Sunday's Hymn: The Work of Christ

As we move toward Easter, the Sunday’s hymns will teach us something about the work of Christ on the cross. Have you noticed how many of these doctrinally centered hymns have been written by either Isaac Watts or Charles Wesley? Well, today’s hymn is another one from Charles Wesley, focusing our hearts on two particular aspects of Christ’s atoning work: Christ was both our sacrifice and our priest.

…[Christ] has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. (Hebrews 9:26, ESV)

Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. (Hebrews 2:17, ESV)

O Thou, Before the World Began

O Thou, before the world began,
Ordained a sacrifice for man,
And by th’eternal Spirit made
An Offering for the sinner’s stead;
Our everlasting Priest art Thou,
Pleading Thy death for sinners now.

Thy offering still continues new
Before the righteous Father’s view;
Thyself the Lamb for ever slain,
Thy priesthood doth unchanged remain;
Thy years, O God, can never fail,
Nor Thy blest work within the veil.

O that our faith may never move,
But stand unshaken as Thy love!
Sure evidence of things unseen,
Now let it pass the years between,
And view Thee bleeding on the tree,
My Lord, my God, who dies for me.

More on Christ’s work as priest:

• Christ Who Sits

More on Christ as sacrifice:

• Purposes of Christ’s Death 11

Other hymns, worship songs, etc. posted today:

• Savior, When Night Involves the Skies at joythruChrist
  
• The Third Sunday in Lent at Magic Statistics
• Rejoice, the Lord Is King at The Happy Wonderer
• Lord’s Day 8, 2008 at The Thirsty Theologian
  
• Shepherd of Tender Youth at Hiraeth
  
• Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise at Seasoning of the Heart
• Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of Creation at Whatever Things…
• Let Us Love and Sing and Wonder at Field Stone Cottage
• I Asked the Lord at New Lumps
• O Sacred Head at Jam and Books
  

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.