Open Our Eyes: A Worship Song Based on Luke 24

Zac HicksSongwriting6 Comments

Emmaus Road (Stained Glass)The Story

Ever since my conversion to a more sacramental understanding of the Lord’s Supper, and upon reading Henri Nouwen’s, With Burning Hearts, I’ve been captivated by that odd encounter that Jesus had with two downcast sojourners on the Emmaus Road after Christ’s crucifixion, recorded in Luke 24.  

Several things about that encounter keep fascinating me:

  • The sojourners “were kept from recognizing” Jesus for a long time (v 16)
  • Part of what began lifting their spirits was when Jesus, “beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself” (v 27); so Jesus “preached Himself” from the Old Testament!
  • While Jesus preached, their “hearts burned” (v 32)
  • God allowed them to recognize Jesus only after He broke the bread (vv 31-32)

Good exegetes who look for “authorial intent” would notice that Luke’s description of this whole encounter is loaded with early Christian worship language.  Emmaus Road is an encounter of Word and sacrament, the two main pillars of Christian worship from the beginning (read Bryan Chapell’s Christ-Centered Worship for more on this).

When I heard that the Gospel Coalition was summoning submissions for worship songs based on the book of Luke, I felt a nearly immediate summons to figure out how to capture chapter 24 in music.  I also knew that my good friend over at Cardiphonia, Bruce Benedict, would be the perfect songwriting partner, (1) because he shares my passion for this understanding of Luke 24, and (2) because many of his songwriting strengths shine where mine are weakest.  (Read his post on the song.)  Bruce emailed me, in short order, the anchor verses, and then I added a few more verses and a chorus and set those things to a simple tune.  Bruce tweaked the tune, tweaked my verses…then we went back and forth on some finer points of precision about theology and themes…and then Bruce passed on the words and music for the bridge, and voila, we had a song.

What I Love

Here’s what I love about this song:

  • Musically, it’s singable, fairly simple, and has a good dynamic and melodic contour
  • Textually, it’s dense with both experience and Truth, and it’s loaded with the doctrine of the sufficiency of Christ and the theological vision of the book of Hebrews
  • Experientially, it makes corporate the individuals’ experiences in Luke 24–burning hearts, opening eyes
  • Theologically, it embodies the Greek concept of remembrance/anamnesis with a strong emphasis on the Trinitarian causality of that remembrance (the Trinity causes us to remember Himself in Word and sacrament)

The Song

In my opinion, this song works great alongside celebration of the Lord’s Supper or as an Offertory or song of preparation leading into the preaching of the Word.  It works equally well at the top of a service as the call to worship or song of gathering.  It’s quite flexible, I think.  

I recorded a simple demo with piano and guitars, and afterward Bruce and I received some great constructive feedback from our friend and gifted author, musician, worship leader, and songwriter, Greg Scheer.  The recording doesn’t reflect some of the subtle melodic changes from Scheer’s comments, but the below text reflects those minor revisions in the lyrics that post-date the demo.  Bruce and I hope you enjoy it and maybe even utilize it in your worship.

Listen to it

(Download/listen to the mp3

Lyrics

When we see the risen Savior
In the bread that He has blessed,
He becomes the living Servant, 
Heavenly food for holy rest.

Stay with us, for day is fading,
Feast with us, O secret King;
Show to us how Scripture’s story
Speaks of You in everything.

Do not our hearts burn brightly now?
For You’re here among us now. 

Jesus, show Yourself the author 
And perfecter of our faith;
In Your living and Your dying,
Consummation of God’s grace.

From creation to the exile,
Incarnation to the grave,
Resurrection to ascension,
Come, Lord Jesus, come to save!

Do not our hearts burn brightly now?
For You’re here among us now. 

Open our eyes to see You, Christ,
Risen, ascended, reigning high;
Open our eyes, open our eyes to You.

Feed us with living bread above;
Bind us in union with Your love;
Open our eyes, open our eyes to You. 

You’re the Word that spoke creation;
You’re the End of Moses’ law;
You’re the Goal of Abra’am’s blessing;
You’re the King whom David saw.

You’re the Day the prophets longed for;
You’re the covenant of grace;
You’re the hero of the Scriptures;
Now we see You face to face.

(Pre-Chorus & Chorus)

You remember God the Father,
You remember God the Son,
You remember God the Spirit
In the hearts of those You’ve won. 

(Pre-Chorus & Chorus)

So Jesus, show Yourself the Prophet,
Jesus, show Yourself the King,
Jesus, show Yourself the Priest,
All in all, and everything. 

Words & Music: Bruce Benedict & Zac Hicks, 2012
(c) 2012 Cardiphonia Music & Unbudding Fig Music 

The Theology

A final set of thoughts, if you care to read on.  Here are the doctrines and theological ideas explored in this song. See if you can find them in the text (some of them I’ve already pointed out).

  • anamnesis / remembrance
  • Trinity
  • the three-fold office of Christ
  • union with Christ
  • covenant theology
  • typology
  • active and passive obedience of Christ
  • eschatology
  • sabbath
  • eucharist as festal celebration
  • soteriology – significance of not only the crucifixion, but the resurrection, ascension, and second coming
  • heavenly session of Christ at the Father’s right hand

6 Comments on “Open Our Eyes: A Worship Song Based on Luke 24”

  1. This is gorgeous — so accessible and so rich at the same time. Such a rarity. Thank you for writing it and making it available. I, too, have been drawn to the Luke 24 passage for quite some time as my understanding of the Lord's Supper is growing.

    Please help me understand one section that I'm not quite getting my mind wrapped around. The "You remember God the Father…" — who is the "You"? The Trinity as a whole or a specific member? Is the "remember" a reference to God's work in helping His people remember His work? Or is it a reference to the re-member-ing that happens at the Eucharist? Please don't read this as criticism of your word choice — I just want to understand it as fully as possible!

    Again, thank you for your ministry.

  2. Hi Genilyn, I'll jump in and respond to your question since the bridge is my contribution of confusion. We actually debated using it but decided in the end to go for it because it communicates what is a really difficult concept to get across otherwise. The basic theme is a meditation on the Trinity at work in communion and how we enter that through Christ. So the "YOU" in the bridge is Jesus and what he does each week at communion. Jesus reminds us each week in worship that through him we have a loving, abba Father. Jesus reminds us each week in worship that he is our Lord and Loving savior interceding for us. Jesus reminds us each Sunday that he has sent the Holy Spirit and that through our baptism we are sealed in union with Christ for our future home. Hope that clear is up. 🙂

  3. Thanks so much — that helps a ton. I appreciate that the song has a "learning curve." It's stretching me, in a good way!

    Blessings to you both in your continued ministry.

  4. When I listened to it I laid my head on the back of the chair and could sense the warmth and comfort of the Holy Spirit washing over me.

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