There’s a C.S. Lewis quote that sums up “Someone Worth Dying For,” the great song new song by MIKESCHAIR: “Christ died precisely because men are not worth it, to make them worth it.”

I have greatly enjoyed MIKESCHAIR’s debut album for the past two years which yielded four consecutive hits: “Can’t Take Away”, “Let The Waters Rise”, “Keep Changing The World” and “Straight To Your Heart.” If you enjoyed the debut album, then don’t hesitate to pick up A Beautiful Life immediately, which takes things up a notch. Mike Grayson’s vocals are stronger than ever and the encouraging and prayerful themes of this album are catchy, emotional and inspirational.

I like the history behind the band name (click here to learn about that), and I love their sound, which is a nice combination of some of my other favorite new bands: The Afters, Rush of Fools and Tenth Avenue North. I had the chance to speak with Mike Grayson about their current hit single “Someone Worth Dying For,” which is the stand-out song of the new album.

Please tell me about the background message behind the song “Someone Worth Dying For.”

I would say over the last couple of years, we’ve wrestled with the concept of where we’re looking to find our worth. The harsh realization of that struggle is that the answer isn’t always Christ. That can be everything from family to jobs, to in our situation, fans, sales and radio. This song is a culmination of what that meant for us in that season. Jesus established our worth the day that He died for us on the Cross. When we look other places, we’re never going to see what we are truly worth, because they only One who can do that is Jesus. This song was birthed out of that season. We hear so many stories from different people who struggle with cutting themselves because they don’t feel like they are worth anything, to a mom who thinks all her life is about is driving around her kids, and dropping them off places, and she wonders if her life is really worth what Jesus did for her. It’s really just that realization that no matter where we are, Christ saw it fit to die for us to make us worthy.

Do you have a life verse or any Bible verses you used in writing the song?

John 3:16-17: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”

What's the takeaway message for listeners regarding the song?

The message of this song for us is so humbling, and I can’t find a better reason to worship than the fact that although I’m not worth it, Christ died to make me worthy. Jesus explained that He came to die as a humble servant on our behalf. There are critics that will say we’re not worthy of God dying for our sins. That’s exactly the point, we’re totally not worth it on our own. That’s the beauty of the Gospel; Jesus Himself tells us that we are worth dying for. You can’t even sing a children’s song like “Jesus Loves Me” and then say in the same breath that we’re not worth anything. Our hope is that this song doesn’t bring an essence of pride in any way that we’re worth something, it’s more the humble realization that even though we’re not worth what Jesus did, He did it anyway. That means it has nothing to do with us, it has everything to do with what He has done for us. There’s so much freedom in that.

Here are the lyrics:

You might be the wife waiting up at night
You might be the man struggling to provide
Feeling like it's hopeless

Maybe you're the son who chose a broken road
Maybe you're the girl thinking you'll end up alone
Praying "God, can you hear me?
Oh God, are you listening?"

Am I more than flesh and bone?
Am I really something beautiful?
Yeah, I wanna believe, I wanna believe that
I'm not just some wandering soul
That you don't see and you don't know
Yeah, I wanna believe,
Jesus, help me believe that
I am someone worth dying for

I know you've heard the truth that God has set you free
But you think you're the one that grace could never reach
So you just keep askin', oh, what everybody's askin'

Am I more than flesh and bone?
Am I really something beautiful?
Yeah, I wanna believe, I wanna believe that
I'm not just some wandering soul
That you don't see and you don't know
Yeah, I wanna believe,
Jesus, help me believe that
I am someone worth dying for

You're worth it, you can't earn it
Yeah, the cross has proven
That you're sacred and blameless
Your life has purpose

You are more than flesh and bone
Can't you see you're something beautiful
Yeah, you gotta believe, you gotta believe
He wants you to see, He wants you to see that
You're not just some wandering soul
That can't be seen and can't be known
Yeah, you gotta believe, you gotta believe that
You are someone worth dying for
You're someone worth dying for
You're someone worth dying for

Here’s Matthew Henry’s commentary on John 3:16-17: “Here is God's love in giving His Son for the world. God so loved the world; so really, so richly. Behold and wonder, that the great God should love such a worthless world! Here, also, is the great gospel duty, to believe in Jesus Christ. God having given Him to be our Prophet, Priest, and King, we must give up ourselves to be ruled, and taught, and saved by Him. And here is the great gospel benefit, that whoever believes in Christ, shall not perish, but shall have everlasting life. God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, and so saving it. It could not be saved, but through Him; there is no salvation in any other.”

The highlight of the album for me is the hit song, "Someone Worth Dying For." We can all relate to one of the situations beautifully described in the song--wife, man, son and girl--all praying: “God can You hear me? Oh God are You listening? Am I really something beautiful? Jesus help me believe that I’m someone worth dying for.”

Not only are those lyrics penetrating and sincere, but Mike’s passionate vocals bring it home with the incredible bridge: “You’re worth it, you can’t earn it, yeah the Cross has proven, That you’re sacred and blameless, your life has purpose.” My eyes can’t help but get welled up when I sing along with this song at the top of my lungs. That is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He came to die for us and our sins, and we are all “someone worth dying for.” Amen.

(Check out the music video here.)