Victor's Crown -- Darlene Zschech, Israel Houghton, Kari Jobe

 

Their ‘vision’ defied what their eyes would have told them. There’s another way to say that – ‘Don’t believe what your eyes are seeing’. And so, try reading from the International Standard Version of the Bible when you look up John 19:2-5, and notice how it’s different than virtually all of the other translations. That’s apparently what Darlene Zschech and her two collaborators, Israel Houghton and Kari Jobe, noticed, and what spurred “Victor’s Crown” in 2011. (See here the image of Christ Carrying the Cross, and wearing a crown of thorns, by 16^th Century artist El Greco.) Jesus stood on its head what wearing the thorns on one’s brow typically meant, and what the Roman soldiers evidently intended when they thrust them down on His head to cause one more stab of pain to His physical body. It was also their way to poke fun at Him, to heap yet one more bit of ignominy upon His person. We can thank Him that He was capable of enduring whatever they did to Him, and in fact turning it all upside down.

 

Darlene and her husband Mark Zschech left the Hillsong Church in Sydney, Australia to become the pastors of the Hope Unlimited Church in New South Wales in 2011; it was from there just a couple of years later that ‘Victor’s Crown was written by Darlene, along with her collaborators. Darlene has shared in a video explanation (see the link below) the song’s inspiration, and what all that scene in John 19 has meant for believers. In short, his bleeding forehead and what would happen in the next few moments and hours were not the end of the story. The ‘final victory’ was in the resurrection, the defeat of death. With that, as Darlene explained, some of the lyrics that she, Israel, and Kari wrote describe what naturally results from such an amazing sequence of events. The ‘high things…come down’ and ‘strongholds…broken’. Pilate and the others, Darlene observed, thought their own power had been victorious; one has to wonder why they thought this way. Had they not perceived that He was more than a magician, that He had raised others, perhaps most notably Lazarus whom so many credible witnesses had observed (see John 11 and 12), so that His opponents even plotted to kill Lazarus too? But, they just didn’t have the power to eliminate all of the evidence; that’s what ultimately convicts criminals – they cannot erase all of the evidence. They cannot overcome because there’s too many evidence trails that lead back to them. On the other hand, Jesus has ‘overcome’, and He wants the evidence trails to lead inexorably to Himself. Darlene reminds us in the video that God underscores this point for us --- He’s ‘greater than anything anybody may be facing, and that’s the joy of the Victor’s Crown’. He doesn’t wear it just to help Himself; it’s for you and me, too.

 

The ‘Victor’s Crown’ really says it all, so this blogger doesn’t need to expound on it more here. Listen/watch it here, and just celebrate that what is sung is true, forever. Tell-show others that whatever dogs them in their terrestrial life, whatever feels like a crushing weight on their shoulders, whatever gnaws at their guts or feels empty deep inside, to get in touch with what the words of the song communicate. Bet your life on its truth.  Victor's Crown w/Darlene Zschech

 

See/hear the song story here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X100Fzd5PP8

 

See here information on the image of Jesus: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Christ_Carrying_the_Cross_1580.jpg …This work is in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 100 years or fewer. This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published (or registered with the U.S. Copyright Office) before January 1, 1930. The image may be found inside this link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crown_of_thorns

 

See here for information about the coat of arms of New South Wales: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Coat_of_Arms_of_New_South_Wales.svg …The author died in 1922, so this work is in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 100 years or fewer. This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published (or registered with the U.S. Copyright Office) before January 1, 1930. Find this image within this link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_South_Wales

The Wonder of Your Name -- Kari Jobe

 

Could she have been reading from a historical book known as Acts? That would certainly have opened the eyes of anyone who might have looked among its pages and seen what the people who invoked a particular name were doing. Kari Jobe would have seen that “The Wonder of Your Name” was pretty spectacular. Wonders almost became normal when the name of this God-Man was spoken by those who’d seen Him close up, as they told others of His authority. It was around 2012 when Kari was using His name, perhaps in a church in Southlake, Texas (which is in Tarrant County…see its seal here), to remind the people who were listening what it must have been like for her spiritual ancestors to arouse their hearers in a way never before seen. It’s been 2,000 years and still going, but this name still possesses the same potency. It’s not like saying a magical incantation. The power is in the person wearing the name.

 

It happens 19 times in the book we know as Acts, when the Apostles went about spreading the name of Jesus to those who would listen, and consequently creating quite a stir. The first time (Acts 2:38) about 3,000 people responded in a way that probably few or none of them would have thought possible a few days earlier. For them, watching someone die was not uncommon – there had been others who’d claimed to be special, even a Messiah, and then paid the ultimate penalty for doing so – but when this Jesus (a pretty common name at the time) actually came out of a grave alive and was proclaimed by so many witnesses, they found it impossible to treat Him as common. The 13 special messengers He appointed to tell about ‘the Way’ subsequently performed so many signs to heal people of physical disabilities that His name did indeed cause people to believe. That’s what Kari was accessing when she composed her remembrance that spoke of ‘the wonder of your name’, though she hasn’t shared what specifically sparked her lyrical creation. One can imagine Kari or one of her fellow believers reminding a crowd about His resurrection via Peter’s stirring words on Pentecost; or, maybe it was the courage of Peter and John, who refused to wilt before the Sanhedrin (Acts 4) when they ordered them to stop using the name of Jesus. Isn’t it odd and so very sad how even these religious leaders recognized the distinctive nature of His name, and yet refused to acknowledge its worth for themselves? Healings, baptisms, demon exorcisms, changed lives – the breadth of impact which His name and personhood inspired – undeniably testified to those who heard of all that was happening in connection with His name. That’s what Kari was also undoubtedly trying to communicate, and that this phenomenon is not foreign to those who hear the name today. ‘We are remade’ (v.1), Kari’s lyrics declare, as we hear of His name and the divine love that is implicit in its use. A ‘broken heart (is) renewed’ (v.2), once again indicating that His power, while ‘awe(some)’, is not used to devastate the individual; instead, His name and His nature are transformative for those who accept His message. Nevertheless, He can help whole ‘nations find the truth’ (v.2).          

 

Is there any other name that brings what His does? Easy question, right? His name brings ‘wonder’ and ‘awe’, words that Kari repeats for effect throughout, as if to say ‘I don’t want you to forget how we should regard Him’. And, it begins with Him rising from death (v.1), but doesn’t stop there. We who acknowledge Him can ask Him to have the same spiritual effect on us – and eventually the same physical effect, too. ‘Saved from sin’, ‘brought to life again’ are really weighty phrases that Kari uses to sum up why I should call out to Him. Culturally, so many people tragically mis-use His great name today, and that should not only make us cringe and frown, but also ask why that is so commonplace. Stop and think. Perhaps I need to behave more like His influence matters – to respect, serve, love, and yes speak the truth to others in a way that really makes a difference to them daily. That’s how Jesus got them interested. How’s real life going for you today? Jesus would want to know, if He were walking amongst us in 2025 A.D. He’s got you and me to ask others that question. Do it, and then tell ‘em in some opportune moment what Kari says about Him.     

 

Read about the composer here: Kari Jobe - Wikipedia

 

This site indicates the song was released in 2012: MultiTracks.com

 

See information on the image here: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Seal_of_Tarrant_County,_Texas.png …This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published (or registered with the U.S. Copyright Office) before January 1, 1930. The image may be found in this document: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarrant_County,_Texas