On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
The emblem of suff’ring and shame;
And I love that old cross where the Dearest and Best
For a world of lost sinners was slain.
So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it someday for a crown.
The Old Rugged Cross (1913)
By: George Bennard 1873 – 1958
Listen to this simple piano version as you read. Please make certain to enjoy the video below.
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Transcript may be found below, at the end of the blog.
We begin our journey toward Easter this week as we ponder the cross. In the first half of this stanza, we will bring our hearts up the hill of Calvary and down to the foot of the cross. This torture device represents something to cherish for those who see it for what it truly is. Let’s tune our hearts.
Seeing the Cross
On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
Most people can not remember the first time they saw a cross. It is such basic symbol. Two lines intersecting at a perpendicular point, stood on one of the four ends. And it is very prevalent in our culture. You see it everywhere, which is part of why it is so easy to overlook and even dismiss. But not to those who see it and remember the story of their Savior.
To them, the cross is impossible to forget. Not only do they remember the story of Jesus, but many see themselves in that story. They imagine Jesus trodding that long, dusty road to Calvary, sometimes carrying his cross alone, sometimes being helped, but ever obeying the will of the Father. Can you see it in your mind’s eye?
And he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. John 19:17 ESV
Years have passed since Jesus bore the cross. Centuries since His hands and feet were nailed to it. Millenia since He was suspended above the jeering crowd, and graciously sacrificed His life for them…and us. It may be rugged, through years of serving as the symbol not of death but life, but it still has the power to amaze the heart who will linger there and ponder what they see.
Will you come to the foot of the cross again with me? Will you look up at this symbol and allow the Holy Spirit to reveal the true meaning of it? Will you go deeper into the rich, eternal meaning it wrought? Spend a few moments in your heart pondering what Jesus did there, and in particular, what that means for you.
Feeling the Weight
The emblem of suff’ring and shame;
Jesus felt the weight of the cross. He was a man, so He felt the ridicule that was being hurled at him, even as He climbed that hill and certainly once He hung on that cursed tree. But of course, He did not let that deter Him from the path the Father had marked out for Him. That path led Him to become the author and perfecter of our faith.
Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2 ESV
There was a weight to the cross that was far greater than the scorn He endured from the crowd. Jesus was taking the weight not only of a log of rough hewn wood, but of the sin of the world. That weight is simply unfathomable to us.
But that is not all that is unfathomable. Jesus endured the cross and despised its shame because of joy. Joy?!? There was joy set before Him. The Father’s joy that the debt of sin was paid. Our joy that we have a Savior. And His joy that He could accomplish all that.
When you consider the cross, are you able to feel the joy? It requires a heart of faith, but not only in the initial understanding but well beyond it, for His cross points to our own. The cross brings suffering and shame into our lives at times as we walk a long, difficult, and often misunderstood road of obedience to God.
It is worth the joy set before you to endure your cross. Jesus gave us an example to follow. It is not easy. But you are not alone. Bear your cross. Despise the shame. Look to Jesus!
The disciples did not understand what Jesus’ cross meant until after the resurrection. You may not understand yours. What cross have you borne or might be bearing now that had or has a similar delayed reaction attached to it? Maybe it is yet to come, but this perspective may help you to pick it up and bear it. Jesus will be with you as you do.
Jesus, thank You for bearing the cross and pouring such profound meaning into such a simple symbol. Help me to see it with fresh eyes over the next few weeks that this new perspective may deepen my celebration of Your resurrection. In Jesus’ name. Amen!
Weighty Tuning!
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Video 15.1 Transcript
Welcome to Tuesday Tunings at Resonant 7, where we reflect on the reality of God and resolve to let it resound in our lives, repeatedly. Let’s tune our hearts.
On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
The emblem of suff’ring and shame;
And I love that old cross where the Dearest and Best
For a world of lost sinners was slain.
Calvary. The place of the skull. Historical truth. Spiritual crossroads. A real hill, a real cross, a real Savior. Rough hewn wood, splinters and all, stood on that rise and became the vehicle of our redemption. Just imagine for a moment the long, dusty road Jesus climbed.
Many people wear crosses, and I often wonder what those crosses mean to them. The Romans who crucified Jesus meant it to be the cruelest of torture devices, and it was, indeed, that. Consider what the experience of the cross must have been like for Jesus.
And what by design was meant to illicit suffering and shame has become for us a symbol of love. Why? Because Jesus, the Dearest and Best of everyone and everything, went there to willingly lay down His life as a ransom for my sins. Give Him praise for redefining the cross.
And not just for my sins. Because He was perfect, He could be a perfect sacrifice, for all sin, across time and space. We were lost in sin and separated from God, then the cross. Our response must be to cherish it and cling to it, until the day we exchange it for a crown. Hallelujah!
Take a few moments to talk to Jesus about what has surfaced in your heart, or just listen to what He is saying to you, then we will sing once more.
Sing
So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it someday for a crown.
Take the awareness of God’s presence cultivated in these last few minutes into the next ones and beyond. Until next time, be Resonant.
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Earth, Sky, and Sea – https://pixabay.com/photos/milky-way-human-lake-dreams-4500469/
Perspective – https://pixabay.com/photos/architecture-perspective-modern-828596/
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