12. On Christians as the Outro of the Christ-Song

12. On Christians as the Outro of the Christ-Song.

“The Lord is the Song!”  (Genesis 15:2; Psalm 118:14; Isaiah 12:2).

The Song with a Body. There are a few ways to understand this recurring biblical passage… The Lord is the reason I sing. The Lord is Who I love to sing about. The Lord is the object of my singing. The Lord is Who we sing to. The Lord is the one Who inspires our singing. I sing because of the Lord, in honor of the Lord, in obedience to the Lord. Many translations put this verse as saying, “The Lord is my song.” But biblical scholars say that this passage could just as correctly be translated as, “The Lord is The song,” or even, “The Lord is the song of God.”

Jesus is The Song. So this important piece of Scripture captures the imagination as it makes clear that… Jesus Himself IS the Song. Christ is the divine song with flesh on. He embodies the Song of the universe. Jesus is God’s Song to the world. The life of Christ is itself a Song. The Christ-Song is a perfectly constructed piece of eternal music in the flesh. Just as a song is the composer’s method of self-expression, Jesus is God’s perfect and ultimate form of Self-expression. As our Savior, Jesus is the Song of Salvation. As the Redeemer, He is the Song of Redemption. As the Deliverer, He is the Song of Deliverance. As the Wonderful Counselor, He is the Song of Wisdom. As the Prince of Peace, He is the Song of Shalom.

Another I AM? Might we be so bold as to add another I AM to John’s gospel list? I AM the Song. The Lord is my song, He is The Song. This idea makes it practically sacramental. Christ’s claim, I Am the Bread of Life, for example, was fulfilled in the Eucharist when we literally welcome the Bread of Life, the broken body of Jesus, into our very being. Likewise, when we sing the Song of Jesus, when we participate in Jesus as the Song, He becomes a part of us, body, soul and mind. The Christ-Song is the spiritual music in our lives.

The Infinity of the Song. Just as music, God’s greatest gift to mankind and the very language of heaven, has an infinite number of possibilities, the Christ-Song has an infinite number of styles, applications, qualities, moods. So it makes sense that the life and mission of Jesus can be explored by taking a careful look at the elements of a song: the Prelude; the Melody; the Harmonies; the Rhythm; the Lyrics; the Bridge; the Dynamics; the Key; the Genre or Style; and the Voice. To study the aspects of the Christ-Song in the Gospels begs us to explore those elements of a song, any song. Hopefully, this study of the elements of the Christ-Song will make Him unforgettable, much like when words are put to music, they become unforgettable. When the living Word becomes the lyrics to a song, for example, much the same happens. Hopefully, embracing Jesus Christ as the Song will make Him unforgettable as well. The elements of the Christ-Song can be explored through those twelve elements of any song.

“Whoever believes in Me will do all the works and deeds I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these…” (John 14:12).

The Ongoing Outro. The Christ-Song is eternal, which means that it was never intended to end with the ascension of Christ. The Song that is Jesus does not have a conclusion. There is a lingering melody of the divine Song that continues in His physical absence on earth. There is no wrap-up of the Song’s main performance of Christ’s life. The outro, the opposite of the intro, consists of those who believe in Jesus and follow Him, who dwell in Him through faith, and are committed to be unique versions of the Christ-Song in the power of His Holy Spirit. It is the Spirit of Christ that enables the Christian believer to continue the Christ-Song, to maintain continuity with His life and mission. Because of the Spirit of Jesus, His music never stops. There is no fade-out to conclude the Song. In fact, it builds toward a crescendo called heaven.

“Every Christian is to become a little Christ. The whole purpose of becoming a Christian is simply nothing else.”  (C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity).

A Little Christ-Song Doing Greater Things. If each Christ-follower is supposed to become a “little Christ,” then perhaps each believer in the Christ-Song is intended to live out his faith as a little Christ-Song. But maybe Jesus implied with His “greater things” statement that each believer is not merely a little Christ-Song, but instead in some ways a big Christ-Song. Jesus seems to be saying that, not only will believers be given the occasional ability to duplicate his miracles, such as the apostolic community in the early church, but also that there will be a multiplication of His works as the Christian community expands. It is true that there have been miraculous works reported around the world up to this present moment, including people being raised from the dead and supernatural healings. But these “greater things” also refer to the sheer quantity of Christ’s works that can be accomplished around the world in the modern era. His Word is being spread globally through modern technology, and missionaries continue bring His life and Song to the outer reaches of the world. The Spirit of the Christ-Song is within all the little Christs who are able to produce the beautiful, powerful sounds of His life loudly and clearly, near and far.

A Little Christ-Song in Production. What does it mean to become a “little Christ,” to flesh out His presence as a big Christ-Song? How do we go about becoming a Song of Jesus in an atonal, discordant world? We certainly can’t assume the role of Messiah, but we can become little messiahs-in-training, Christ-Songs in the ongoing process of production. We do know that as the anointed Messiah, Jesus was empowered to be a prophet, a priest and a king. He completed these anointed offices of the Old Covenant and summed them up in the one office of Messiah. So it follows that each follower of Jesus is anointed and empowered by the Holy Spirit to continue the Song by fulfilling to some degree those three divine offices. Each believer has embedded within him/her the power and inclination to participant in His mission by being a little prophet, a little priest and a little king. These roles are summed up in that of a little Christ that does not develop a Messiah complex. It is not the believer’s job to be the one holy and anointed Messiah, the one and only original Christ-Song. Believers are called to be their own unique versions of the Christ-Song, to be servant-prophets, servant-priests, and servant-kings. Nothing more. Nothing less. Believers don’t have the authority or ability to be anything but little versions of Jesus Christ doing greater things than Him through His Spirit.

Fleshing out the Christ-Song, being the outro to His Song, means continuing His sound of living as a little prophet, a little priest, and a little king. That is how the melody of Jesus will linger on in a powerful way in His physical absence.  

Little Prophet. God’s little prophets don’t need to foretell the future, carry out miracles, or perform healings, though that may occasionally happen. But the servant-prophet can:

1. Stand Up for Justice. Einstein once remarked that the prophetic voice in society is crucial because “the prophet has an almost fanatical love of justice.” Prophetic work in justice could include advocating for those who are being unfairly treated or taken advantage of. It could be standing up for the life of the unborn or the elderly regarding abortion or euthanasia. Or it could be rescuing those innocent ones who are accused unjustly. Justice is central to God’s character and God’s desires for humanity, and so the prophet works to make things right according to the character and will of the Lord. A little prophet may end up contradicting societal norms, a prophet may be countercultural, but that’s consistent with all prophets in Scripture. Jesus was the Big Prophet, and we follow His lead by doing His prophetic work when we see injustice. As Yahweh told the prophet Isaiah, “Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.” (Isaiah 1:17).
2. Take Special Assignments. The prophets in the Hebrew Scriptures were often called by God to be living visual aids to God’s word for the people. They simply did what God asked them to do to demonstrate or spread His word. Prophets weren’t afraid to be unconventional in their obedience. One pastor recently heard from the Lord that he should preach a sermon each day for 100 consecutive days. So he did just that, and the Spirit moved powerfully. Another pastor heard from the Lord that he should simply read through the Bible out loud on his podcast, for a full year. He did just that, and it became the #1 podcast in the country. Prophets aren’t shy about doing something different or out of the ordinary if the Lord directs things in that way. Prophets historically are not afraid to do something unconventional if that’s what’s called for. Little prophets follow in the footsteps of the Big Prophet.
3. Speak the Word. God’s Word sooner or later comes down to justice and mercy. An act of compassion is worth a hundred words. So is a gesture of comfort and hope. Mere God-talk is not necessarily speaking the Word. Reciting Scripture in an inappropriate context or for selfish reasons is not speaking the Word. Sometimes, though, when led by the Holy Spirit, speaking the Scripture is a powerful tool of God to accomplish His will. Sometimes a well-timed and apt Bible verse or story has the power of the Almighty God behind it. When the spiritual authority of the Lord is filling the Word, it is as if God Himself is in the room speaking. In fact, that’s exactly what it is. Much like the biblical prophets, the little prophets now speak the Word in Spirit and power, not to gain advantage or gain a holy reputation. “My word that goes out from my mouth will not return to me empty. It will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:11).
4. Be God’s Spokesperson. If the biblical world was a classroom, God’s prophets were the visual aids. As the Lord’s mouthpieces, they were often called upon to be symbols of His messages. Since they were instructed to be dramatic illustrations of the word of the Lord, the people not only heard the word, they literallysaw the word. So prophets were often asked to make spectacles of themselves. Sometimes they went from being mouthpieces to megaphones in their actions. They were held up for ridicule, mockery and rejection. Because prophets were obedient to a fairly unpredictable God, they were often dismissed as cranks and eccentrics and not taken seriously. Prophets were often instructed to be living object lessons, so they had to learn how to swallow their pride and embrace public humiliation. Sometimes prophets did things that should be glossed over in Sunday School if not totally ignored. At times we have to wince when we read of a prophet’s antics, and we want to file it under “Do not try this at home.” We can often take a light-hearted approach to their street theater. In such cases we can take to heart G. K. Chesterton’s words, “He who has the Faith has the fun.” But other times their performance art is not mere comic relief. It is difficult and painful and definitely not fun. All this translates into God’s biblical prophets being spiritual live wires, engaging personalities, and real characters. The prophets may have struggled at times with accepting God’s instructions. But in the end they all settled into being fools for God.

Little Priest. “Like living stones, you are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 2:5). Each Christ-Song is called to be a priestly assistant, a soldier-in-training, as we devote ourselves to the High Priest. How can we flesh out our priesthood?

1. Be an Intercessor. If there is one word that would summarize the role of the priest, it would be intercessor. Help meet the spiritual needs of others by bringing God to them, representing the presence of God, by demonstrating God’s character to others so they know what God looks like and what kind of character God has. Help maintain God’s connection to people through Scripture and wise counsel. And holy living. And then through more direct intercession, bring others to God. Let the incense burn so that the smoke and fragrance go straight to heaven in your prayers for the people you know, or don’t know. Your effectiveness in the priesthood is heavily dependent on your disciplined prayer life.
2. Offer Yourself Daily as a Living Sacrifice. Read God’s mind by studying the Bible; Minister to “one another” in God’s name; Offer up sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving; Live a life of self-denial as you pick up your cross daily. “Offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – which is your spiritual worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” (Romans 12:1-2). The priests back in Moses’ system offered up lots of sacrifices that involved animals, grain, etc., but the priests following Jesus simply offer up themselves.
3. Lead the Worship of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.An often overlooked and underappreciated responsibility of the priest is to lead the way into worship through singing praises, and playing instruments, and dancing in joy to the praise of God. Priests were known to sing a “weapon song” as they led the troops into battle. Consider the method of fighting by king Jehoshaphat, placing a long line of singing priests on the front lines of what looked like an impossible battle with a completely overpowering enemy. “And the prophet Jahaziel said, ‘Listen, all Judah and you citizens of Jerusalem, and you King Jehoshaphat! Yahweh says this to you, ‘Do not be afraid, do not be daunted by this vast horde, for the war is not your affair but God’s. Go down against them tomorrow. You will not need to fight in this battle. Take up your position, stand firm, and see what salvation Yahweh has in store for you. Judah and Jerusalem! Be fearless, be dauntless; march out against them tomorrow and Yahweh will be with you.’ Then, having conferred with the people, Jehoshaphat appointed singers who were to praise Yahweh and go out ahead of the army in sacred vestments, singing, ‘Praise Yahweh, for his faithful love endures forever!’ The moment they began their shouts of praise, Yahweh sprang ambushes on all who were invading Judah, and that was the end of them.”  (2 Chronicles 18:18and 20:15-17, 22, NJB).

Little King: Christian believers are not the type of Little Kings that need to be in charge on some throne. They don’t need to rule over other people. They don’t need to establish little kingdoms of their own in which to reign supreme. Little kings are servants of Christ the King:

1. Have dominion over the created world. Believers, and people in general, actually are intended to see nature as their domain. We are to rule over creation, establish our reign over it, subdue it and master it. What does a good master, a little king, do exactly? Be a good steward of nature, doing our best to help creation flourish. We are to take responsibility over creation and exercise the kind of power that enables nature to grow and be healthy. We are to honor God by caring effectively for His handiwork, preserving the created world for His delight. We are to enjoy a God-ordained relationship over the created world, as God spelled out in Genesis 1:26-28:“Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of heaven, over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that moves on the earth.” 
2. Live as a Member of the Royal Family. Believers have been adopted into God’s family, and welcomed into spiritual royalty. So we need to live into that status, honorably, humbly, responsibly, as servants of the King. We don’t stoop to attitudes or behavior that are not worthy of Kingdom royalty. We don’t try to usurp the King in some sort of power struggle. We treat every believer as brothers and sisters, as members of this family, with love and respect, acknowledging together our gratitude to the King for our life-saving adoption through the mercy of the King.
3. Extend the Kingdom. We cooperate with the King in His desire to expand His kingdom. He wants ultimately for all to be adopted, and He wants us to work to that end. The King has anointed believers to tell the Good News of His reign to those who haven’t heard. When it comes to His kingdom, the King says that there’s always room for more. In fact, the King will keep filing adoption papers for all eternity if that’s what it takes.

Battle Songs. Remaining little Christ-Songs is vital in our inevitable spiritual warfare. Continuing the divine Song enables us to participate in the inevitable battles with the devil through singing praise and worship. Music and prophecy have a longstanding biblical tradition: “As soon as you come to the city, you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place with harp, tambourine, flute, and a lyre before them, and they will be prophesying. And then the Spirit of the Lord will come upon you mightily, and you shall prophesy with them…” (1 Samuel 10:5-6). Worship led by little priests too can bring down strongholds and defeat powerful enemies. The devil hates worship and runs for the exits. His demons fall weak in an atmosphere of praise as well. It reminds all these fallen angels too much of the divine Throne room. There will be times when the most effective weapon in spiritual warfare will be musical praise and worship. So little Christs, let us not forget our musical calling as we break through the enemy’s lines and declare a victory in the strength of the Lord Almighty our almighty Prophet, our High Priest, our heavenly Warrior-King. As we live out our calling as Songs of Jesus, let us not forget to sing.