A Biblical Examination of Bethel Music’s “THE LAMB”
Given the many concerning aspects of Bethel Church, it is no surprise that their worship songs also raise serious concerns—not necessarily due to the music itself, but because of the lyrics and the possible agenda behind their unbiblical themes.
WHY THEOLOGICAL ACCURACY IN WORSHIP MATTERS
Worship songs have the power to shape the theology of believers. They are both an expression of our beliefs and influence our beliefs.
They are not just melodies set to words but declarations of faith, reinforcing what we believe about God, salvation, and the Christian walk. As such, the lyrics of worship songs must align with biblical truth. As is clear throughout biblical history, and throughout church history, it is very important to state facts and beliefs accurately, as even a seeming “little deviance” can change the truth profoundly and can have decisive consequences for the church’s proclamation of the glory of God and the Gospel message. In short, if we misstate biblical truth, it’s no longer the truth, but lies that sound truthful…, which in itself poses a grave danger to people’s relationship with God, and their eternal destinies…!
One song that has gained popularity in contemporary Christian worship is “THE LAMB” by Bethel Music. While it contains many powerful themes of Christ’s sacrifice and victory, several lyrics raise theological concerns. This post will analyze these lyrics in light of Scripture, highlighting areas of ideas in the lyrics that are of concern.
LYRICS OF “THE LAMB” BY BETHEL MUSIC
Verse 1
Behold the Lamb of God on the cursed cross
The weight of every sin lay on His shoulders
Beaten and betrayed, wrapped in all my shame
Forsaking everything for my forgiveness
No greater love than this
Chorus
Alleluia, Alleluia
We praise the Lamb upon the throne
Alleluia
Verse 2
Deep within the grave His broken body lay
The darkness thought that heaven was defeated
But Jesus proved them wrong for death was overcome
And all the angels shouted He is risen
The tomb was opened wide
Verse 3
Soon a day will come, the skies will open up
And on the clouds we’ll see the Lord descending
The gates will open wide, the dead in Christ will rise
And He shall reign in glory never-ending
Behold the Lamb of God
Tag
We praise the Lamb upon the throne
Alleluia
THEOLOGICAL CONCERNS
While “The Lamb” captures significant Christian themes, some phrases are problematic when examined against Scripture. Below are key theological concerns:
1. “Behold the Lamb of God on the cursed cross” (Verse 1)
Concern:
The phrase “cursed cross” is not biblically accurate. Scripture teaches that the person who hangs on a tree is cursed, not the tree (or cross) itself.
Biblical Clarity:
Deuteronomy 21:23 states, “For a hanged man is cursed by God.” Galatians 3:13 affirms that Christ bore our curse, but does not indicate that the cross itself was cursed.
Why It Matters:
The distinction between Jesus being cursed and the cross itself being cursed is crucial for biblical accuracy in understanding the atonement. Deuteronomy 21:23 states, “A hanged man is cursed by God,” emphasizing that the individual on the tree bears the curse, not the object itself. Paul echoes this in Galatians 3:13, declaring that “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree.’” The curse was placed on Jesus, not on the physical cross, which was merely the instrument of His execution.
As the sin-bearer, Jesus took upon Himself the penalty of sin and absorbed God’s wrath in our place. If the cross itself was cursed, it would shift the theological focus away from Christ’s substitutionary atonement and onto a mere object. By bearing the curse, Jesus Himself fully satisfied the justice of God (Isaiah 53:4-6), removing the barrier of sin between us and God. Misunderstanding this can lead to the mistaken belief that the cross itself carried the curse rather than Christ bearing it for humanity.
Jesus (not the cross) became the curse for us, carrying the weight of our sin and the wrath of God, so that we might be redeemed. The cross was the means of execution, but it was Jesus who bore the curse—not the wood itself. Thus, the precision of our language and terminology matters because it shapes how we understand Christ’s work on the cross.
2. “Forsaking everything for my forgiveness” (Verse 1)
Concern:
This line could be misunderstood to suggest that Christ forsook everything—including His divine nature or relationship with the Father—to secure our forgiveness.
Biblical Clarity:
Jesus never ceased to be God (Colossians 2:9). While He experienced separation from the Father in terms of judgment for sin (Matthew 27:46), He did not “forsake everything.”
3. “His broken body lay” (Verse 2)
Concern:
The phrase “broken body” contradicts Scripture. The Bible explicitly states that none of Jesus’ bones were broken (John 19:36, Psalm 34:20), fulfilling the prophecy of the Passover Lamb (Exodus 12:46).
Biblical Clarity:
The phrase “His broken body lay” is problematic because it contradicts Scripture. While Jesus’ flesh was indeed torn and wounded through scourging and crucifixion (Isaiah 53:5, Matthew 27:26), the Bible explicitly states that none of His bones were broken (John 19:36, Psalm 34:20). This is significant because it fulfills the prophecy of the Passover Lamb, which was to be sacrificed without any broken bones (Exodus 12:46, Numbers 9:12).
Believing that Jesus’ body was broken in the sense that His bones were fractured can lead to theological misunderstandings. It undermines the precise fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy, which attests to Jesus as the perfect sacrificial Lamb. Additionally, it could distort the meaning of Christ’s atoning work, as Scripture carefully distinguishes between the suffering of His flesh and the preservation of His bones. This distinction is not arbitrary but divinely orchestrated to confirm His identity as the Messiah.
4. “The darkness thought that heaven was defeated” (Verse 2)
Concern:
Nowhere in Scripture does it say that darkness (Satan and demonic forces) believed that heaven itself (or God and His Messiah) was defeated.
Biblical Clarity:
The idea that “darkness thought that heaven was defeated” is problematic because it implies that Satan and his forces believed they had overcome God’s rule. However, nowhere in Scripture do we see the devil under the illusion that he had truly won a cosmic victory over God or heaven itself. Instead, the Bible presents Satan as fully aware of his ultimate defeat, though he remains in rebellion.
Scripture affirms that Satan and his demons recognize God’s supreme authority. James 2:19 states that demons believe in God and tremble, while Matthew 8:29 shows demons acknowledging Jesus as the Son of God and fearing their judgment. In Job 1-2 and Luke 22:31, Satan operates only within the boundaries set by God, proving that he never believed he had the power to overthrow divine rule. Revelation 12:12 even states that Satan acts with fury “because he knows that his time is short,” indicating his awareness of inevitable defeat rather than any belief that he had won.
Satan’s goal was never to defeat heaven itself but rather to corrupt and deceive humanity, opposing God’s redemptive plan. Throughout Scripture, his attacks are directed at leading people into sin and resisting God’s work on earth (Genesis 3, Matthew 4:1-11). At the crucifixion, Satan may have thought he had succeeded in eliminating Jesus—though this idea is speculative, as Scripture nowhere explicitly states this—but this is far from believing that he had conquered heaven. His deception and scheming were aimed at stopping Christ’s mission, yet the very act of the crucifixion ultimately led to his own downfall.
This distinction is crucial for Christian doctrine and our understanding of salvation. If Satan and his forces had genuinely believed they could defeat heaven, it would suggest a misunderstanding of God’s sovereignty and omnipotence. Christian theology teaches that Christ’s death and resurrection were part of God’s eternal plan (Acts 2:23, 1 Peter 1:20). Nothing caught God off guard, and at no point did Satan gain the upper hand. The Bible describes the crucifixion as the moment when Satan’s apparent victory was actually his downfall, as Colossians 2:15 and Hebrews 2:14-15 affirm that Jesus’ death disarmed the powers of darkness and broke their hold over humanity.
The potential danger of this lyric is that it could mislead believers into thinking Satan had more power or success than Scripture teaches. It shifts the focus from God’s sovereignty to a dramatic, almost dualistic battle where Satan temporarily defeats heaven—an idea foreign to biblical teaching. A more accurate expression would be that the forces of darkness rejoiced at Jesus’ death, mistakenly thinking they had stopped His mission (though this is only speculation), only to be utterly disarmed by His resurrection.
While poetic language in songwriting allows for metaphorical expressions, this particular phrase distorts the biblical understanding of Christ’s victory and the true nature of spiritual warfare. By ensuring that worship lyrics align with sound theology, we guard against subtle yet significant misrepresentations of the gospel message.
5. “The tomb was opened wide” (Verse 2)
Concern:
The idea that “the tomb was opened wide” could unintentionally suggest that Jesus needed the stone to be removed in order to rise from the dead (i.e. that Jesus could be “freed” from the grave). However, Scripture makes it clear that the stone was rolled away not to allow Jesus to leave, but to demonstrate that He had already risen (Luke 24:2-3, Matthew 28:5-6).
Biblical Clarity:
In Luke 24:2-3, the women who came to the tomb found the stone already rolled away and the body of Jesus gone. Similarly, in Matthew 28:5-6, the angel tells them, “He is not here; for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying.” This shows that the resurrection had already occurred before the tomb was opened…! This is VERY significant!
Additionally, in John 20:19, after His resurrection, Jesus appears to His disciples even though the doors were locked, demonstrating that He was no longer bound by physical barriers. This further confirms that He did not need the stone to be removed in order to leave the tomb.
Therefore, biblically speaking, the rolling away of the stone was not for Jesus’ sake, but for the sake of His followers—to serve as evidence that He had risen, just as He foretold.
6. “The gates will open wide” (Verse 3)
Concern:
If this refers to the gates of heaven, it is unclear where in Scripture this imagery is used at Christ’s return. Revelation 21:25 states that the gates of the New Jerusalem will never be shut, implying they are always open.
Biblical Clarity:
The phrase “The gates will open wide” could suggest an eschatological event, possibly Christ’s return and the entrance of the redeemed into heaven. However, Scripture does not explicitly describe the gates of heaven dramatically opening at Christ’s return. Instead, Revelation 21:25 states that the gates of the New Jerusalem “will never be shut,” emphasizing the perpetual openness and unrestricted access for those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life (Revelation 21:27). This eternal openness signifies the complete security and unrestricted fellowship that God’s people will have with Him in the new creation.
If the lyric intends to convey the idea that the gates will suddenly fling open as a future event, it lacks direct biblical support. In contrast, Matthew 25:10-12 (the Parable of the Ten Virgins) presents a different picture: the wise virgins enter, and then the door is shut, indicating that entrance into Christ’s kingdom is not an indefinite, open-ended offer but requires readiness before His return.
Additionally, Psalm 24:7-9 does mention gates being lifted in a metaphorical sense, welcoming the King of Glory. However, this passage primarily refers to the exaltation of Christ rather than a future eschatological opening of heavenly gates.
Thus, the biblical imagery of open or closed gates serves different theological purposes. If the lyric suggests an event where heaven’s gates suddenly open wide at Christ’s return, it lacks clear biblical precedent. A more precise biblical description of believers entering the eternal kingdom would be the assurance that the gates of the New Jerusalem are always open for the redeemed, symbolizing eternal communion with God.
WHY THIS MATTERS
Many believers rely on worship songs for their theological foundation, often more than sermons or Bible studies. This makes lyrical precision crucial. While artistic expression is important, it should never come at the cost of biblical accuracy.
Bethel Music’s “THE LAMB” has a strong and reverent tone, but as analyzed above, some lines are misleading to listeners if taken literally.
THE CALL FOR DOCTRINALLY SOUND WORSHIP
Worship is more than just an emotional experience—it is a declaration of God’s truth. As Scripture commands, “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and TRUTH” (John 4:24). It is our responsibility as believers to ensure that the songs we sing reflect sound doctrine (Titus 2:1).
Songwriters and worship leaders must remain vigilant in ensuring that our praise accurately reflects the Word of God. As we seek to honor Christ in worship, let us commit to singing truth that edifies the Church and accurately exalts the Lamb upon the throne.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
Do you agree with this theological analysis? Are there other worship songs that you believe require closer biblical examination? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
