Matt. 26:30, “When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.”
The “hymn” that Jesus and His disciples sang here was likely the “Hallel,” which encompasses Psalm 113-118. These Psalms are rich and multifaceted, but a common theme shared by them all is YHWH’s deliverance of His people—especially His deliverance from the “snares of death” (Ps.116:1-4, 8-11; 118:5-7, 10-13, 14-18, 19-24).
How beautiful that is to consider! Before His own death—from which He would be delivered, not through avoidance of it, but through resurrection beyond it—before His own death, what a deep comfort it must have been to our Lord to sing songs that recount and promise deliverance from death for the one who trusts in YHWH.
In light of that, this picture is built on a “death/resurrection, danger/deliverance” motif. At the bottom the swords and spears of the nations (Ps. 118:10ff. There are five to represent Christ’s five wounds) represent the “snares of death” spoken of in the Hallel Psalms. The large, dark semi-circle in the background pictures the stone of Christ’s tomb, overshadowing the bottom portion of the image in “death.” However, above this is the dawning morning light of YHWH’s sure deliverance. The rising sun, which is also the halo behind Christ’s head, represents the open mouth of the empty tomb and so points to the manner of YHWH’s True deliverance: resurrection.
The altar of burnt offering is placed behind Christ so as to picture Him as the sacrifice bound with cords who ascends to the altar of the cross and from whom—as sacrifice—the light of YHWH shines upon His people (Ps. 118:27; 2 Cor. 4:6). Further, the altar of burnt offering alludes to the temple, of which Christ Himself (rejected and re-instated) is the cornerstone (Ps. 118:22). This new and true temple finds visual evocation in the form of Christ at the center with His disciples gathered around Him (like stones leaning against the cornerstone). The crucified and risen Jesus is the True Temple (Jn. 2:21-22, Rev. 21:22), and all those in Him are members of that Temple, built on the foundation of His apostles with He Himself as the Cornerstone (Ps.118:22, Eph.2:20).
