The time and place seem nearly irrelevant, as one considers the words that Scott Ligertwood penned on one occasion to express some thoughts about the One he serves. It was sometime around 2011, and this 28-year-old and his wife Brooke were probably in Orange County, California (see the seal of Orange County here), a place where each of them were saying – in fact, had been living for some time – that “I Desire Jesus”. The words Scott wrote focused his and his listeners’ attention on the Divine One that he said he most wanted, and so directing one’s eyes toward this omnipresent being made his own circumstances seem rather unimportant. Perhaps that’s why nothing has really been said publicly regarding what Scott was doing or thinking to spur his poetry and music-writing at the Hillsong Church in the Los Angeles area in Southern California. You and I do not have to try to be important, as Scott might have said himself if he were asked. Just attach yourself to Him, and don’t let go, for that’s they way to be taken somewhere that you could never go on your own strength.
Scott and Brooke had both been serving at Hillsong for several years, so that is probably the most important reason for Scott’s motivation for “I Desire Jesus”. Neither Scott nor Brooke were raised in Christian homes, and yet they somehow managed to seek out Jesus as teenagers. So, desiring Jesus wasn’t just a song for Scott or his wife; it was something they had already expressed in reality. And being connected to the Hillsong Church, which has a global span with many branches outside of Australia where it began, must have allowed Scott to believe that the reach of Jesus into all of the world was achievable. And so, telling about Him and how this planet’s inhabitants should regard Him must have been pretty captivating. It’s a planet with so many problems, as Scott could not have missed as he looked at Hillsong’s worldwide ambitions. But, Scott did not let that depress him as he wrote. Jesus as the Precious Lamb (v.1 and 4) was the one drawing Scott’s attention, and what He did to ‘ransom me’, was the place where Scott opened the song for all to see Him. The ‘thorn-scarred brow’ (v.2), the ‘cross’ and ‘His blood’ (v.1), all had Scott mesmerized. He transforms all that ignominy into a ‘crown of victory’ (v.2), the impetus for the response we mortals are to give Him, the only proper way to regard Him whose sacrifice makes possible what comes next. Scott said he is ‘free’ (v.1), so an appreciation of that transformation drives what comes to full flower in verses 3 and 4, though it begins in verse 2 as ‘His Name … (we) esteem’. He’s the ‘Triumphant One…we await’, as we anticipate a moment when the ‘earth will shine’ and He receives the ‘glory’ He is due (v.3). Scott said he’d give his own life as ‘an offering’ (v.4), as he thought about how to sum up his reaction to this God-Man’s work. The chorus further underscores how the saved individual can respond – giving Him ‘honor’ and ‘glory’, as he basks in the consummation of His ‘eternal reign’. It’s all about Him, though Scott said you and I get to reap the reward of being in Him.
It's theologically challenging for mortals who’ve not yet arrived at the realization that they need saving. ‘Why desire Jesus?’, they scoff. And yet, Scott didn’t try to strike back in 2011 with words that were harsh, though he must have felt the sting of others from time to time when they rejected this eternal message. Just keep telling about Jesus, what He’s done, and what’s to come. It is a hopeful promise that He makes, and which Scott repeated as His ambassador. No one can miss, with even a cursory look around where we live and move about daily, that strife and all kinds of ugly stuff are standard fare here. And, getting older with hurts and incomplete solutions for all of those maladies – what are we to conclude? You cannot ignore what all that entails, and that is this: you and I need rescue. Scott and oh so many others have told us about the prescription, so are you willing to try it? It’s spelled J-E-S-U-S, and it tastes really sweet.
See a video of the song’s performance here: Bing Videos
Read some pretty brief information about the author-composer here: https://www.famousbirthdays.com/people/scott-ligertwood.html and here: https://cbn.com/article/bible-says/brooke-and-scott-ligertwood-teach-children-about-wonder-god
Information about the church worldwide in which the songwriter serves: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hillsong_Church
See information on the Orange County seal here: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Seal_of_Orange_County,_California.svg …This work was created by a government unit (including state, county, city, and municipal government agencies) that derives its powers from the laws of the State of California and is subject to disclosure under the California Public Records Act (Government Code § 6250 et seq.). It is a public record that was not created by an agency which state law has allowed to claim copyright, and is therefore in the public domain in the United States.
No comments:
Post a Comment