Give Me Jesus -- Anonymous

 

Was this songwriter or singing group fed up with the world? We don’t even really need to know who this original songwriter or group was, do we? A person crying out from the depths of one’s soul that he/she just wants Jesus and what He offers – just “Give Me Jesus”, is the honest exclamation – could be just about anyone on this planet who’s ever had a really rotten, miserable day. Or, maybe it’s more than a single day; what if someone’s whole life is grim, day after day? That indeed could have led to this old spiritual song’s gestation and birth (See here the original “Give Me Jesus” music and lyrics, which were published in the Evangelical Harp in 1845, by Jacob Knapp.) Perhaps it was someone’s adversary, even a momentary one, whose retort to this person was a ‘take-it-or-leave-it’ attitude. In reply, he or she says ‘OK, I will just leave it, and you and this crummy old world can just have each other’.  You and I long for a better place, and a person-to-person relationship that cannot fail. What better person is there to have than Jesus?

 

This old song emanates from early-to-mid 19^th Century America, possibly via a fusion of multiple sources. Most often, one might see in published versions that the song has a notation that indicates it has an African-American spiritual origin. But, since it was first published by a Baptist minister in New York (Jacob Knapp, 1845), and four years later by Methodists (in 1849), it’s southern slave origin may not be genuine. And yet, the song’s alternate title -- “And I Heard the Mourner Say” – does suggest that the writer was desperately forlorn, or certainly identified with people in this emotional state. We could also say that the writer/s were reading scripture, particularly the episode in which Jesus rebukes the audacious Peter (Matthew 16:26) for trying to upbraid Him for telling the Apostles that He – God – would eventually be killed, and then resurrected. It’s a serious admonition that Jesus delivers on this occasion, telling Peter that he’s in league with evil, worldly forces (‘Get behind me, Satan!, v. 23) in his attitude. ‘Don’t give up your own soul, in order to have the world’; instead, ‘choose me’, Jesus implores Peter and the others. And so, in the lyrics of the song, a person’s choice of Jesus is not temporary or for only a portion of one’s world. The choice begins ‘in the morning when I rise’; overarches the times ‘when I am alone’ or have a ‘dark midnight’ experience; and then finds its culmination ‘when I come to die’. All of these life experiences have common themes for anyone who’s ever lived.

 

We all arise in the morning and think about the day that is directly ahead; we all seek companions for the journey, but perhaps find loneliness all too often; and we all must acknowledge our mortality, the inevitability of physical demise. Such thoughts can overwhelm and drag down one’s spirit. What’s the use? One might begin to sound a bit like the Ecclesiastical preacher’s first few words -- “Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.” (Ecclesiastes 1:2). But, there is a tonic, this anonymous songwriter responds – Give yourself Jesus. Choose Him.  So, ready for what’s next? Have Jesus in your corner, and that can transform how you regard the day’s shortcomings.

 

Read about the song here: Give Me Jesus - Wikipedia

 

See here for text and music for the song: Give Me Jesus | Hymnary.org

 

Information on the image of the song page: File:Give Me Jesus music and lyrics which were published in the Evangelical Harp in 1845.png - Wikimedia Commons…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, 1929.

Christ Is Risen, He Is Risen Indeed -- Keith and Kristyn Getty, Ed Cash

 

It’s a celebration, best used as the opening of a worship service. That’s how Keith Getty describes “Christ Is Risen, He Is Risen Indeed” that he and his wife Kristyn, and Ed Cash co-wrote in 2012, as a nod to their church fellowship’s historical roots and a reaffirmation of what matters most to such a group of believers. The title words of the song encapsulate what for centuries has been a traditional declaration and response by Christians each time they gather, but especially on the annual Easter Sunday, oftentimes captured in pictures or recreations of the event (see the Resurrection image here -- Icon of the Resurrection [depicting Christ having destroyed the gates of Hades and removing Adam and Eve from the grave. Christ is flanked by saints, and Satan is depicted as an old man bound and chained].) You may call it the Pascal greeting, or maybe the Easter Acclamation, but no matter how you identify it, this salutation is packed with meaning and an implicit acknowledgement: the Messiah’s rising supersedes all other events in one’s life. It’s just gotta be accompanied by an exclamation mark, or even multiple ones, since the phrase is actually two assertions…!!

 

Irish natives Keith, Kristyn, and their American collaborator Ed have taken straight from some 20 centuries of history the most important aspect of Christ’s life: his triumph over death. They had probably heard it themselves any number of times that they had gathered on Easter, and not unlike others, had decided that the magnitude of what they were celebrating could not be confined to that one special day of the year. Indeed, as they opened their bibles, they no doubt noticed that the events of that first Resurrection Day were not confined to just one of the books of the bible, but recorded in all four accounts of His revival. Particularly in the three accounts known as the synoptics (Matthew 2:6-7; Mark 16:6; and Luke 24:6), the first half of the song’s title phrase is told to unsuspecting women as the arrive at the tomb to tend to the dead man’s body. Shocked and amazed are perhaps too tame to describe what they must have felt when they heard this stunning news from angels that were there to greet them. The response phrase may originate with what two disciples heard from the 11 remaining Apostles when they returned to Jerusalem (Luke 24:34), following their own startling encounter with this risen Lord. None of us 21^st Century disciples have the advantage of eyeballing what those 1^st Century people did, obviously. But, we believe that day’s events have become the fulcrum of human history, and there’s just no way to overstate its impact, nor diminish our response. Calendars have been rewritten and countless lives have been upended ever since that day. Keith, Kristyn, and Ed have chosen ‘He’s alive!’ as their most potent phrase in the song, just one of many that recount what Christ accomplished for all time. It’s what can happen for all of us.

 

Try on some of these words and phrases that the three songwriters employ to re-tell the story: ‘…borne our sin through sacrifice’, and ‘conquer…sting of death’ (v.1); ‘joy awakes’…’dawning light’ (v.2); ‘doubt and darkness’ (until) ‘saw Him…hearts believed’ (v.3); ‘once bound by fear, now bold..’, and ‘life everlasting’ (v.4); and ‘power raised him…from the grave’, and ‘frees our hearts’ (v.5). The story does have its grim facts, but these are countered by the elation that thrills anyone who dreads the grave. So, a few ‘Hallelujahs!’ populate the lyrics, along with a reminder at the song’s end that Jesus hasn’t gone heavenward to merely sit and watch us, to be ‘glorified’ in a solitary way, but that ‘heaven’s gates are opened wide’. He’s done what only He could do, so you and I can join Him there. It makes you want to jump and shout. Indeed, He’s Risen, and He awaits us!  

  

 

 

See here for brief information on the phrase’s orgin: Where does the saying “He is risen; He is risen, indeed” come from? | GotQuestions.org  and here also: 'He Is Risen Indeed' - Meaning and Easter Origin (crosswalk.com)

 

Read about the song’s title history/meaning here: Paschal greeting - Wikipedia

 

Hear/see brief song story here at 2:00-2:17 of the video link: Bing Videos (Hymns for the Christian Life video)

See here for information about the Resurrection image: File:Resurrection (24).jpg - Wikimedia Commons  …Re: the copyright status of the image, the following statement accompanies it: I, the copyright holder of this work, release this work into the public domain. This applies worldwide. In some countries this may not be legally possible; if so: I grant anyone the right to use this work for any purpose, without any conditions, unless such conditions are required by law. (Image date is 11 December 2009)

Christ Is Risen -- Matt Maher and Mia Fields

 

It might have been an Easter Sunday, but as easily could have been any Sunday that helped Matt Maher and Mia Fields generate a song that proclaims “Christ Is Risen”. But since the song was inspired by a 3^rd Century sermon by John Chrysostom (see image of this Archbishop of Constantinople here), which was prepared for an Easter celebration, we can feel certain that Matt and Mia were also focused on Easter, even if the premier of the song did not actually fall on that day in 2009 when this contemporary hymn was introduced. Matt relates that this was an extraordinary sermon, not necessarily because of the preacher’s skill, but instead because of the great truths he communicated that day. And so, this 21^st Century music-writing pair wanted to echo what John had said some 18 centuries earlier. One doesn’t need to embellish the events to underscore the gravity of what Jesus accomplished. Instead, Matt and Mia seem to want us to revel in what happened to Him. Experience the overflowing joy, while gathered with the church, that we will all one day heed His call to mimic this resurrection.  

 

Matt relates (see video link below, in which he talks about the song’s meaning) that his ancient brother’s words said much to encourage the believer, including that Jesus used ‘death to destroy death’; that ‘Hell was fooled when it swallowed Jesus’ – it thought it had a mere man, but instead ‘encountered God’. Hell ‘took in earth and encountered heaven’. And so, there are echoes of these stunning realities in the words that Matt and his collaborator Mia have composed, including the defeat of death’s sting that the Apostle Paul used in his own words (1 Corinthians 15: 54-55, which were, in fact, echoes of what Isaiah [25:8] and Hosea [13:14] said, centuries before him). And, by accessing a 3^rd Century sermon to spur their own lyrics, Matt and Mia have reminded today’s Christ followers that we can celebrate now, but also be struck that we’ll one day rejoice with those of John’s era – in fact all of the saved from all time. ‘Come and rise up from the grave’ is a refrain that is paired with the words ‘Come awake!’ throughout the song, as if we who are still alive are calling out to those who’ve gone on before us; or, maybe we’re all just previewing words that we will long to hear in our own futures – words that Jesus will proclaim in a loud voice, and which no one will be able to resist. When one ponders that all of the human race, from all the millennia that will have lived by Judgement Day, will be there to ‘come awake’, is a ‘Wow!’ really sufficient to express what we’ll all be experiencing? Matt says that the thoughts of Easter cannot be limited to just that particular Sunday, but that all Sundays are opportunities – mini-Easters – for the church to gather and remind each other of this hub of our faith. Indeed, the potency of Easter is so great, that it cannot, and should not be confined to one Lord’s Day of the year.

 

If Matt and Mia have it correct, perhaps we should be singing Easter-like songs every Sunday! (And, in fact, I think we do where I worship – how about you?) But, just on Sundays? No, every day of the year, even 24/7 would probably not be really enough to tell how important this Christ-rising actually is. One cannot get in touch with this completely until one approaches his own crossing over. Funerals have a unique way of bringing me as a mortal to this unavoidable reality, and they happen to take place on all kinds of days of the year, not just on Sundays. So, if death invades my existence on whatever days it wants to, I need Easter every day on the calendar to counter this. Keep a copy of an Easter song, like this one Matt and Mia have given, nearby. That’ll be my strategy, along with a bookmark to John Chrysostom’s words. As John said from Constantinople to complete his message all those years ago, For Christ, being risen from the dead, is become the first-fruits of them that have fallen asleep. To Him be glory and dominion unto the ages of ages. Amen.

 

See the song’s story here: Bing Videos

 

Read about the 3^rd Century church father here: John Chrysostom - Wikipedia

 

Read about the sermon that inspired the song here: Paschal Homily - Wikipedia

 

See information about the image here: File:Johnchrysostom.jpg - Wikimedia Commons …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, 1929.