Jeremy L. Berg

As the OT comes to a close, God’s plan to bring a tone-deaf and clumsy footed people back into the harmonious rhythms of The Father’s Song seems a giant failure. If only these notes on a page could become music in one’s ear.  If only someone could learn to play each note perfectly, perhaps the world would be irresistibly drawn to the music and join in the chorus. If only someone could breathe life into the sheet music and make it dance like those dry bones did in Ezekiel’s vision. If only the Word, God’s very wisdom, power and purposes, could become flesh and dwell among us.

Enter Jesus.

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).  This shocking statement brings us to the climactic point of “The Father’s Song” survey of the Bible.

Jesus came to live among us as The Father’s Song incarnate. Jesus came as the fulfillment of the Law — God’s written will perfectly accomplished in his life. Jesus did what Israel had failed to do so many times: he lived is entire life in perfect step with his Father.  He danced with the Spirit. He sang harmonies with the Father. His life sang an irresistible song and all who came within earshot turned to listen and often joined his Kingdom dance.

Jesus strongly castigated the Scribes and Pharisees because they obsessed over the written details of the Law but didn’t seem to live it out in a way that brought life to others. In other words, they studied the sheet music day and night but never got around to pulling their instruments out and making music with it.  Paul knows that Law must become more than letters (or, musical notes) on a page: “[God] has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life” (2 Cor 3: 6). And so Jesus came not to trash God’s Holy Sheet Music but to perform it perfectly for all to see and hear. In his words, “Think not that I came to destroy the law or the prophets: I came not to destroy, but to fulfill” (Matt 5:17).

So Jesus danced the Kingdom Dance wherever he went.  Jesus sang The Father’s Song with every act of lovingkindness, every healing he performed, every demon he cast out, every sermon he preached, every prayer he prayed. People took notice. The crowds loved what they saw and heard and so many followed.

But don’t take my word for it.  I wasn’t there. But John had a front row seat as the Son of God incarnate performed his 4 year rendition of the Father’s Song in the presence of he and his eleven friends:

“From the very first day, we were there, taking it all in—we heard it with our own ears, saw it with our own eyes, verified it with our own hands. The Word of Life appeared right before our eyes; we saw it happen! And now we’re telling you in most sober prose that what we witnessed was, incredibly, this: The infinite Life of God himself took shape before us. We saw it, we heard it, and now we’re telling you so you can experience it along with us, this experience of communion with the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ. Our motive for writing is simply this: We want you to enjoy this, too. Your joy will double our joy!” (1 John 1:4)

When the Word became flesh, the Father’s Song was heard around the world. And still today, when those “with ears to hear” get just a taste of “infinite Life of God” available to us through Christ by the Spirit, we cannot help but tell others about it and invite them into the Dance of the Triune God set to the irresistible rhythms of the Father’s Song.

Thank you Jesus for bringing the Father’s Song to life and inviting us to join in the Dance!  Now may we be moved to share this joyful dance with others!