“Looking to Jesus the pioneer 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
We have just come through Holy Week and the great celebration of Easter. This past week was filled with beautiful stories of the work of Jesus in the world. Throughout Holy Week, the love of Jesus was on full display as he entered Jerusalem, was betrayed, arrested, and eventually hung on that “Old Rugged Cross.” Sunday was so inspiring and uplifting as we gathered to celebrate the triumph over sin and death. This past week was, once again, a reminder to me of just how much God loves and cares for us.
As Holy Week ended, I could not help but think about the powerful words from George Bennard’s beautiful hymn, The Old Rugged Cross. George Bennard, a Methodist preacher and evangelist, wrote the hymn in 1913. The song transports the singer to the foot of the cross. The hymn begins:
On a hill far away, stood an old rugged Cross
The emblem of suffering 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 some day for a crown
This hymn has helped Christian people sing their gratitude for the salvation and grace that was offered to the world on that Old Rugged Cross. It also serves as a reminder that the cross is not the final act of our Lord, but the cross leads to resurrection. The gift that comes from this is knowing our Lord is alive and because he lives, we have joy, peace, and hope for a future far more wonderful than that old cross on a hill.
It is good to read the lyrics of this hymn on occasion. It is good to be transported away from our normal routine. When we find ourselves at the foot of the cross, focused on the work of love that happened on that Holy Week, we can be reminded that Easter was a gift to the world and a promise that love will always win.
– Rev. Keith King, Pastor of Worship
