March 19th, 2021
By Bill Yerkes
“May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” Galatians 6:14
This verse from Galatians is the basis for the hymn “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” written by Isaac Watts. One of the verses not included in modern versions of the hymn, clearly identifies with Galatians 6:14.
His dying crimson, like a robe, spreads o'er his body on the tree; Then am I dead to all the globe, and all the globe is dead to me. Greg Scheer, a composer, author, and speaker, outlines the meaning of the hymn as follows: “Perhaps Watts eliminated this verse in order to focus more attention on our response to Christ's crucifixion than the crucifixion itself. Notice how he starts with contemplation of the cross and the fact that all our worldly achievements and possessions pale in comparison. Next he shows that Christ went to the cross out of love for us. In the most powerful image of the hymn, he affirms the deity of the suffering Christ…. "Did e'er such love and sorrow meet, Or thorns compose so rich a crown?" And the last verse shows that the only proper response to this amazing love is complete devotion.”
Were the whole Realm of Nature mine, that were a Present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine, demands my Soul, my Life, my All.
What God did for us on the cross was an expression of love we could never possibly comprehend. And when we revisit the topic of the cross, we are reminded of our sinful nature and our need for a Savior. Issac Watts put it best when he said our best response to God’s amazing grace, is giving our “all.” As part of the message on Sunday I suggested this may be a time to consider how we can go deeper in our faith journey and our relationship with our Heavenly Father. What “going deeper” means can differ for all of us. It is determined by where we are currently in our walk, or what resources we have at our fingertips. Sometimes we are convicted to give more either as a volunteer in ministry, or financially through monetary gifts and offerings. It could be as simple as searching for God in the everyday and noticing when He is speaking to us or revealing himself to us. Obvious ways of going deeper are spending more time in the Word or in prayer. And perhaps even now some of you are being challenged to just get back involved in the fellowship and body life of the church.
Easter is coming and there are new opportunities to gather together and focus on the scriptures and music of this season.Details on all of these events can be found on our webpage at https://www.discoverstjohns.org/easter.
I want to encourage you to prayerfully consider how you will respond to what God accomplished on the cross for each of us. Consider what He continues to do in your life and where He has shown Himself to you, blessed you, and watched over you during this past year.
Love so amazing, so divine, demands my Soul, my Life, my All.
“May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” Galatians 6:14
This verse from Galatians is the basis for the hymn “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” written by Isaac Watts. One of the verses not included in modern versions of the hymn, clearly identifies with Galatians 6:14.
His dying crimson, like a robe, spreads o'er his body on the tree; Then am I dead to all the globe, and all the globe is dead to me. Greg Scheer, a composer, author, and speaker, outlines the meaning of the hymn as follows: “Perhaps Watts eliminated this verse in order to focus more attention on our response to Christ's crucifixion than the crucifixion itself. Notice how he starts with contemplation of the cross and the fact that all our worldly achievements and possessions pale in comparison. Next he shows that Christ went to the cross out of love for us. In the most powerful image of the hymn, he affirms the deity of the suffering Christ…. "Did e'er such love and sorrow meet, Or thorns compose so rich a crown?" And the last verse shows that the only proper response to this amazing love is complete devotion.”
Were the whole Realm of Nature mine, that were a Present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine, demands my Soul, my Life, my All.
What God did for us on the cross was an expression of love we could never possibly comprehend. And when we revisit the topic of the cross, we are reminded of our sinful nature and our need for a Savior. Issac Watts put it best when he said our best response to God’s amazing grace, is giving our “all.” As part of the message on Sunday I suggested this may be a time to consider how we can go deeper in our faith journey and our relationship with our Heavenly Father. What “going deeper” means can differ for all of us. It is determined by where we are currently in our walk, or what resources we have at our fingertips. Sometimes we are convicted to give more either as a volunteer in ministry, or financially through monetary gifts and offerings. It could be as simple as searching for God in the everyday and noticing when He is speaking to us or revealing himself to us. Obvious ways of going deeper are spending more time in the Word or in prayer. And perhaps even now some of you are being challenged to just get back involved in the fellowship and body life of the church.
Easter is coming and there are new opportunities to gather together and focus on the scriptures and music of this season.Details on all of these events can be found on our webpage at https://www.discoverstjohns.org/easter.
I want to encourage you to prayerfully consider how you will respond to what God accomplished on the cross for each of us. Consider what He continues to do in your life and where He has shown Himself to you, blessed you, and watched over you during this past year.
Love so amazing, so divine, demands my Soul, my Life, my All.
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