Lord's Day Devotion - Wondrous Cross

Most of my growing up years I've sung and heard sung, the "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross" hymn.   That's years and years of knowing this song and having it accepted by so many family and friends and other brothers and sisters-in-Christ, without criticism. 

It's a hymn that mostly brings out the feelings of great sadness that Jesus would have to suffer so much for me.  It's strains touch and tug at the heart in a melancholy way.  Yet, it's a hymn that followers of Jesus Christ turn back to repeatedly to help understand the profundity of what Jesus has done for them and to express their return depths of gratitude and heartfelt thanks to Him.

I was shocked, hurt and puzzled then when a brother, several years ago, said, "You shouldn't sing that song."  

"Why ever not?!" I boomerang-ed back. 

"Because it wasn't wondrous to Jesus, it was torture."

I was speechless.

Since then, I've heard, and that a lot more recently, that another also does not believe it should be sung. 

So  I sits and I says to myself, "it was wondrous for me".  Sound selfish?  Not really, cuz, Jesus also went through all that for all the "whosoever" who will accept God's gift of salvation He bought through His Son Jesus Christ on that wondrous cross.  

True enough, it was not wondrous for Jesus to have had to go through even one infinitesimal amount of that.  He was determined to do so however, for our sake.  That is what is so wondrous about it.  Yes, it was torture, but He still knew what was coming and He went through it all for me and for you.  

So as you do remember the Lord Jesus Christ in His death upon the cross each Lord's Day, remember it was also His wondrous love for you that He went to the cross.  As you pass the broken bread and the cup of wine,  recall all the pain and sorrow He took upon Himself that was "mingled" with His love for you.  Let it take your breath away.  May you be rendered speechless by it.

Do find your second wind to give Him praise and gratitude and yes, to sing triumphantly, "When I survey the wondrous cross...."  His wondrous love brought the wondrous cross for our wondrous salvation. 

 What amazingly divine love...isn't it wondrous!

                                                     ~ERC  July 2019~

Listen to the pathos of this song, What Wondrous Love is This; lyrics by Charles F. Bryan, 1952.

When I Survey the Wondrous Cross, lyrics by Sir Isaac Watts (1674-1748); sung here by the Gaither's group.