A Musical Journey Through the Life of Jesus

When I was in second grade, my uncle first introduced my dad to Michael Card with The Life. He proceeded to play it prolifically, and I soon fell in love with collection of spiritually stirring songs, to the point that I was scrupulously transcribing the lyrics into my notebook so I could carry them around with me all day. This was only the first of many albums which we would purchase. Additionally, my dad went on to get me two piano books -- one of which was for this album -- and to purchase several of Card's books. He even devoted a Bible study series to Card's music.

I continue to regard Michael Card as one of the most talented composers and poets I have encountered, not to mention a very powerful example of a Christian witness. In this album, Card chronicles the life of Jesus (hence the title), from before He was born until after He ascended. The two-disc album covers a variety of musical styles ranging from meditative to joyful to harsh to gentle. Each song is masterfully crafted, and it's a shame they don't get more air time. Admittedly, I more frequently listen to classic rock or oldies stations on the radio, but I've spent enough time on Christian radio stations to know I'm much more likely to hear Michael W. Smith, Jars of Clay, or DC Talk. And I don't think I've ever heard one of the songs from this album on the radio.

The album begins with Overture to the Trilogy, a long instrumental piece incorporating the melodies of several songs on the album and ending with Card cantoring the first lines of John a capella. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word became flesh (and the word became flesh) and dwelt among us." This segues directly into The Promise, a quiet tune about how Jesus was not what anyone expected. "The Promise showed their wildest dreams had simply not been wild enough."

Immanuel is a very long song, and one of Michael Card's most famous. While The Promise is more guitar-intensive, Immanuel leans heavily on strings to give the richest possible flavor to the message "our God is with us, and if God is with us, who can stand against us?". Also contains a classic example of Card's love affair with alliteration when he describes Jesus as "a human baby bearing undiminished deity".

Carmen Christi, To the Mystery and The Final Word all are pretty upbeat, dealing alternatively with the nature of Christ and our response to it. While To the Mystery acknowledges our inability to fully grasp who Jesus is, instructing us to "give up on (y)our pondering and fall down on (y)our knees", the others shed light on who Jesus is. "At Jesus' name every knee shall bow in Heaven and in all the Earth. To the Father's glory, each tongue cry 'Jesus is Lord'..." (Carmen Christi) "He spoke the incarnation and then so was born the Son. His Final Word was Jesus, he needed no other one." (The Final Word).

Spirit of the Age is one of the harsh ones, warning against the force of evil which seeks to draw us in. This song matches the mood of the final three selections, Scandalon, describing Jesus in prophecy as "the truth who will offend us one and all, a stone to make them stumble and a rock to make them fall", What Will it Take to Keep You from Jesus, which answers its question with "a simple excuse from a heart that is hard, a reason that's nothing at all", and The Lamb is a Lion, which shows God "roaring with rage at the empty religion that's filling His days".

Celebrate the Child, which follows Spirit of the Age, jubilantly proclaims the arrival of the savior who will bring the world out of darkness into light. Joseph's Song is a beautiful meditation sung in the person of Joseph, who wonders "how can a man be father to the son of God?". Jesus Let us Come to Know You is a simple but lovely lullaby expressing a desire to know Jesus as fully as possible.

Meditation/Baptism is the last track on this disc before the aforementioned three. This, like the album's first track, is instrumental, and it also refers to other songs on the album.

The second disc is concerned primarily with Jesus' ministry, death, and resurrection. The Wedding recalls the miracle of changing the water into wine at Cana while also working in a contemporary context, inviting Jesus to be present at the ceremony which signals the start of a new life for both man and wife. "Lord of Light, please come to this wedding. Chase the doubt and darkness away. Turn the water of lifeless living to the wine of gladness we pray."

The Nazarene is a fairly simple song which demonstrates how human Jesus was despite -- or because of -- his divinity. "The fact of his humanity was there for all to see, for He was unlike any other man and yet so much like me." The Gentle Healer is perhaps the simplest song on the album, and certainly very gentle. Sung in a cappela, it shows how the perceptions of His followers changed from their initial characterization of Him as a "gentle healer" to their ultimate conclusion that He is "the Truth, the Light, the Way".

Forgiving Eyes, is a gorgeous song for the piano whose verses start out despairing but eventually swell into the hopeful chorus, signalled by a key change. It is sung from the perspective of the woman about to be stoned for adultery when Jesus interceded. "Just when I saw Him, the hope I had lost became born again. I was not hopeless. Though I'd been lost, now I felt I was found when He looked at me with those forgiving eyes."

God's Own Fool is likewise an excellent piece for the piano, and it introduces one of Card's favorite themes: paradox. Additionally, it is one of the few songs in his repertoire which Card sings falsetto. I can, in fact, only think of one other instance, though there may be more. The song weighs the way Jesus must have appeared to His worldly contemporaries against His divine reality, encouraging us to embrace the latter. "So we follow God's own fool that only the foolish can tell. Believe the unbelievable; come be a fool as well."

Why employs the classic question-and-answer song format to demand why Jesus had to go through what He did, from the betrayal by his friend to the thorns to the cross. Each response provides an eloquent and convincing reason, culminating in the notion that "Jesus had come into the world to steal every heart away".

Known by the Scars and Traitor's Look are both pretty intense. The former refers to Jesus' appearance before the apostles and His method of convincing Thomas of His true identity. The latter is a diatribe against Judas which ends in the startling confession that many of us have betrayed Jesus ourselves in our ordinary lives.

Ride on to Die and In the Garden are the most mournful songs on this album. The first sees past the jubilation of the moment (Palm Sunday) to the agony that will follow, while the second hints at the jubilation that will follow the current agony in the garden of Gethsemane.

Come to the Table is neither gloomy nor harsh, but it encourages Jesus' apostles to savor this Last Supper together, warning that "the One who is breaking the bread soon will be broken". Cross of Glory progresses to the scene of Jesus death, noting with increasing joy the significance of His sacrifice.

Finally, He Was Heard, Crown Him, and Joy in the Journey are all triumphant in their own right, jubilantly acknowledging that Christ has won the victory. Crown Him is the most exuberant of the three, while Joy in the Journey, which concludes the album, is soothing and reflective, remarking on the happiness inherent in a life lived with the Lord.

Quite an impressive undertaking, not only for Card but for the listeners as well. Card's compositions challenge us to think more deeply about our faith and the events of scripture, encouraging us to visit our Bibles often. Other albums contain songs about the life of Jesus, particularly his Christmas albums, and Card has also extensively covered portions of the Hebrew Scriptures and of Revelation and Hebrews, not to mention some songs which are not taken directly from scripture. But I consider this the most essential of his albums. Start with The Life, and let the music continue to impact your own life.