Immanuel – God with us

Det er adventstid og tid for julemusikk. For mange begynte sikkert ikke julesangene å ljome fra høytalerne før 1. Desember. Personlig må jeg innrømme at jeg tjuvstarta litt for å skaffe materiale til en julespilleliste på spotify. Jeg liker litt alternative arrangement på julesanger og måtte derfor lage en egen spilleliste i tillegg til iTro sin julespilleliste.

På denne oppdagelsesferden  gjennom spotify sin julekatalog kom jeg over flere sanger som bestod auditionen til spillelisten min – og mange mindre bra sanger. Blant de få sangene som klarte å fange oppmerksomheten min var “God With Us”. Jaja, sang og sang, det kan jo diskuteres. Den beste sjangeravgrensningen er vel “spoken word”. Normalt sett en sjanger jeg ikke bruker så mye tid på, det blir for alternativt til og med for meg. Men jeg kunne ikke unngå å bli fascinert av denne her.

Jeg lar “sangen”  tale for seg selv. Hvis du ikke får med deg teksten har du kastet bort 5 minutter og 10 sekunder av dagen, derfor har jeg lagt ved hele teksten under slik at du kan lese mens du hører den på spotify. Eller, hvis du er større fan av visuelle virkemidler, kan du se videoen (litt dårligere opptak, men teksten er den samme).

GOD WITH US 

Poem by Isaac Wimberley

The people had read of this rescue that was coming through the bloodline of Abraham

They had seen where Micah proclaimed about a ruler to be born in Bethlehem

Daniel prophesy about the restoration of Jerusalem

Isaiah’s cry about the Son of God coming to them

So for them—it was anticipation

This groaning was growing, generation after generation

Knowing He was holy, no matter what the situation

But they longed for Him

They yearned for Him

They waited for Him on the edge of their seat

On the edge of where excitement and containment meet

They waited

Like a child watches out the window for their father to return from work—they waited

Like a groom stares at the double doors at the back of the church—they waited

And in their waiting, they had hope

Hope that was fully pledged to a God they had not seen

To a God who had promised a King

A King who would reign over the enemy

Over Satan’s tyranny

They waited

So it was

Centuries of expectations, with various combinations of differing schools of thought

Some people expecting a political king who would rise to the throne through the wars that he fought

While others expecting a priest who would restore peace through the penetration of the Pharisee’s façade

Yet a baby—100% human, 100% God

So the Word became flesh and was here to dwell among us

In His fullness, grace upon grace, Jesus

Through Him and for Him, all things were created

And in Him all things are sustained

God had made Himself known for the glory of His name

And this child would one day rise as King

But it would not be by the sword or an insurgent regime

It would be by His life

A life that would revolutionize everything the world knew

He would endure temptation and persecution, all while staying true

Humbly healing the broken, the sick and hurting too

Ministering reconciliation, turning the old to new

A life that would be the very definition of what life really costs

Saying—if you desire life, then your current one must be lost

And He would portray that with His own life as His Father would pour out and exhaust

And Jesus would be obedient to the point of death, even death upon the cross

So just 33 years after the day that He laid swaddled in the hay

He hung on a tree suffocating, dying in our place

Absorbing wrath that is rightly ours, but we could never bear the weight

So He took that punishment and he put it in the grave

And He died

And when I say that He died, what I mean is that He died

No breath, no heart beat, no sign of life

God is a God of justice, and the penalty for our sin equals death

That’s what Christ did on that cross

Then… On the third day, in accordance with scriptures, He was raised from the grave

And when I say that He was raised, what I mean is that He was raised

Lungs breathing, heart pumping, blood pulsing through His veins

The things that He promised were true

He is the risen Son of God, offering life to me and you

Turning our mourning into dancing

Our weeping into laughing

Our sadness into joy

By His mercy, we are called His own

By His grace, we will never be left alone

By His love, He is preparing our home

By His blood, we can sing before His throne

Jesus paid it all

All to Him I owe

Sin had left a crimson stain

He washed it white as snow

So now we, as His bride, are the ones waiting

Like the saints that came before, we’re anticipating

He has shown us that this world is fading

And He has caused our desire to be for Him

So church, stay ready

Keep your heart focused and your eyes steady

Worship Him freely, never forgetting

His great love for you

Immanuel, God with us 

Foto: Skjermbilde