One of the beautiful aspects of Scripture that Christians can explore, especially during Holy Week and Eastertide, is the way in which it all holds together. Old Testament passages that foretell Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection are remarkable — to think that the prophets and authors wrote with such detail of Jesus, centuries in advance, is glorious. Isaiah 53 is one such passage:
He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his wounds we are healed.
Isaiah 53:3-5 (ESV)
The latest offering from The Corner Room Music highlights this one passage from Isaiah. Adam Wright, founder of The Corner Room, gives us his perspective: “Isaiah 53, a prophecy of the life, suffering, and death of Christ, is very unsettling and causes a consideration of the weight and magnitude of his sacrifice. It is simultaneously beautiful, reminding us of the always and forever love of Christ that purchased the redemption of his people.”
The express purpose of The Corner Room has always been to give the church beautiful music, with the words pulled word-for-word from the ESV Bible. Their previous albums include two from the Psalms, What Great Mystery (a celebration of God’s grace), and Love Never Ends, a suite from I Corinthians 13.
With His Wounds We Are Healed includes ten tracks: five with lyrics and five instrumental. The music features piano, guitar, and sweeping melodies of strings. While the album progresses through Isaiah 53:1-15, the music defers to the text. It never feels forced and allows the listener adequate time and space to meditate on the words of Isaiah’s prophecy. A favorite of mine is movement five: “Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush Him..,” which ends with a callback to the first movement set to a haunting church bell.
Story Warren has brought you recommendations from The Corner Room before here and here. If you would like to find out more about the history of the project, check out Jen Rose Yokel’s interview with Adam at The Rabbit Room.
She invites you to subscribe to her newsletter, On the Common, or to follow her on Twitter or Instagram.
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