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When Jesus Sings

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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D. C. · Jul 1, 1915

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 92, No. 32.

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When Jesus Sings

By J. S. WASHBURN

J. S. WASHBURN
Does Jesus sing? Think you that he through whom God created angels, principalities, and powers, all things visible and invisible; who inspired and filled the lark with music, and made the many song birds to soar in the heaven, while earth and sky throb with their sweetest melody; he who tunes the voice of the untaught, innocent child; he who gave the music of peace and rest to the still waters of the quiet streams; he who speaks in awful majesty in the terrific bass of the thunder cloud and in the deep, wondrous voice of the sea,—think you there is in his heart no music, in his voice no melody of song?
When he was born in Bethlehem, angels whose harps and whose voices had been tuned by him sang their joy. “The whole plain was lighted up with the bright shining of the hosts of God. Earth was hushed and heaven stooped to listen to their song, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.’”
Cheerfully, joyfully, in boyhood and young manhood he bore the loneliness, the homesickness, of his separation from his heavenly home. “This is where Christ was a helper. He was never so full of worldly care as to have no time or thought for heavenly things. Often he expressed the gladness of his heart by singing psalms and heavenly songs.”
Just before the horror of Gethsemane, under the awful shadow of Calvary, Jesus spoke to the disciples of the peace that the world can never give nor take away, of the Father’s house of many mansions, of God’s unfailing love, and “before leaving the upper chamber he led his disciples in a song of praise. His voice was heard not in the strains of some mournful lament, but in the joyful notes of the Passover Hallel: ‘O praise the Lord, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people. For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the Lord endureth forever. Praise ye the Lord.’” Psalm 117. After the hymn, he went out to the agony of Gethsemane, the mockery of the night trial, and the horror of Calvary. And after the tomb, after the resurrection, he sings his triumph over death, “saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.”
After the awful battle had been fought and won, he is welcomed home with glorious music. With a multitude of captives set free at his resurrection, and a host of escorting angels, with shouts and acclamations of praise and celestial song they draw near the city of God. In answer to the challenge of the waiting sentinels, “Who is this King of glory?” the mighty choir who are with Jesus shout this answer in harmonious song that rings through heaven: “The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.” Then the portals of the city of God are opened wide, and the angel throng sweep through the gates amid a burst of rapturous music.
In holy vision John writes of Jesus in his glory that his voice is as the sound of many waters. He who has stood gazing out upon the sea and has heard its soft yet mighty voice, so mysterious, so wonderful, so deep, can form a faint idea of the beauty and the power of the voice of Jesus. He who as a child and as a man, amid hate and sorrow and sin and death, sang of heaven and God, still sings in nature and in his church with wondrous voice. O thou glorious, divine Musician, thou sweetest Singer earth ever heard, soon shall we “join the angelic chorus, and our songs of triumph mingle with the music from angel harps, till heaven seems to overflow with joy and praise.”
“Love has conquered, the lost is found. Heaven rings with voices in lofty strains proclaiming: ‘Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing.’”