Sunday's Hymn: The Work of Christ

In anticipation of Easter, I’m changing the subject of the Sunday’s hymns. I was posting hymns that taught us about the nature of God, but now I’m moving on to hymns that feature the work of Christ on the cross. It shouldn’t be a difficult segue, since last Sunday’s hymn showed us God as judge and it’s because God is judge that we need Christ’s cross work.

The Power of the Cross

 

Oh, to see the dawn
Of the darkest day:
Christ on the road to Calvary.
Tried by sinful men,
Torn and beaten, then
Nailed to a cross of wood.

Chorus
This, the pow’r of the cross:
Christ became sin for us;
Took the blame, bore the wrath—
We stand forgiven at the cross.

Oh, to see the pain
Written on Your face,
Bearing the awesome weight of sin.
Ev’ry bitter thought,
Ev’ry evil deed
Crowning Your bloodstained brow.

Now the daylight flees;
Now the ground beneath
Quakes as its Maker bows His head.
Curtain torn in two,
Dead are raised to life;
“Finished!” the vict’ry cry.

Oh,to see my name
Written in the wounds,
For through Your suffering I am free.
Death is crushed to death;
Life is mine to live,
Won through Your selfless love.

Final chorus:
This, the pow’r of the cross:
Son of God—slain for us.
What a love! What a cost!
We stand forgiven at the cross.

 

—-Words and Music by Keith Getty & Stuart Townend, Copyright © 2005 Thankyou Music 

Here’s the Kristyn Getty version, notable for her lilting reading from Isaiah 53 before she sings.

More on Christ becoming sin for us:

• I touched on this subject a little bit in Purposes of Christ’s Death, Nos. 14 and 15, but what I really recommend is Phil Johnson’s  indepth treatment of 2 Corinthians 5:21:
• The Key to the Gospel
  
• The heart of the gospel?
  
• The Justice of Calvary
  
• Back again
  
• About that series of posts I keep promising …
  
• The Great Exchange (Part 1)
  
• The Great Exchange (Part 2)
  
• Back to bidniss
• Back to 2 Corinthians 5:21
• End of a long series
  

 Other hymns, worship songs, etc. posted today:

• Dearest of All the Names Above at joythruChrist
  
• The Second Sunday in Lent at Magic Statistics
• Come, O Creator Spirit Blest at The Happy Wonderer
• Lord’s Day 7, 2008 at The Thirsty Theologian
  
• Give Thanks unto the Lord, Jehovah at Hiraeth
  
• Before Thy Mercy Seat, O Lord at Seasoning of the Heart
• Unto the Hills around Do I Lift Up at Whatever Things…

Have you posted a hymn this Sunday and I missed it? Let me know by leaving a link in the comments or by emailing me at the address in the sidebar and I’ll add your post to the list.

Comments

[Karen]

The singer on the video looks and sings a little like Debby Boone.

[Candy]

I really like Stuart Townend. The songs he writes are sooooooo good.