4. The Rhythms of the Christ-Song: His Prayer Life

4. The Rhythms of the Christ-Song: His Prayer Life.

“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. To study the aspects of the Christ-Song in the Gospels begs us to explore the 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, 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 the ten elements of any song, including the Song’s rhythms:

“Tremendous power is released through the passionate, heartfelt prayer of the Righteous Man!” (James 5:16).

Settled into His Groove. Did Jesus establish a rhythm to His Song on earth, a steady beat in His ministry that afforded Him a divine tempo in His life? Yes, He enjoyed a lifestyle that had a pattern in His daily life, something that He would faithfully return to every chance he got: Prayer. The prayer life of Christ established the rhythm to His Song. Prayer was the foundational groove that produced the flow of His ministry.

The Song of the Ultimate Prayer Warrior. The Lord Jesus always was and still continues to be the ultimate prayer warrior. He prayed to the Father even before He was born (Hebrews 10:5-7), and He kept praying until the moment of His ascension (Luke 24:50-53). But He didn’t stop praying when His work on earth was done, for He continues to intercede for us at the right hand of the Father as we read this! (Hebrews 7:25). His ministry was largely a prayer ministry in the sense of prayer being the foundation for everything He did. He prayed for saints and sinners, privately and publicly, with His face to the ground and His head up facing the heavens. He prayed in grief and He prayed in gratitude, while exhausted and while full of energy. Jesus prayed with His dying breath and He prayed after He rose from the dead. He prayed before major decisions and during dramatic miracles. He prayed spontaneously and He prayed in words prepared thousands of years before Him. He prayed short, one-sentence prayers (John 12:28), and He prayed in at least one long prayer that seemed to encompass just about everything (John 17). Jesus developed a lifestyle of prayer that was common to observant Jews, but nonetheless uncommon in its intimacy with the Father.

Jewish Lifestyle. Being born and raised in an observant and orthodox Jewish household, Jesus was immersed from Day One on earth in prayer, in the centrality of prayer to one’s life and faith. Observant Jews practiced formal prayers frequently during the day, and spontaneous prayers throughout each day. They would pray the Sh’ma twice a day, the primary statement of faith for all biblical Jews, starting with its first line, “Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and all your soul, and all your might…” (Deuteronomy 6:4-9). Then there’s the Amidah, a series of 18 sacred benedictions that each Jewish father would recite at home twice a day, or perhaps each rabbi in the local synagogue. The Psalms were memorized and on the lips of all believing Jews, as were other classic prayers from the Hebrew Bible, most notably Aaron’s Priestly Blessing in Numbers 6:24-26, “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn His face towards you and give you peace.”  But by no means were the Jews content with all those formal prayers each day. The rabbis taught each Jew to offer up sincere blessings for just about everything in the course of each day, as many as a hundred blessings, giving God praise and thanks for every common blessing enjoyed. There were blessings for practically every conceivable grace and event, from successfully going to the bathroom, to waking up each morning, to the blessing of being able to retire at the end of the day. These formal prayers and the more informal blessings developed a habit of prayer in each earnest Jewish believer, and made sure that God was seen as the main reference point all day for everyone in the faith. The Jewish prayers were constant reminders of God’s grace and goodness, and made sure that each Jewish home and synagogue were cultures of prayer. Jesus was shaped and directed and nurtured in this Jewish prayer life, and since He was a faithful Jew, prayer was certainly second nature to Him throughout His time on earth.

Inner Dialogue. Few mysteries in the faith are less likely to be understood than the union between the Father and the Son. Their level of intimate, eternal communion is well beyond our grasp. “The Father is in me, and I am in the Father.” (John 17:21). The prayer life of Jesus has everything to do with their intimacy. Somehow, the Father and the Son were inside each other in Spirit. So when Jesus prayed to the Father, He was spiritually looking inward to the Father’s presence. Jesus was speaking to the Father in a secret place within Himself where the Father dwelled. The prayer life of Christ was an inner dialogue between Father and Son, a private conversation of two divine Beings who love each other. Jesus said that He would not even take a step without the direction from the Father, He wouldn’t say a word without the Father’s approval. Jesus placed Himself completely at His Father’s disposal, such was the level of trust between the Father and the Son. Certainly, Jesus was the perfect example of one who “prayed without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:16-17). Jesus’ prayer was conscious and deliberate, and it was also subconscious and intuitive. Jesus walked prayerfully every second of every day, out of devotion to the Father.

References to Christ in Prayer. In the Gospels there were many times Jesus was said to have prayed, without Him being quoted in His prayers. All these references point to the dominant place of prayer in Jesus’ life:

• At His Baptism: “Now while all the people were being baptized, Jesus had also been baptized; and while Jesus was praying, the heavens opened up…” (Luke 3:21-23);
• After a Day of Healing: “ That evening, the whole city was gathered around the door of the house… And in the morning, while it was still very dark, Jesus got up and went out to a deserted place; and there He prayed.”  (Mark 1:32-35);
• After Fatiguing Ministry: “But now more than ever the word about Jesus spread abroad; many crowds would gather to hear Him and be cured of their diseases. But He would withdraw to deserted places and pray.” (Luke 5:15);
• Choosing the Twelve: “Now during those days Jesus went out to the mountain to pray; and He spent the night in prayer to God. And when day came, He called all His disciples and chose twelve of them.” (Luke 6:12);
• Grace Before Multiplication: “Taking up the five loaves and two fish, Jesus looked up to heaven, spoke a blessing, and broke the loaves…” (Mark 6:41). Note: Jesus no doubt offered up to the Father the traditional Jewish grace before a meal, “Blessed are you, Lord God, King of the Universe, who brings forth bread from the earth.”
• Before Walking on Water: “Immediately (after the multiplication of loaves and fish), Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side to Bethsaida, while He dismissed the crowd. After saying farewell to them, He went up on the mountain to pray.” (Mark 6:45-46).
• Healing the Deaf and Mute Man: “Jesus put His fingers into the man’s ears. Then He spit and touched the man’s tongue. Jesus then looked up into heaven in prayer, and with a deep sigh said to the man, ‘Ephphatha!’ which is Aramaic for ‘Be Open Now!’ (Mark 7:32-35);  
• Before Peter’s Confession: “Once when Jesus was praying alone, with only His disciples near Him, He asked them, ‘Who do the crowds say that I am?… But who do you say that I am?” (Luke 9:18);
• At the Transfiguration: “Now Jesus took with Him Peter, James and John, and they went up on the mountain to pray. And while Jesus was praying, the appearance of His face changed, and His clothes became dazzling white.” (Luke 9:28-29);
• Blessing the Children: “Little children were being brought to Jesus in order that He might lay His hands on them and pray a blessing over them. The disciples spoke sternly to those who brought them, but Jesus said, ‘Let the children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.’ And Jesus laid His hands on them and went on His way.’ (Matt. 19:13-15). Note: As an established and well-respected rabbi, Jesus probably prayed the Aaronic Blessing over each child;
• Offering a Model of How to Pray: “Jesus was praying in a certain place, and after He had finished, one of His disciples said to Him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray like that….” (Luke 11:1)
• Grace at the Last Supper: “When the hour came, Jesus took His place at the table, and the apostles with Him… He took the cup, and after giving thanks Jesus said to them… Then He took a loaf of bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them…” (Luke 22:14-19). Note: The grace that Jesus had offered in gratitude to God at this Passover celebration was most probably the traditional Jewish blessings before meals: “Blessed are you, Lord God, King of the Universe, who gives us fruit from the vine.” And the blessing before the bread was, “Blessed are you, Lord God, King of the Universe, who brings forth bread from the earth.”  
• In Emmaus after the Resurrection: “When Jesus was at the table with them, He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized Jesus; and He vanished from their sight.” (Luke 24:30-31);
• During His Ascension: “Then Jesus led them out as far as Bethny, and, lifting up His hands, He blessed them. While He was blessing them, Jesus withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven.” Note: It is fairly certain that Jesus blessed the disciples with the traditional Aaronic Priestly blessing noted above.

Spoken Prayers of Jesus. There were also at least eleven prayers of Jesus that were quoted in specific New Testament passages, including:

1. “This is why, when coming into this world, Jesus said, ‘Sacrifices and offerings, You have not desired, but instead You have made a body ready to offer; In burnt offerings and sin offerings You have found no pleasure.’ Then I said, ‘Here I am, I have come to do your will, O God; to fulfill what is written about me in the volume of the Book.” (Hebrews 10:5-7). This is undoubtedly the first recorded prayer of Jesus, spoken even before Bethlehem, as He quoted David in Psalm 40:6-8;
2. “Our Father, who is in heaven, may Your name be honored and revered. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Keep us from tempting situations, and deliver us from the evil one.” (Matthew 6, Luke 11). When asked by His disciples how to pray, Jesus responded with His own brief summary of many of the ideas and patterns found in the Amidah. That’s the sort of thing rabbis would do. That’s why it is thought by many that the Lord’s Prayeris, phrase-by-phrase, a deep and meaningful glimpse of the Amidah, the heart of Jewish devotion and faith, the core of how biblical believers have communicated with the almighty God for centuries.
3. “In that same hour, Jesus rejoiced greatly and jumped for joy in the Holy Spirit and said, ‘I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have concealed these things relating to salvation from the wise and learned, and revealed them to babes. Yes, Father, for such was Your gracious will and good pleasure.” (Luke 10:21, also Matthew 11:25-26). The Greek word used here reports that Jesus literally jumped for joy when the seventy appointed missionaries returned from their journeys. Jesus received them with excessive joy, and He also exulted in the sweet irony of the Father’s wisdom in granting the mysteries of salvation to those who are often overlooked and would not be considered worthy of them.  Jesus was overjoyed that the Father finds such pleasure in giving privileges to the underprivileged.
4. “Father, glorify your name!’ At this a voice came out of heaven, “I have glorified it before, and I will glorify it again!” (John 12:28). Jesus abruptly called out to God, ’Father, bring glory to your Name!’” And the Father responded quickly with His own voice from heaven, saying, “I have already brought glory to my Name, and I will do so again.” What we have here is an intimate glimpse of what was surely going on continuously, a profound inner dialogue between Father and Son.
5. “Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, ‘Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.’ After Jesus had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out!’” (John 11:41-43). This resurrection miracle of Jesus’ dear friend set in motion the Passion that was sure to come.
6. “Simon, Simon, listen to me! Satan, the Adversary, demanded to shake you all violently as one does wheat, and have you people for himself causing you to fail! But I have pleaded in prayer for you in particular, Simon, that your trust in me might not fail. And you, once you have repented and turned back to me again, strengthen your brothers! (Luke 22:32). Knowing that Peter would soon betray Him, Christ prays for one of His inner circle. Sure enough, Christ’s prayer for Peter led to him being the first great leader in the early church.
7. “When Jesus had spoken these things, He lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, ‘Father, the hour is come.’” (John 17:1). Jesus closed His Farewell Discourse with the triumphant declaration that He has overcome the world, He has conquered it for all believers everywhere. He lifted His eyes and spoke the most important word in His vocabulary… “Father.” What follows in John 17 is the true Lord’s Prayer. This prayer is the hinge between His final instructions and His Passion. His High Priestly Prayer, His longest recorded prayer, is lifted up intimately to the Father. No one has to wonder what was on the Lord’s mind just before the Passion. This prayer is what was in His heart at this defining moment. He tenderly, powerfully prayed for Himself, for His Apostles, and all believers in His future Church. Since there is such a precise recording of Jesus’ prayer, He knowingly prayed within earshot of the disciples, or at least within the hearing of St. John, the disciple whom Jesus loved. If we needed convincing, Jesus presents Himself in His prayer as the Great Intercessor, a role He has relished and continues to practice to this day.
8. “… And He went a little beyond them, and fell fully prostrate to the ground, and began to pray that if it were possible, the hour might pass Him by. And He was saying, ‘Abba! Father! All things are possible for You; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what You will.’” (Mark 14:33-36; also refer to Matt. 26:36-39). Weaving together the three Gethsemane texts, the prayer of Jesus, that he repeated three times to the Father, may have looked like this: “Abba Father, Papa in Heaven, I know that all things are possible for You. Could You please take this cup of suffering away from me? If this cup cannot pass away from me unless I drink it myself, Your will be done above all else. It is not my will, Father, but Your will be done.” ‘Abba’ reveals how the Son thought about His Father, using an Aramaic term of respect, honor, and intimate familiarity.
9. “Father, forgive them, for they don’t understand what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34). Many readers of this passage have asked a question: Who was Jesus thinking of when He asked the Father to forgive “them?” Who is “them?” Jesus, gasping for every breath on the Cross, is begging the Father to release the sins of those who put Him there in the first place. Jesus seems to be asking the Father not to charge certain people with the depravity involved with killing the very Son of God. Jesus is pleading with the Father to overlook the wrongs of these perpetrators, since they do not understand the profound role they play in this cosmic drama. These abusers and traitors simply can’t grasp this deep mystery, and how they are part of God’s grand scheme of prophecy fulfillment and eternal salvation. His prayer was profoundly merciful, mouthing those words as he gasped for air. His Spirit of grace simply overflowed as He convulsed in pain. Many Biblical scholars claim that the Greek text implies a repetitive action, that His prayer on the cross was not a one-time prayer. Jesus evidently continued praying this prayer of forgiveness. He kept asking the Father to forgive all those who had done Him wrong during His Passion.  One can easily imagine Jesus, in his depleted, exhausted mind, hanging on the cross, mentally going through an inventory of who needs to be forgiven. In his continuing prayer, Jesus considered everyone who had a hand in the sacrifice of the Innocent One… His disciples for running away when He needed them most; Judas for his betrayal; Anna, Caiaphas, and all the religious authorities for their political compromise; the Sanhedrin for their spiritual blindness; Peter for his denials; Pilate for his weakness; Herod for his mockery; the Roman soldiers for their torture and execution; all mankind for our rebellion and sin.
10. “My God! My God! Why have you forsaken me!” (Matthew 27:46; also refer to Psalm 22). Jesus was not ever abandoned by God, ever. That is unthinkable. They share an unbreakable, eternal bond of love. The relationship enjoyed between the Father and the Son was indivisible. They couldn’t be separated by anything in any way. On the Cross, Jesus was humanly distressed but not in spiritual despair. Notice that Jesus cried out, “My God! My God! Their relationship was intact, and the Son remained convinced that the Father was indeed His, even while He lay dying. In fact, Jesus on the Cross did what observant Jews tended to do… When a Bible verse from the Hebrew Bible was quoted, it was considered a topic sentence of a larger passage. The first line of a portion of Scripture served as the working title of the extended passage, just a start of further discussion. The Jewish listener was trained to continue that first line by reciting the entire passage to the end. When Jesus cried out the first line of Psalm 22, either He continued reciting that prophetic psalm to the end, or He intended for those who were listening to complete it. One tradition has Jesus starting Psalm 22 with His cry of abandonment, and then continuing to recite that psalm aloud to the very end, right there on the Cross. And what would have been brought to mind by listening to Jesus recite Psalm 22? “I will declare Your name to my kinsmen; in the congregation I will praise You. You who fear the Lord God, praise Him! All you descendants of Jacob, honor Him! Revere Him, all you descendants of Israel! For He has not despised or disdained the suffering of the Afflicted One; He has not hidden His face from Him but has listened to His cry for help… Those who seek the Lord God will praise Him; Your hearts will enjoy Him forever!”(Ps. 22:22-24, 26).  No, the Father didn’t turn His back on his Son. The Son wasn’t a temporary orphan. There can be no division of the indivisible. Jesus closed His testimony on the Cross by stating that He was the fulfillment of Psalm 22, all of it, from beginning to end! Jesus didn’t end His human life with a whimper but with a bang, with joyful confidence and a triumphant sense of final victory.
11. “Father, into Your hands I commit my spirit!” (Luke 23:46; also refer to Psalm 31:5). With these dying words, the Son places His trust in the Father for protection. Jesus finds overwhelming comfort in being able to confidently place his human spirit into the Father’s strong hands. He is sharing with the Father that He will soon be returning to the Father’s side in the throne room. This is Christ’s testimony of faith in the Father, that the Father is safeguarding the human side of Jesus in heaven until His glorification. These profound words of trust in the Father have been translated in different ways… Into Your hands I commend my spirit; I place my life in Your hands, Father; Father, I give you my very life; I surrender my spirit, Father, into Your hands.