“A Son, Emmanuel” – A Song and Sand Study

Many of my past collaborations with the band Koiné included preparing and performing sand animations to interpret their music, such as their original song “A Son, Emmanuel.” Typical of Koiné, this song bridges beautiful artistry and high production quality with theological insight. As we continue to celebrate the Easter season, this song and animation serves as a unique study for us to examine and marvel at the magnitude of Christ’s sacrifice. I have adapted commentary on the lyrics from comments by the author.

First, take a moment to absorb the song and animations in the stop motion animation.

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Verse 1 sets the scene. We are taken to the manger and reminded of the significance of this child. The divine hands of creation are now the human hands of need. How is it that God, who needs nothing, needs the warmth of a nursing mother? Creation is power; infancy is fragile. The incarnation of God as a baby is a great mystery. The Word that came from the Father’s mouth is now the Word made flesh. A sound that could compress the seas between shores now whimpers in the stillness of the Bethlehem night. The chorus then asks the biggest question in history . . . Why? Why did God become man?  

Hands that placed the stars reaching for the Virgin’s warm embrace. Word that once was spoke gathering waters, cries into the night. Who is man that you mind? The Son of Man that you care?
You placed him here beneath angels, A Son, Emmanuel .

Select lyrics from “A Son, Emmanuel”

From there, the song shifts to a conversation between God the Father and God the Son. First the Father has his say. The lyrics are right from Hebrews 2 and the Psalms. The Father sees at this moment the time to initiate a well-prepared, prophesied, and crafted plan. He speaks to God the Son about the mission of salvation.

“You are my Son, today I have become your Father.”
Son now hear my voice, “Go unto my chosen people.”

No burden they’ll ever bear, will you, my Son not share.
Like them in every way, from their sins you will save.

Select lyrics from “A Son, Emmanuel”

This time the chorus is the Father telling Jesus that taking on flesh is no small task. In heaven he was free beyond anything imagined, and in an instant he was changed. I imagine it like putting on a coat of wasps. Highly irritating and uncomfortable. Jesus shared the compression of lust for women, the squeeze of greed, and the weights of hatred . .  . He just resisted them. This too is a mystery.  

Fit for a King, a crown, thorned with human sin and pride,
Ribboned with man’s disdain and lies.
Pressed on all sides from the tempter’s whispered sins,
“Who is man that you should mind?”

Select lyrics from “A Son, Emmanuel”

Verse 2 is followed by a bridge. The music and the lyrics take on a sinister tone as a connection is made between the sweet infant of Christmas and the horrors that preceded Easter. Satan poses the same question we asked in the first refrain, and in classic tempter speak he uses God’s Word to do it. In the epic spiritual battle of Good Friday, the author imagines Satan taunting Jesus with thoughts such as, “Saving man who has torn you apart . . . Did God really say this would be worth it? Did he really know what you would go through? Is man really worth all this trouble? Who is man that you should mind?”

Jesus chooses for himself this task from his human free will. Something Adam and Eve did not. He chooses to be one of us. Jesus resists the devil’s attempt to belittle man’s worth and chooses to be among us, to be compressed in the heart of humanity. The lyric “Wounds I won’t erase” reminds us that the baby Jesus is all-knowing and can see the wounds in his skin at the same time he sees his human flesh. Jesus does it because he loves his Father and his Father’s will.  Like Adam and Eve were at one point unified with the will of God, Jesus and his Father are one.  

The final refrain of the song is the victory march.  Nothing of his flesh was saved. He died. He truly died. His flesh became nothing and wilted like ours will someday. Truly he was like us in every way. God died on Calvary. He subjected ‘everything’ to his Father’s will. He who had no sin became sin; he who was not a slave became a slave, to fulfill his Father’s will to bring his lost creation home.  Death strips man of everything. All the things our flesh creates, rearranges, uses, or influences mean nothing to death. Our skin cannot overcome death… but God’s did.  

“This is now my choice to walk among my fellow brothers.
Wounds I won’t erase to bear the sin that’s pulled them from your heart.”

“No skin of mine will be saved but for you will be slaved.”
Beneath the light of angelic skies A Son, Emmanuel.

Select lyrics from “A Son, Emmanuel”

The song ends outside of the conversation between God and Jesus, outside of earthy time as we humans know it, and we see things as the Creator does – infinite.  The “I am” . . . is. The angelic sky is both Christmas and Easter. There is neat correlation in the angels of Bethlehem and the angels of Easter. “This will be a sign to you; you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:12) You will find Emmanuel, “the God with us.”  Then on Easter, “ You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified, … see the place where they laid him?” (Mark 16:6) You have found “the God with us” because the tomb is empty. 

“What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the angels; you crowned him with glory and honor and put everything under his feet.”….Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers.… Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.…he had to be made like his brothers in every way… Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

Selected verses of Hebrews 2

My sand animation only scratches the surface of interpreting the lyrics of “A Son, Emmanuel”. The time constraint of performing live only allows for a few key scenes. A key characteristic of this medium is the way one image transitions into another.  As you watch another version of the animation below, consider again the awesome mystery of the incarnation of God as man.

Interested in learning more about the making of these sand animations? Check out this episode of The Process.

As you continue your Easter meditations, consider a few other songs and sand animations to explore the fullness of God’s love and sacrifice.

Song text: Koiné Tune: Koiné Copyright 2012 Judas on Straight Street Records.

Learn more about Koiné’s music at http://www.koinemusic.com.

Now is a good time to load up on high-quality digital worship content at https://koineworshipmedia.com/

You can learn more about Jason’s work at JJJaspersen.com or connect with him on social media @JJJaspersen.