it.” in Jesus statement in John’s gospel, “It is finished.” (Jn 19:30 – Ps 22:31).
On the lips of the King, this ‘songbook for the kingdom’ is more than a glossy unused guide through the terrain […]
