Chris Tomlin had been searching for a while, without success. And then around the year 2008, he found it – a way to say “Jesus Messiah”, through a combination of very old and contemporary voices to whom he listened. (See this Messiah depicted in Michelangelo’s The Last Judgement, here.) This special name for the Son was one that only He could wear, and so that distinction stuck with Chris, as a soul-stirring idea that he evidently shared with three others in his circle – Daniel Carson, Ed Cash, and Jesse Reeves – so that their collective thoughts could compose something special, something reflecting this name’s exceptional meaning. Find something so unique, and what do you do with it? You might hide it away to protect it from thieves, those who might have ulterior motives toward you and what you’ve found. But that’s human philosophy speaking, and not from the God who gave His Beloved this unique title, a name not to be hidden away, but shared even at the risk of His own human life.
It is a perilous name, one that Jesus surely knew would make him a target of anger and even murder. And yet, He boldly embraced that destiny, and perhaps that was part of what drew Chris Tomlin and his friends to seek a song speaking of this name. Some might even say it was a heartrending name, because of its import of danger for Jesus, and yet Chris says in one interview that it’s a beautiful name too. Messiah can be thought of as anointed or chosen in Isaiah’s prophecy (Is. 42:1; 61:1), and Chris evidently had read some of Isaiah’s book as a stepping stone for his search for a Messiah song. His hunt for the right combination of lyrics and music wandered a bit, he admits, until one day when he heard Daniel playing a melody that struck a chord, providing the beautiful tune that Chris felt corresponded with the nature of this matchless name. It was the platform that Chris says allowed various other descriptions of Jesus -- in the lyrics telling of His various names and the import of His life’s purpose – to ‘amplify’ the Messiah idea he wanted to describe, but had been inadequate to express previously. He’s the ‘Blessed Redeemer’, ‘Emmanuel’, the ‘Lord of all’, but also the one to become ‘sin’, even though ‘he knew no sin’. The ‘name above all names’ did what others could not, becoming ‘the rescue’, and ‘the ransom’. So, in their lyrics, what Chris and the others did was to convey a juxtaposition of a divine beauty mingled with tragedy, from a human standpoint. He’s a person impossible to ignore. You get that same sense of fascination among those watching and listening to Jesus recapture and apply to Himself (in Luke 4: 14-30) what Isaiah had said centuries earlier (Is. 61:1-2). Initially, His neighbors ‘spoke well of Him’ (v. 22), perhaps many glowing with hope regarding the ‘good news’ and healing from physical afflictions and Roman oppression that Isaiah’s words seemed to indicate. And yet, in very short order, they became ‘furious’ and tried to ‘throw Him off the cliff’ (v.28-29). Blessedly for all of us, Jesus understood all things, and was willing to be ‘humbled’, to let ‘His body (be) the ‘bread’, ‘His blood the wine’, the ultimate sacrifice that was ‘broken and poured out’, as Chris and company remind us.
Jesus as Messiah, especially in His death, might be compared to an accident scene – something horrible that we dread observing, yet He draws our attention; that’s why we call ourselves ‘rubber-neckers’ when we pass a car crash site. Jesus might also be like the loved one we see dying in a hospital bed; we’re torn with grief to see someone we cherish leave us, and yet we cannot make ourselves absent and miss those last few moments with them. Jesus understands all of that, how my mortality can create such an angst about precious life versus its ultimate demise. ‘Love so amazing’ is what Chris and his friends write about Jesus in His Messiah role; this love is really defiant in description, this great thing He passes on to us, rather than keeping it just for Himself. It needed to be amazing to overcome the dread of death that even Jesus experienced in the garden (Luke 22:42-44), a separation he fervently wanted to avoid. That really says so much about the character of this love, which He passes along to you and me, if we accept it. Even the Messiah – the ultimate Chosen One, the All-Powerful – did his duty because of love. He’s the possessor of both a unique character and role – love and Messiah.
See a brief explanation of the story behind the song here (see it under FAQs 1): The Meaning Behind The Song: Jesus Messiah by Chris Tomlin - Old Time Music
Hear one of the songwriters talk about the song’s background (at 1:20 – 1:30, and 4:20 – 4:30) Chris Tomlin // Jesus Messiah // New Song Cafe (youtube.com)
Read a brief background for the song here: Jesus Messiah by Chris Tomlin - Songfacts
See here for information on the image of The Last Judgement: Michelangelo Buonarroti - Jugement dernier - Last Judgment - Wikipedia. This work has been released into the public domain by its author, Arnaud 25. This applies worldwide. In some countries this may not be legally possible; if so: Arnaud 25 grants anyone the right to use this work for any purpose, without any conditions, unless such conditions are required by law. 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. {{PD-1996}} – public domain in its source country on January 1, 1996 and in the United States.
No comments:
Post a Comment