Pastor's Corner - "Young Man"
Young Man
by Deb Munson
Sewing is a quiet space for me, a time to allow creativity and knowledge to coexist to make something that will hopefully bless a loved one. I am not a seamstress who sews on a professional level. I sew for fun and for my family.
In this quiet space, I pray and listen to worship music that leads me into deeper worship time with the LORD. Recently, as I listened to one of my favorite worship leaders, Robin Mark, God opened my mind and heart to a song I had heard many, many times, but had not listened to it. The song is simply titled “Young Man”.
The song recounts the death of Jesus on the cross, his burial, time in the
tomb and resurrection in a simple yet profound retelling in song. The line
that caught my attention and lead me to find the lyrics and spend time
reading them was:
And what of me, so distant from that far, gone, place?
Still the wonder of that moment crosses time and space
With mystery and majesty none can explain
For it draws me to the story of the young man.
The young man, yes, Jesus, was a young man. We or I don’t think of him
as a young man after all scripture tells us:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word
was God. He was with God in the beginning. The Word became flesh and
made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one
and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:1-2; 14
And also:
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and
the End. Revelation 22:13.
I think of Jesus as always being, which is true. Yet we know he was born of a virgin (Matthew 1; Luke 1-2) raised in Nazareth, at age 12 he was found in the temple by his frantic parents, then at the age of 30, Jesus starts his ministry.
Why then, a young man? In Numbers 4, we read that men could only serve in the temple between the age of 30-50. Traditionally Jewish leaders considered the age 30 as the age of maturity of a man and at that time they may become a Rabbi, a teacher of the Law. So, at the age of 30, Jesus leaves his home and heads to the Jordan to be baptized and begin his time teaching.
I had to think back. What was I doing at age 30? Well, I was married, a stay-at-home Mom with young children to raise. My husband was working full time at his job, we were busy with our life. I had no long-term plans to save the world from its self, no lofty plans, just life day to day life.
Yet, a young man broke upon the scene some 2000 years ago. But a young man who was fully a 30-year-old human, yet fully God. Who came with one mission in mind to begin the plan that was from the beginning, the plan of salvation, a plan to right the wrong we created in the Garden of Eden and return the kingdom of God. A plan for a young man to die and be laid in a garden tomb. A young man, to be raised from the dead, revealing His deity, His rightful place as Christ, the anointed one who came to save all who would believe and call on His name.
A young man with his eyes firmly fixed on who he was, the Word made flesh, the beginning and the end, the God-Man. Who came so that He could redeem the world. The young man who is sitting at the right hand of our Father in Heaven interceding on our behalf.
Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Romans 8:34.
That is the Young Man.
In this quiet space, I pray and listen to worship music that leads me into deeper worship time with the LORD. Recently, as I listened to one of my favorite worship leaders, Robin Mark, God opened my mind and heart to a song I had heard many, many times, but had not listened to it. The song is simply titled “Young Man”.
The song recounts the death of Jesus on the cross, his burial, time in the
tomb and resurrection in a simple yet profound retelling in song. The line
that caught my attention and lead me to find the lyrics and spend time
reading them was:
And what of me, so distant from that far, gone, place?
Still the wonder of that moment crosses time and space
With mystery and majesty none can explain
For it draws me to the story of the young man.
The young man, yes, Jesus, was a young man. We or I don’t think of him
as a young man after all scripture tells us:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word
was God. He was with God in the beginning. The Word became flesh and
made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one
and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:1-2; 14
And also:
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and
the End. Revelation 22:13.
I think of Jesus as always being, which is true. Yet we know he was born of a virgin (Matthew 1; Luke 1-2) raised in Nazareth, at age 12 he was found in the temple by his frantic parents, then at the age of 30, Jesus starts his ministry.
Why then, a young man? In Numbers 4, we read that men could only serve in the temple between the age of 30-50. Traditionally Jewish leaders considered the age 30 as the age of maturity of a man and at that time they may become a Rabbi, a teacher of the Law. So, at the age of 30, Jesus leaves his home and heads to the Jordan to be baptized and begin his time teaching.
I had to think back. What was I doing at age 30? Well, I was married, a stay-at-home Mom with young children to raise. My husband was working full time at his job, we were busy with our life. I had no long-term plans to save the world from its self, no lofty plans, just life day to day life.
Yet, a young man broke upon the scene some 2000 years ago. But a young man who was fully a 30-year-old human, yet fully God. Who came with one mission in mind to begin the plan that was from the beginning, the plan of salvation, a plan to right the wrong we created in the Garden of Eden and return the kingdom of God. A plan for a young man to die and be laid in a garden tomb. A young man, to be raised from the dead, revealing His deity, His rightful place as Christ, the anointed one who came to save all who would believe and call on His name.
A young man with his eyes firmly fixed on who he was, the Word made flesh, the beginning and the end, the God-Man. Who came so that He could redeem the world. The young man who is sitting at the right hand of our Father in Heaven interceding on our behalf.
Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Romans 8:34.
That is the Young Man.
The Young Man
ALL on a Friday evening as the sun went down
The body of a man who wore a thorn made crown
Was carried to a graveyard in the fading light
And laid with deep affection in a garden
Up on the hill the shadow of his gallows fell
And faded as the sun descended lower still
The ground was worn and bare where many feet had trod
To watch the execution of the young man
And what of me, so distant from that far, gone, place?
Still the wonder of that moment crosses time and space
With mystery and majesty none can explain
For it draws me to the story of the young man.
The next day being Sabbath, was a day of rest
And one of some reflection for the young man’s friends
No longer messianic zeal consumed their hearts
Just sorrow for the killing of the young man
Maybe some type of guitar sound added
And I suppose some tears were shed ‘til sleep came last
Then rising early morning once the Sabbath passed
A woman made her way to find the garden tomb
To leave her oil and flowers for the young man
Now history tells of heavy stone to bar the way
Was fixed by many soldiers on the open grave
For when she found it rolled aside and emptied tomb
She grieved the stolen body of the young man
A gardener called her by her name as she kneeled down
And asked her why she searched about the burial ground
And wiping bitter tears away with the dawns first light
She saw the risen glory of the young man.
Robin Mark 2011 Inciite Media
ALL on a Friday evening as the sun went down
The body of a man who wore a thorn made crown
Was carried to a graveyard in the fading light
And laid with deep affection in a garden
Up on the hill the shadow of his gallows fell
And faded as the sun descended lower still
The ground was worn and bare where many feet had trod
To watch the execution of the young man
And what of me, so distant from that far, gone, place?
Still the wonder of that moment crosses time and space
With mystery and majesty none can explain
For it draws me to the story of the young man.
The next day being Sabbath, was a day of rest
And one of some reflection for the young man’s friends
No longer messianic zeal consumed their hearts
Just sorrow for the killing of the young man
Maybe some type of guitar sound added
And I suppose some tears were shed ‘til sleep came last
Then rising early morning once the Sabbath passed
A woman made her way to find the garden tomb
To leave her oil and flowers for the young man
Now history tells of heavy stone to bar the way
Was fixed by many soldiers on the open grave
For when she found it rolled aside and emptied tomb
She grieved the stolen body of the young man
A gardener called her by her name as she kneeled down
And asked her why she searched about the burial ground
And wiping bitter tears away with the dawns first light
She saw the risen glory of the young man.
Robin Mark 2011 Inciite Media
Posted in Springs Updates