Speak, and say the words that no one else will ever say
"When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law." (Mt 7:28-29)
"As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. 'Good teacher,' he asked, 'what must I do to inherit eternal life?'
'Why do you call me good?' Jesus answered. 'No one is good -- except God alone. You know the commandments: Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.'
'Teacher,' he declared, 'all these I have kept since I was a boy.'
Jesus looked at him and loved him. 'One thing you lack,' he said. 'Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.'" (Mk 10:17-21)
"'No one ever spoke the way this man does,' the guards declared." (Jn 7:46)
"Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ." (Eph 4:15)
Sometimes we think that when we speak, we must tell someone only part of what's wrong, or we might consider it more beneficial to lie to them. This, we think, is friendship -- we're not hurting them, after all, so we're being a good friend. But is it truly friendship?
Jesus' example was the complete opposite of that concept. Acappella perhaps put it best when they said: A man came to my Jesus telling all that he had done to fulfill the good commandments; he knew every single one. But Jesus said there's something that indeed he did lack; yes, the Savior told the truth, he didn't hold the message back. Tell people the truth -- do it in love, letting your conversations be seasoned with grace -- but wounds from a friend can be trusted. Jesus told people what they lacked or what they needed. Do you truly say the words that no one else will ever say?
Love, love like the world we know is over in a day
"Dear children, let us love not with words or tongue but with actions and in truth." (1 Jn 3:18)
"'Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.'" (Mt 25:13)
"'A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.'" (Jn 13:34-35)
As disciples, we are called to go out into the world and affect it, to love the world and to show the world the love we have known as children of God. This is not something we can "put off until later", as Matthew tells us and Jars reiterate. The world may end at any time -- are we truly loving the world?
I'm gonna show you love in every language
"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations ..." (Mt 28:19a)
"'So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life.'" (Acts 11:18b)
After his resurrection, Jesus reappeared to the twelve and told them to go to the entire world. Previously, he had sent them (and been sent, himself) to only the lost sheep of Israel. Now the commission is to go to the entire world -- to love in every language.
People have described love as the universal language. It is -- but love is an action. Are we showing the world our love?
I'm gonna speak the words that need no form
"Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us." (1 Pet 2:12)
Are your actions glorifying God? Love is an action -- but so is worship. Or did Isaiah prophesy about you, too, when he said "these people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me." (Is 29:13)? Is your glorification of God in words that need no form?
I'm going to give you what you've never had before
"Peter replied, 'Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.'" (Acts 2:38)
"His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness." (2 Pet 1:3)
When we were called out of the world into God's kingdom, we were given two incredible gifts -- salvation and the Holy Spirit. Since then we've been blessed to be children of light, given everything we need for life and godliness. These gifts cannot be found in the world -- they are only available through Christ. These are not gifts you had before you were baptized into Christ Jesus -- nor are they gifts given because of our merits. Perhaps this is the most humbling lesson a Christian must learn.
You're beautiful, and I'm weakened by the force of your eyes
"One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple." (Ps 27:4)
"But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love," (Ps 33:18)
Do you consider God beautiful? Why or why not? Would you be happy to stand in front of God, weakened by the blinding spiritual light?
So shine bright; separate the truth from the lies
"He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his truth." (Ps 96:13b)
"'All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.'" (Mt 25:32-33)
"To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, 'If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.'" (Jn 8:31-32)
"'I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.'" (Rev 22:16)
Jesus, the bright morning star, shines in glory; he will return and judge the world, separating truth from lie. A hard teaching, but an important one -- without that separation, we would still be in sin, and thus would have no hope of being with God when we die.
Another interesting parallel is that while we are in the world, we are not of the world -- Jesus separates those who are his from the world, so that while we are still in the world, in Jesus, who describes himself as the truth (Jn 14:6) we are separate from the world.
Tie me to a tree, let the smoke and ash collect
Luke 23:26-49. I don't want to repost it here, it's long.
The cross of Christ is equated to the Old Testament punishment of being hung on a tree (Deut 21:22-23, Gal 3:13). The line itself possibly refers to such verses as Isaiah 30:27
"See, the Name of the Lord comes from afar, with burning anger and dense clouds of smoke; his lips are full of wrath, and his tongue is a consuming fire."
and Joel 2:30-31
"I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord."
Such apocalyptic language is used in the Old Testament to indicate when God is going to punish people. The punishment for crucifying God's only begotten son ... ouch. Joel 2:28-32 is also one of the Messianic prophesies of the Old Testament, referring to the coming of the Christ.
No, I won't regret to let go now if you and love will let
"From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land. About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, 'Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" -- which means, 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?'
When some of those standing there heard this, they said, 'He's calling Elijah.'
Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. The rest said, 'Now leave him alone. Let's see if Elijah comes to save him.'
And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit." (Mt 27:45-50)
When his job was done and the sin of the world was atoned for, Jesus' purpose here was over -- God and the love He bore for the world could now let him let go, to go into the grave -- but as we know, not to stay there! No regret in letting go, because Jesus knew his Father would raise him from the dead to the right hand of God, that all authority in heaven and on earth would be given to him, and that because of that sacrifice countless children of God would come home.
Drown in mixed emotions, walk across an angry sea
"They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, 'Sit here while I pray.' He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. 'My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,' he said to them. 'Stay here and keep watch.'
Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. 'Abba, Father,' he said, 'everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.'" (Mk 14:32-36)
Three times Jesus prayed to God to take the cup of wrath from his hands. Mixed emotions? You'd better believe it. Jesus didn't want to be given into the hands of sinners. He was beaten, mocked, brutally flogged; a crown of thorns was beaten into his head. Before he even made it to the cross, his back was laid open and bleeding with the muscles visible; his face was unrecognizable from the thorns being hammered into his head and face; his blood was being poured out for many.
"When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, where they got into a boat and set off across the lake for Capernaum. By now it was dark, and Jesus had not yet joined them. A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough. When they had rowed three or three and a half miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were terrified. But he said to them, 'It is I; don't be afraid.'" (Jn 6:16-20)
Do I really need to explain this one? Jesus walked across an angry sea. I mean, that pretty much covers it right there.
'cause it's the cost of being free
"Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us ..." (Gal 3:13a)
"And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all .... But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God." (Heb 10:10,12)
Sin requires punishment; to be freed from sin requires someone else to take that punishment on themselves. What was the cost of our freedom? Jesus' death -- but also his life. Thirty-three years of walking the earth sinlessly, of performing miracles -- walking across a stormy lake being one -- and finally, drowning in mixed emotions, being tied to a tree, watching the smoke and ash collect, and last -- letting go, because his job on earth was done.
Now that I've thoroughly dissected the song, and probably rather badly ... comments?
-David
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