While we were still sinners (our sin was great), God showed us that His love was greater as Christ died for us (Rom 5:8). It is certainly not that God needed us, but as the lyric hopefully describes, God didn’t want to leave us out of His eternal plan for salvation ( John 17:24). There is nothing in the scriptures to indicate that God has ever been lonely, but the scriptures do demonstrate a loving God who actively desires reconciliation with humanity ( John 3:16). His presence is perfect and complete and yet He chose firstly to create humanity, and then like so many times since the fall, to reconcile His people to Himself. God is eternal and was fully God before (and after!) creation. Through the incarnation and ministry of Jesus, the Kingdom of Heaven has been brought down to earth ( Matt 4:17). The beauty of the Gospel is that God’s solution was not to come down from heaven to airlift us out of earth, but rather to bring heaven down to earth in such a way that it would renew everything”. I agree completely. But sin fractured the union of heaven and earth. In a recent exchange on the first two lines of this verse, my friend Glenn Packiam, who I admire as a great thinker and songwriter suggested this clarification of context: “Heaven– God’s space– and earth– human space– were one.
In verse 2, we wanted to describe the love of God, who, though in need of nothing, so loved the world that He chose to send His one and only Son, so that we may not perish but have eternal life with Him ( John 3:16). While God is all-sufficient, all-powerful and all knowing the God of creation and of eternity He is also God whose love surpasses all knowledge ( Eph 3:19). “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.” John 17:24 (NIV) When Jesus took on flesh we (humanity) got to see the glory of God ( John 1:14) the Name of Jesus reveals the beauty and glory of God. The mysteries of our infinitely beautiful and glorious God, once hidden for generations, have now been revealed through Jesus ( Col 1:26). Verse 1 begins with Jesus (the Word) at the beginning of all creation ( John 1) He was with God and was (and is!) God ( John 1:1). Words and Music by Ben Fielding and Brooke Ligertwood © 2016 Hillsong Music Publishing
This song sings about the name of Jesus in a way that unfolded some of the facets of the beauty, wonder, and power of His Name the power of the Name of Jesus that breaks chains, heals bodies, and frees captives.Īnyone who has come face to face with their own flaws and sin, and receive the grace of Jesus can undoubtedly say that it’s the most beautiful thing ever. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.