Chris Tomlin – Jesus Messiah

Tomlin is not necessarily a horrible "artist", but he is the latest CCM industry wunderkind ... imitation vanilla, uncreative musicianship; lines of lyrics that merely ascribe rehashed praises to the Lord (true, there is room for praise songs); mass production and marketing that's driven to make money rather than make one ponder the greatness and glories of our Savior. (Throw in the aw-shucks good looks and de rigeur "worship leader" credentials.) Tomlin seems more interested in neat, packaged rhymes that get toes tapping than creating original, thought-provoking worship music. Lyrically, it appears that he doesn't contemplate or search out his topics - GOD - deeply enough before he writes. As a musician, he has a responsibility to develop and nurture his craft. I don't think he's doing it to the degree that he should. Then again, in another couple of years, Tomlin will be out and another artist will take his place to bring worship music in "new, refreshing ways" to the masses. My apologies for the "sour grapes" post. I love worshiping God through excellent music, but Tomlin continues to show his immaturity in lyrics writing - maybe because he doesn't expect too much from his audiences? It's a formula. But this isn't a new issue to contend with in CCM. If bland is what people desire, then Tomlin fits the bill and makes the money. I'll take Ashley Cleveland and Sue Samuel any day.

I'm struggling because on the one hand you don't want to "judge" or "bash" praise music because praise is praise, but we have a Christian radio station here in Central Florida and Chris Tomlin gets a lot of air play and I heard this song and "I Will Rise" and I find myself hitting the scan button as fast as possible when I hear it. I guess I'm of the conviction of "it's possible that an artist only has one great work" and this is the danger of the Christian media industry--waiting for the next Max Lucado book or Rick Warren or Donald Miller...Rob Bell could even get like that eventually and I love Rob Bell's writings/teachings. ...but where we limit ourselves to a few big names and they somehow become celebrities which allows them to have any and all of their works published even if they aren't the best/most passionate things out there at the time. I asked somebody at this radio station once (after hearing a knock off version of Hillsong United's "Lead Me To The Cross" song - it was like a Phillips Craig & Dean-or if not them it sounded like them version): "why not just play the original...the best." The answer I was given was this: "the labels choose what gets released for radio...we aren't even allowed to play stuff unless it's released for radio". Not sure everything Chris Tomlin writes/releases deserves to be released to radio. That's all I'm saying.

Amen lorelei! I just heard this song and was apalled when I heard "he became sin"! That is ridiculous for God to have any relation with sin! He abhors sin! He cannot deal with us because of our sin! Jesus bore the punishment of our sins, thus we are cleaned pure white!

Personally, the whole song is heretical. I know it comes from 2 cor 5:21, but that verse doesn't mean he literally becomes sin, It means he bore our sins. Jesus was a spotless sacrifice. The pure blood required to cleanse us of our sins. If he actually became sin. We couldn't be saved. For how can one be saved by their sins? Its very dangerous to make a whole theology on one verse. for instance, lets go with the verse, "And he hung himself" and call it good.

ugh - "balled" above should be "ballad"..... see, it's easy to correct something that sounds wrong!

been listening to this song for a long time and it's always bugged me that the first word sounds like "she". I understand vocals, but I also understand professional audio recording and when something sounds like it shouldn't, especially something that could be heard as heresy, in the opening words of an otherwise "powerful" worship balled, you re-record that phrase until it sounds right :) honestly, i chalked it up to the perfect storm of bad timing on breathing, bad recording, and my overcritical ear, etc. but this morning I was feeling a bit spunky and googled "chris tomlin she became sin" and landed on your blog....guess I'm not the only one!

I absolutely love "Jesus Messiah" - I have played the keyboard and sang this song at church a few times. I lead worship alone and have sung many Chris Tomlin songs - they say how I feel and often when I am singing I feel the Holy Spirit within me - it's awesome! Oh, and I've never heard "she became sin..." I only hear (and sing) "He became sin...."

I have to go with chris on this one...it pretty much sounds as close to "he" as it could be. I just listened to it twice and I honestly didn't even hear a hint of it. Plus theologically speaking (which Tomlin hasn't had really any large theological errors) "She" doesn't really fit. "He became sin, who knew no Sin" => Jesus (Hence the name of the song..."Jesus Messiah."

He says "SHe" because this is the truth, although for Chris it could be just one of those odd synchronicities he knows nothing about! However, SHe became sin, who knew no sin (this is the first life SHe's sinned in), so that we might become His Righteousness, He humbled himself and carried the cross, LOVE is so amazing :D (God is Love, and Love is so amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) If you hear him say "He" during live radio preformances or recordings, it is my opinion he does so, so that he avoids controversy or of having to explain himself or why. Although as I said, it could be one of those odd synchronicities he knows nothing about, either way it is quite fine by me, I got the message loud and clear! :D SHe is hidden in plain sight, God is sooooo amazing :D SHe was sent by wings of a Dove, protected by wings of the Eagle, SHe delivers a message - "Forgive them ALL, harm none, including the devil himself!" - and the message has been signed, sealed and delivered to the riders! Time to wake up :D God Bless and be with You ALL!

I don't understand how you hear "she became sin". Even when listening to the mp3 there's no confusion that he's saying "He..." I hear "he", with lots of breath. You don't have to listen 'carefully'. Enjoyed the comments! It's the same with all artists, though. We just pick on Chris Tomlin for having songs that sound the same because we know ALL of his songs : ) He's got so many that have resonated with congregations and that's why as worship leaders we may be getting a little tired of them. They're still great worship songs. I'm not sure what you're expecting from him. He is who he is, he writes the songs he writes, he works with the people he works with, he covers the songs he likes...the result can't be infinitely varied. Every band has that "sound" that is distinctly theirs. He's not like a David Crowder who is pushing at the edges of the industry. He tends to work within the system. And people love it.

It seems that some of you have not taken any formal vocal training. When certain beginnings of certain words are not pronounced right or there is alot of air added to the begining of the word, it can sound very different. Annuciation is very important and so is vowel singing. Example-- Neil Diamond's "Forever in bluejeans" for the longest time was "Reverend Blue Jeans" and who could forget "there's a bathroom on the right" for " bad moon rising" Of course there are others. Just take the song as it is, a nice song to worship,adore, and praise our Lord Jesus.

If you listin to the song carefully; he really says... "He came sin." The sound that many heard as him saying... "She became sin," is because of the way he opens his mouth to sing. This kind of sounds like he was taken a gulp of breath; right before he opens up to sing. that is why it sounds like he is saying, "She became sin." However, he sings as, "He became sin." Therefore, go back and relisten to the song and you will hear what I have heard too. I have posted earlier about how this song do not move me; however, after countless times listening to it, I say is one of his best. I will buy his album today.

@Tim Yeah man - I totally hear it too!

Am I the only one who is hearing "She became sin, who knew no sin" at the start of Chris Tomlin's song, "Jesus Messiah?" I know the actual written lyrics say, "He became sin." But...I know what I heard. Anyone else hear this?

@Rob Thanks for the comment! Good to see another Canadian hanging around the blog.

@Ron Haha - just add it and take one away. I like your thinking! :)

I agree that it has a very familiar Tomlin sound but one thing I had to understand as a worship leader is that not everybody in your congregation listens to music the way that musicians do. Most of the people don't care. If it's anything like my church, we do it in the service and they think it's pretty cool because they've heard it on the radio. Just add it to your list and delete one of his other songs that sounds like it.

Yah. We're singing it already. Heard it on xm this week and had to dig up the chart from ccli and our congregation took to it right away

I agree this song is kind of a teaser to get people thinking about whats coming.Kind of a warm up.This song caught my attention on the radio the otherday at work actually ministered to me alot. I guess I just needed a reminder at that moment that my messiah is present. :)

I have also bought this song from itunes and I am liking it. I am listening and reading all of the remarks on this song. I have to say it does not move me in a way how those top songs from him does. Then again this song sounds like an intro song for the album. Like the first song from the previous album (See the Morning)..., then again, every one of his albums had an intro song and they were not all that great. I mean, we can come to that agreement, when we compare with the overall songs on the album. I say when this album gets released, we will hear some of the most amazing songs from him. I am envisioning when this album of his gets released; these other songs on the album will blow our minds away. We will be caught in a amazement that in a way will make even this song of being one of the best "Chris Tomlin" songs.

Ditto for me - I thought this about his most recent album. The formula seems to be: A couple of great songs written by someone else. A couple of Tomlin-written songs that fall firmly into the medium-tempo range and use the same arrangement. I think the Passion albums as a whole are very stagnant right now. They might need some new blood or new producers to work with. But it just seems formulaic and not fresh anymore. I'm always irked by knowing that a new Passion album will be out every year because it means the album's coming, regardless of whether or not the songs are "there"! My favorite quote on new albums comes from John Mayer this month. He said "The new album will be released when it's good." I think we should take the same approach with worship albums. Their release should be dictated by the quality of the songs, not the calendar.

Ape - I don't think anyone is saying it's a BAD song, it's just a bit of a "blah" song. Bluetree - they're coming to Canada this fall with Vicky Beeching and I'm VERY excited about that.

I think this song was a great song. Right now my favorite song he does is God of this City (its by Bluetree). Such an annointed song. Jesus Messiah is another one to add to the long list of great P & W songs!!

That is too funny. I heard someone say the same thing about "she became sin" yesterday. I forget who sings the song "There is no one like you." But every time it comes on, my girls laugh and laugh because it sounds like he is saying "zare is no on like you." I guess annunciation is important!

Yeah, I'm gonna spell center and savior and whatever other words there are the way I've always spelled them.

Nice - great discussion so far!! Here are my responses - Mud Puppy - "That's it?" does seem to kind of be the general reaction. I think Chris has set the bar so high, in a way, that we now expect a masterpiece from him every time. Chris - Yes, you have heard it. You just don't know it yet :) Billy - Nice hook, definitely! Agreed, people don't know or care who wrote songs. Lots of people who come to our church think I've written every song we do. Paul - I've commented on that before here, I think. Doing one Baloche song usually leads to doing another. Jeremy - I'm sure we'll see a live version of this song on the next Passion DVD. And "meh" is quite the passionate response. Haha. Brandon - You southerners and your wacky way of speaking. Knowing what your accent is probably like I can for sure imagine Canadians hear "sinner" instead of "centre". It's centre, by the way, not center. You live in the land of the Queen's english now. Joshua - Psalmist, definitely. Guarded from criticism? Definitely not. There is no denying that the lyrical content of the song is bang on but that doesn't make it a work of art. Rhoy - We'll all be crazy together! Worship songwriters definitely walk that fine line of making it easy for the congregation to sing with memorable melodies while also attempting to be different enough to stand out.

I guess we are crazy! :) For me, its not so much the lyrics being almost the same as the "other song". Worship songs are meant to be understood easily and straight-forward as far as the lyrics and the message it portrays. Its more of the musical arrangements and groove of the songs that sounds the same.

You guys are crazy :) , you're knocking the psalmist of our generation. sure, its all been said before, all worship sounds like something you've heard. But the point of it is that its a new way of saying it to God. Jesus Messiah is beautiful because it recognizes Jesus (the carpenter from Nazareth) as the long awaiting Messiah (something people were waiting for for hundreds of years). I love this song if only for that, because I can express that Jesus IS the Christ, and there is no other.

the "she became sin" thing reminds me of something that happened to me a few months ago. When I was giving my first sermon here in Canada as a candidate for the position, I repeated the phrase "Jesus is the center" over and over. Because of my accent, a few of the children in the congregation were highly upset that that guy who preached said that Jesus was a sinner. Chris Tomlin's stuff does sound all the same, btw. Unfortunately, the same problem plagues all of the rest of the worship song writers of our time. Obviously this is a general statement and isn't absolutely true. Only generally true. Hence the term "general statement."

I have to agree. The song is Ok, and it sounds like it probably has a lot of live power, but, well, meh-.

Our canon tends to repeat Paul Baloche heavily, not as much Tomlin. Maybe it's because I don't have to transpose them. ;-)

It's got a nice hook to go with blatant unoriginality. Once upon a time I tried to make sets lists that didn't include more than one song from the same artist. I stopped for 2 reasons. 1. That's dumb, the people don't know or care about this as much as I do. 2. Chris Tomlin makes up too much of the cannon to NOT do multiple songs.

I haven't even heard it... maybe I'm cynical, but I have always agreed with the statement: "It bears a strinking resemblance to, oh I don’t know, everything he’s ever done." Hah! I still love and use many Tomlin songs, but the truth shall set you free!

Man I thought the same thing about this song. Sort of "that's it?". I couldn't be a bigger Tomlin fan (unless I was one of those that thing everything he does is perfect), but I just wasn't feeling it with this song.