Jesus, Once of Humble Birth

Jesus, Once of Humble Birth , is the suggested song for the New Testament lesson “Glory, and Power, Be unto … the Lamb for Ever”  studying Revelation 1–5.  Kevin Forbush worked with me again on this song and it was great working with him. (He also arranged “Have I Done Any Good?” with me which came out in November, 2023) We wanted to keep the song sacred and reverent since this is a hymn that is usually sung right before the most sacred part of an LDS church meeting, the sacrament. With his guitar parts and harmony it turned out to sound somewhat like a lullaby, while still honoring the juxtaposition between the extreme suffering Jesus Christ endured with the glorious triumph over death and hell that is now his and really all of ours. The sheet music for this arrangement along with an optional choral version can be found here: http://marileekaymusic.com/sheet-music/

• Revelation 1:7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.
• Revelation 5:12 Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.

The book of Revelation can be difficult to understand because of the consistent use of imagery and symbolism, but I love how the Come Follow Me manual encourages us to navigate it: 

• Have you ever struggled to express to others what you felt during a powerful spiritual experience? Everyday language can feel inadequate to describe spiritual feelings and impressions. Perhaps this is why John used such rich symbolism and imagery to describe his majestic revelation. He could have simply stated that he saw Jesus Christ, but to help us understand his experience, he described the Savior using words like these: “His eyes were as a flame of fire,” “out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword,” and “his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength” (Revelation 1:14–16). As you read the book of Revelation, try to discover the messages John wanted you to learn and feel, even if you don’t understand the meaning behind every symbol. Why might he have compared Church congregations to candlesticks, Satan to a dragon, and Jesus Christ to a lamb? Ultimately, you don’t have to understand every symbol in Revelation to understand its important themes, including its most prominent theme: Jesus Christ and His followers will triumph over the kingdoms of men and of Satan.

The scripture references for Jesus, Once of Humble Birth are:

•  Luke 2:7  7 And she brought forth her ^afirstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the ^binn.
• Matthew 25:31 31 ¶ When the ^aSon of man shall come in his ^bglory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:

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Composers: Text: Parley P. Pratt, 1807–1857 : Giacomo Meyerbeer, 1791–1864, adapted

Select images and film used within this music video come from churchofjesuschrist.org (“The Savior Suffers in Gethsemane”, “The Lords Triumphal Entry Into Jerusalem”, “Jesus is Condemned Before Pilate”, “Jesus is Scourged and Crucified” and “The Christ Child – a Nativity Story”) Marilee Leishman, “Eli walking on clouds with Jesus” Art by Karolee Allen and nature videography/photography by Steve Pierce.