Over the next few weeks, in a series of blog posts, I’ll be going song by song through our new Easter recording project “Mercy’s Throne.” In this first post we’re going to take a look at some of the lyrics from the song “Jesus Save Us”.
See the everlasting Father
See the perfect son of man
See the word made flesh among us
See the lion and the lamb
Entering the holy city
Completing all that was foretold
Come and let us sing his praises
Only he can save our souls
The opening lines of “Jesus Save Us” can be thought of as both a beginning and an end. Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem is the beginning of the Passion Week and, at this point, God’s plan of redemptive history begins to move very fast.
This moment is also an end to something: waiting.
Names and a Promise
We wanted to connect the story of Christ’s entrance into the city with the scripture’s anticipation of this moment.
- Jesus is the everlasting Father of Isaiah 9:6.
- He is the Son of Man from Daniel 7:13.
- The word from the beginning made flesh (John 1).
- The Lion from the tribe of Judah (Revelation 5:5) and the Lamb led to the slaughter (Isaiah 53:7) who would take away the sins of the world (John 1:29).
The redeemer that God has been promising since Genesis 3:15 is here and he has come to Jerusalem to be the final sacrifice for sin (Hebrews 10:14).
From the Past to Future Reality
He will rescue all the captives
he will set the prisoners free
he will crush the curse we’re under
along with every enemy
For his kingdom has no boundary
and his rule will know no end
for the God of all creation
delivers all into his hand
God has had a plan for us. It is the ultimate rescue of a people who will worship him forever.
Jesus as the redeemer has always been the plan and it cannot be frustrated or stopped.
Isaiah helps us see this with words from God himself.
"Remember the former things long past, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, ‘My purpose will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure’ (Isaiah 46:9–10).
And again in Isaiah 53:10, looking ahead to Christ’s sacrifice he says:
“It was the will of the LORD to crush him.”
In Revelation 13:8 Christ is called the Lamb who was slain from before the foundation of the world.
We can rejoice in the fact that there is no “Plan B” for God. He always accomplishes his will. And, praise Jesus, it has always been his will to save us.
Hosanna
The Pre-Chorus and Chorus of “Jesus Save Us” finds its root in Matthew 21:6–10 and in Mark 11:7–10.
Jesus, Son of David, come and save us, save us!
Our voices raised in highest praise, come save us, save us!
“6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. 8 Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”10 And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” (Matthew 21:6–10).
“7 And they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it. 8 And many spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields. 9 And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! 10 Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!” (Mark 11:7–10).
To the crowd gathered that day in Jerusalem, their calls of “Hosanna” were not shouts of praise but an impassioned plea for help. Hosanna means “save us.” In these passages, the children of Israel are begging the son of David to save them.
Jesus, Son of David
There are seventeen verses in the New Testament that refer to Jesus as the son of David but this is not just an emphasis of Jesus’ lineage (Matthew 1), rather, it is a messianic title that looks back to words of the prophet Samuel:
“12 When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.14 I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, 15 but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. 16 And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever (2 Samuel 7:12–16).
Many could find King David in their family line, but only one son of David would establish God’s kingdom forever. This son of David is Jesus who we worship with our highest praise.
Learn more and listen to the album on sovereignhopemusic.com.
