Music Mondays

I highly suspect that subconsciously the existence of this running "Music Monday" theme goes back to my childhood when my parents were invested in a traveling music ministry. Both of them were very talented and would travel to various churches and cities to present special concerts and I got to tag along as a pre-school aged kid.

Many memories still rattle around in my brain, like the time our van started rolling away in a church parking lot as dad and some volunteers were unloading equipment. 

Likewise, many of the songs have stuck in my head too. This week's selection was one of those songs. An early eighties single from the group Truth, it is a mini-time capsule taking us back to those early days of contemporary Christian music. 

Why feature it? Well, it popped into my head last week as I was preparing my sermon on Isaiah 36-39. 
Those chapters recount some tension-filled days in the reign of King Hezekiah. For the most part, the King trusted the Lord - relying on him completely despite great odds. But alas, in chapter 39 he makes a foolish blunder. I believe the whole story, taken in the context of Isaiah's book, is meant to leave us wanting more. 

Isaiah had promised a coming King who would set things right and faithfully lead God's people. King Hezekiah (and others) did so to a point - but they were just place holders until God's true Messiah-King would arrive. To a great extent, Palm Sunday celebrates Jesus' life and ministry as a fulfillment of God's promises in Isaiah. The crowds of Matthew 21 were celebrating Jesus' kingly arrival even though they didn't fully understand God's plan or the nature of Jesus' kingship. 

So, in a round-about way, Isaiah 36-39 connects with Palm Sunday - reminding us that there is one faithful king who succeeded where human kings failed.  The beauty of Palm Sunday and Easter can indeed be summed up in the concise phrase - "Jesus Never Fails".