Menu

Hymns

Down from His Glory

3

Words: William Emmanual Booth-Clibborn [b. Aug. 4, 1893; d. Aug. ___, 1969)
Music: O Sole Mio, by Eduardo di Capua (b. May 12, 1865; d. Oct. 3, 1917)

Note: William Booth-Clibborn was the grandson of Salvation Army founder, William Booth. Eduardo di Capua was a nineteenth-century singer and composer, who was born and died in Naples, Italy. His most famous melody was that for O Sole Mio (literally, “Oh My Sunshine”–a romantic tribute to the object of the singer’s love). It was recorded by many great singers, including Enrico Caruso, in the early days of the recording industry. The tune was arranged for the present hymn in 1921.

(Stanza numbers in brackets below refer to the stanza number in The Cyber Hymnal. Find the link at the bottom of the article.)

Though this fine hymn may work best as a solo, rather than a congregational number, it would be interesting to try it as the latter. It provides a fine interpretation and explanation of Philippians 2:5-11, which says, that God the Son “did not consider it robbery [a thing to be clutched and clung to, as a miser would his gold] to be equal with God”…

But made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

Philippians 2:7-8

(1). He came from heaven’s glory, where all the prerogatives of deity were His. Dwelling in glorious light from all eternity, surrounded by worshiping angels, He willingly set aside such things to come to earth. Though the Creator of all (Jn. 1:3), He came to die for our sins, came to be our Saviour.

Both because of who Christ is, and because of what He has done for us, He is worthy of our praise and worship (Refrain).

(1). He was born in a manger, and “to His own a stranger.” That was true in a general way. “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him” (Jn. 1:11). Yet there was a believing remnant who did recognize and receive Him. On the basis of prophetic insight, Simeon did, and so did Anna (Lk. 2:25-38). Even some Persian magi (wise men) owned Him as King, and came to worship Him (Matt. 2:1-2).

(1) Down from His glory, ever living story,
My God and Saviour came, and Jesus was His name.
Born in a manger, to His own a stranger,
A man of sorrows, tears and agony.

O how I love Him! How I adore Him!
My breath, my sunshine, my all in all.
The great Creator became my Saviour,
And all God’s fullness dwelleth in Him.

(2). Since all have sinned (Rom. 3:23), and since we were, as sinners, “without strength” to save ourselves (Rom. 5:6), we had, in the words of Booth-Clibborn, “not one faint hope in sight.” But in our extremity, the Lord Jesus Christ came, “stooping to woo, to win, to save my soul.” Not only was the saving work done at Calvary, the Lord continues to extend an invitation for the needy to come to Him, or open the door to Him (Matt. 11:28; Rev. 3:20).

(3). Christ came to save us “without reluctance.” When the Son came to earth, He willingly submitted Himself to His Father. He declared, “Behold, I have come…to do Your will, O God” (Heb. 10:7). When He finally came to face the cross, there was a repelling abhorrence to what lay ahead. Yet He was fully submissive to the Father’s will. We see that in Gethsemane:

“He…fell on His face, and prayed, saying, ‘O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.’”

Matt. 26:39

But it is going much too far to say, as I heard a Bible teacher say recently, that there was “a battle of the wills” between God the Father and God the Son, in Gethsemane. That makes it sound as though they argued (“Do it!…No I won’t!…Yes You will!”) Such a notion is ridiculous.

To say, as Booth-Clibborn does that Christ is “the great ‘I AM,’” is to affirm His deity. Jehovah God revealed His name to Moses at the burning bush. “God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM.’ And He said, ‘Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you’” (Exod. 3:14). When the Lord Jesus took that “I AM” name to Himself (Jn. 8:58), His enemies knew well what it meant (vs. 59; cf. Jn. 10:33)

It is indeed a “glorious mystery,” that God the Son could take on our humanity, through a work of the Holy Spirit, and the miracle of the virgin birth (Matt. 1:20; Lk. 1:34-35). And that He could become Man and yet remain fully God (Col. 2:9) is a truth beyond our comprehension.

(3) Without reluctance, flesh and blood His substance,
He took the form of man, revealed the hidden plan,
O glorious mystery, sacrifice of Calv’ry,
And now I know Thou art the great “I Am.”

Questions:

  1. Why was it necessary for Christ to be both fully Man and fully God, to provide for our salvation?
  2. What other hymns come to mind that affirm the deity of Christ?

Links:

Watchman, Tell Us of the Night

0

Words: John Bowring (b. Oct. 17, 1792; d. Nov. 23, 1872)
Music: Watchman, by Lowell Mason (b. Jan. 8, 1792; d. Aug. 11, 1872)

Note: Bowring (a Britisher) and Mason (an American) were true contemporaries. Each was born in 1792, and each died in 1872. Bowring wrote this beautiful, evocative hymn in 1825, and the tune was written for the hymn.

(Stanza numbers in brackets below refer to the stanza number in The Cyber Hymnal. Find the link at the bottom of the article.)

The song lends itself well to antiphonal singing, with two lines, each time, representing the call of the traveller, and the following two the response of the watchman. I can recall, many years ago, being invited to take part in the Christmas program of a local church of another denomination. The pastor and I sang this carol as a duet.

The inspiration for the hymn is taken from a somewhat obscure prophecy in the book of Isaiah. The prophet speaks of:

The burden against Dumah [Idumea, the nation of Edom]. He calls to me out of Seir [another name for Edom], “Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?” The watchman said, “‘”The morning comes, and also the night. If you will inquire, inquire; Return [repent]! Come back!”.

Isa. 21:11-12

In the context, a man from the nation of Edom, southeast of Israel, is calling to a “watchman” (a prophet) asking what he sees coming for his people. The answer is enigmatic. “The morning comes, and also the night.” It seems to mean that their present distress from the Assyrians will end, but they’ll be facing another “night” from the Babylonians. Their only hope is to repent of their sins and turn to God.

That is the historic significance of the prophecy. But Sir John Bowring uses it in a symbolic or figurative sense of something entirely different. Lowell Mason referred to the finished song as “A Missionary or Christmas Hymn.” As to missions, it could be a picture of the dawning of a new day, through the proclamation of the gospel (“See, it bursts o’er all the earth”).

But the application that is more familiar to us today is seen in Matthew’s account of the “glory beaming star” that guided the wise men to the newborn King (Matt. 2:1-12), who is described in the hymn (and in Scripture) as “the Prince of Peace” (Isa. 9:6), and “the Son of God” (Heb. 4:14).

(1) Watchman, tell us of the night,
What its signs of promise are.
Traveler, o’er yon mountain’s height,
See that glory beaming star.
Watchman, does its beauteous ray
Aught of joy or hope foretell?
Traveler, yes–it brings the day,
Promised day of Israel.

“The promised day of Israel” was the day of the Messiah’s coming. But He was rejected and crucified, and they missed their “day” (cf. Lk. 19:41-44). The restoration of Israel’s national glory awaits the return of Christ to set up His earthly kingdom (Isa. 60:1-3).

(2) Watchman, tell us of the night;
Higher yet that star ascends.
Traveler, blessedness and light,
Peace and truth its course portends.
Watchman, will its beams alone
Gild the spot that gave them birth?
Traveler, ages are its own;
See, it bursts o’er all the earth.

Was the star only intended to light the way to King Jesus? No. It pointed to the light of Christ’s second coming which, in a broader sense, will illuminate the whole earth. As Malachi puts it, “The Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings [or beams]” (Mal. 4:2]. And the glorified Christ describes Himself as “the Bright and Morning Star” (Rev. 22:16).

(3) Watchman, tell us of the night,
For the morning seems to dawn.
Traveler, darkness takes its flight,
Doubt and terror are withdrawn.
Watchman, let thy wanderings cease;
Hie thee to thy quiet home.
Traveler! Lo, the Prince of Peace,
Lo, the Son of God is come!

No need for the watchman to stay at his post, since Christ has come, and His return is promised in the faithful Word of God. The future is secure. “Hie thee [hasten] to thy quiet home. The future is in the hands of the Prince of Peace, who is the Son of God, the second Person of the Trinity. We may rest fully in that.

Questions:

  1. What is there about the present that causes particular worry and anxiety?
  2. What is there about the return of Christ that should reassure the saints, and give them peace?

Links:

Earth Has Many a Noble City

0

Words: Aurelius Clemens Prudentius (b. AD 348; d. circa AD 413); English translation, Edward Caswall (b. July 15, 1814; d. Jan. 2, 1878)
Music: Stuttgart, by Christian Friedrich Witt (b. circa 1660; d. Apr. 13, 1716)

Note: Prudentius was born in what would later be known as Spain. He served as a provincial governor there. Then he was summoned by the emperor, Theodocius I, to fill a post as a lawyer and a judge in Rome itself. Meanwhile, at some point Aurelius Prudentius became a Christian. At first, he hoped that the Roman Empire would be an instrument in God’s hands to spread the gospel. After all, the Roman emperor Constantine had legalized Christianity a few years before. And Rome had many fine churches.

But Prudentius became disillusioned with the city’s excesses, and with his own worldliness. He wrote:

“May yet my sinful soul put off her foolishness; and if by deeds it cannot, yet, at least, by words give praise to God.”

The mighty city of Rome no longer held the fascination for him it once did. Prudentius retired from government work at the age of fifty-seven, becoming an ascetic. He spent his remaining days fasting, praying, and writing. He produced several books, and about 385 religious poems. At least two of these became fine hymns that are still in use. One is Of the Father’s Love Begotten.

(Stanza numbers in brackets below refer to the stanza number in The Cyber Hymnal. Find the link at the bottom of the article.)

The other is this Christmas hymn in which Prudentius seems to reflect on his earlier impressions of the city of Rome. The point of the hymn is to demonstrate something that the Word of God makes clear–that the little town of Bethlehem has a claim to greater significance than the “noble cities” of the world.

There are many great cities. In Canada we have Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal. The United States has large cities such as Los Angeles, Chicago and New York. Worldwide, more than 300 cities have a population exceeding one million. Mexico City, including its surrounding municipalities, currently has over 20 million inhabitants. But numbers aren’t everything. Many cities are renowned for what takes place there, even if they are smaller. For example, Washington DC ranks 629th in size among the world’s metropolises, but it is the seat of a powerful government.

So what about Bethlehem? It is a very ancient community. We read about it back in Genesis (Gen. 35:19). And it became famous as the birthplace of King David (II Sam. 17:12). Even so, it was small and insignificant compared to the city of Jerusalem nearby.

Then, several centuries before the birth of Christ, the prophet Micah wrote, “You, Bethlehem, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler I Israel, whose goings forth hare from of old, from everlasting” (Mic. 5:2). This One was none other than the Lord Jesus, who was later born in “the city of David which is called Bethlehem” (Lk. 2:1-7).

It’s possible to make a more personal application of the “little is much” principle. There are many godly Christian people who are faithfully serving the Lord in ways that bring no accolades, medals or parades. But God sees what they do, and one day they will be rewarded in a way far greater and grander than garnering the fleeting praise of men. It’s God’s assessment that counts, in the end.

(1) Earth has many a noble city;
Bethlehem, thou dost all excel;
Out of thee the Lord from heaven
Came to rule His Israel.

(2) Fairer than the sun at morning
Was the star that told His birth,
To the world its God announcing
Seen in fleshly form on earth.

(3) Eastern sages at His cradle
Make oblations rich and rare;
See them give, in deep devotion,
Gold and frankincense and myrrh.

(4) Sacred gifts of mystic meaning:
Incense doth their God disclose,
Gold the King of kings proclaimeth,
Myrrh His sepulchre foreshows.

Questions:

  1. What other Bible cities and towns have a special significance to the people of God?
  2. What is the key to living in the world, but not becoming of the world (i.e. absorbing its values and lifestyle)?

Links:

In the Bleak Midwinter

0

Words: Christina Georgina Rossetti (b. Dec. 5, 1830; d. Dec. 29, 1894)
Music: Cranham, by Gustav Theodore Holst (b. Sept. 21, 1874; d. May 25, 1934)

Note: The text was written some time before 1872, in response to a magazine’s request for a Christmas poem. Gustav Holst’s tune was composed in 1906, specifically for the text. Stanza 3 is not generally used today in the Christmas hymn. It says:

(3) Enough for Him, whom cherubim, worship night and day,
Breastful of milk, and a mangerful of hay;
Enough for Him, whom angels fall before,
The ox and ass and camel which adore.

(Stanza numbers in brackets below refer to the stanza number in The Cyber Hymnal. Find the link at the bottom of the article.)

From her awareness of the cold and snowy Decembers in her native England, Rossetti described the scene in the Holy Land in those terms. However, recent scholarship suggests that Christ was more likely born in late September, since the weather became too wet and cold after that for shepherds to pasture their sheep out in the open fields. Nevertheless, the frozen, stone-hard earth works as a poetic image of the unreceptive world Christ entered, where even “His own did not received Him” (Jn. 1:11).

(1) In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
In the bleak midwinter, long ago.

Christina Rossetti had two serious suitors whom she turned down on the basis of her religious convictions. She never married. As to her social convictions, she was against military aggression, the slavery in the American south, and cruelty to animals. Rossetti also opposed the exploitation of women as prostitutes, and was involved for many years with a charity that ministered to those who had broken free of this illicit trade.

Some have described the author as an early feminist, who lived long before that became a movement. In her day, women were often viewed as second class citizens. The doors to higher education and to many professions were closed to them. This gives her final stanza a personal poignancy. Yet there’s a real sense in which none of us, as believers, has anything to give that is worthy of the Lord Jesus. All we can do is offer ourselves to Him as “living sacrifices,” ready to do His will (Rom. 12:1)

(5) What can I give Him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;
If I were a wise man, I would do my part;
Yet what I can I give Him: give my heart.

Christina Rosetti speaks with firm confidence in (2), when she identifies the Babe in Bethlehem’s manger. This is no sentimental story sustained by tradition. It is the dramatic incarnation of Deity.

  • He is the Lord Jesus Christ. That triple title is used of Him 82 times in the New Testament. He is Lord–Master, sovereign; He is Jesus–meaning the Lord (Jehovah) saves; and He is Christ, the Anointed One, the Messiah of Israel. In Him we have our eternal salvation (Acts 16:31; Rom. 5:1; I Cor. 15:57; II Cor. 8:9).
  • He is God Almighty (Matt. 28:18; Jn. 5:23; Heb. 1:8).
  • My thought regarding the line, “Heaven cannot hold Him, nor earth sustain,” is that it signifies Christ is greater than both heaven and earth (because He is the Creator of all, Jn. 1:3; Col. 1:16).
  • He is coming again to reign (Rev. 19:11-16).
  • After His coming, the present earth and heavens will be destroyed, and replaced by a new heavens and new earth (Rev. 20:11; 21:1).

(2) Our God, heaven cannot hold Him, nor earth sustain;
Heaven and earth shall flee away when He comes to reign.
In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed
The Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ.

The lovely imagery of (4) shows the condescension and humbling of the Son of God. Worthy of angels’ worship, the infant Jesus is tenderly kissed by a loving mother.

(4) Angels and archangels may have gathered there,
Cherubim and seraphim thronged the air;
But His mother only, in her maiden bliss,
Worshiped the Beloved with a kiss.

Questions:

  1. Is this a carol you commonly use at the Christmas season?
  2. Can you state in one sentence what it is that Christina Rosetti particularly wants to tell us through this hymn?

Links:

I Have Decided to Follow Jesus

0

Words: (author unknown)
Music: Assam, a folk melody from India

Note: The little I thought we knew about this gospel song’s origin can be found on the Wordwise link below. However, there is a much more detailed and fascinating story on the Hymnary.org link. I have never seen it written elsewhere but, knowing something of the history of the region, it does seem possible.

(Stanza numbers in brackets below refer to the stanza number in The Cyber Hymnal. Find the link at the bottom of the article.)

Though the origin is obscure and the words are simple, this song of commitment and testimony has a powerful message.

Some form of the word “follow” is found dozens of times in the Gospels. It is particularly used by the Lord Jesus to call His disciples. Of course, in the historical context, physical accompaniment was involved. Those who were called to “follow” Christ left family and jobs and travelled with Him from place to place. However, it was more than that. They were committing themselves to a spiritual pilgrimage. In that sense, Christ still has followers today.

A disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ is: committed to trust in Him, obey Him, learn from Him, emulate Him, and serve Him.

Here are a few examples of “following” Jesus from Matthew’s Gospel.

“Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then He said to them, ‘Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.’ They immediately left their nets and followed Him. Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him” (Matt. 4:18-22).

“As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, ‘Follow Me.’ So he arose and followed Him” (Matt. 9:9).

“He who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it” (Matt. 10:38-39).

This latter description of discipleship is found a number of times in the Gospels. It has a much deeper meaning than simply, “Bear your aches and pains stoically.” Or to simply deny ourselves something (such as a new pair of shoes, or another piece of cake). That can be a form of asceticism. In the extreme, it would involve living in utter poverty. But that’s not what the Lord is calling His followers to in the above verses. Rather, in essence, it’s the dethronement of Self.

To deny Self is to repudiate self-centredness, and say a decisive “No” to selfishness and self-will. To take up the cross is the other side of the same attitude and action. It’s saying “Yes” to the Lord. There is also implied a public identification with Christ, to follow a life of sacrificial service, whatever the cost.

With this background, we can see that the song deals with something more profound than its simple words may suggest. And if, as seems to be the case, the song originated in India, we know that, there, those who turn to Christ have often been shunned by family and friends, and driven from home, and from a place of employment. (This is true in some other countries too.) There is a serious cost to the stand the author takes.

(1) I have decided to follow Jesus,
I have decided to follow Jesus,
I have decided to follow Jesus–
No turning back, no turning back.

Consider the elements in that opening stanza. There is a specific decision involved. It involves me and the person of Christ. And there’s an expected continuance and continuity to the new direction of life that has been chosen. Implied in the last line is the possibility of a temptation to default on the commitment made, and a determination not to.

(2) The world behind me, the cross before me,
The world behind me, the cross before me,
The world behind me, the cross before me–
No turning back, no turning back.

Here are the two sides of the decision mentioned earlier. If there is a determination to say “Yes” to Christ, whatever the cost, there is also the other side of the coin: a determination to say “No” to the allure of this sinful world, and its appeal to the old Self life (cf. Moses, Heb. 11:24-25).

(3) Though none go with me, I still will follow,
Though none go with me, I still will follow,
Though none go with me, I still will follow,
No turning back, no turning back.

(4) Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
Will you decide now to follow Jesus?–
No turning back, no turning back.

The path of discipleship at times can be a lonely one. If we make being liked, or being popular, our priority, we will surely falter on the way. Finally, though we cannot turn back, we can encourage others to join us and be companions on the way.

Questions:

  1. For you, what is the best thing about being a follower of Christ?
  2. What do you find the most difficult thing about it?

Links:

I Believe in Miracles

0

Words: Carlton C. Buck (b. Aug. 31, 1907; d. Feb. 13, 1999)
Music: John Willard Peterson (b. Nov. 1, 1921; d. Sept. 20, 2006)

Note: Carlton Buck was a pastor, author and gospel songwriter. Some of his songs are listed in the Cyber Hymnal link.

(1) Creation shows the power of God–
There’s glory all around,
And those who see must stand in awe,
For miracles abound.

I believe in miracles–I’ve seen a soul set free,
Miraculous the change in one redeemed through Calvary;
I’ve seen a lily push its way up through the stubborn sod–
I believe in miracles for I believe in God.

(Stanza numbers in brackets below refer to the stanza number in The Cyber Hymnal. Find the link at the bottom of the article.)

As with a number of Bible words, the term miracle has been greatly overused, abused, and misused. We may hear, “It’s a miracle he remembered my birthday.” Or, “It’s a miracle that our hockey team won.” Well, is it? Or not? The secular dictionaries do not necessarily help us in this case. A miracle may indeed be “a remarkable event,” as one dictionary has it. But that is woefully inadequate as a biblical definition.

In the New Testament, three particular words are used of miracles performed by Christ and the apostles. They are brought together in Acts 2:22, where Peter says to his hearers at Pentecost that Christ was “attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst.”

Yes, miracles are “wonders,” amazing events. But they are more. The word “miracles” translates the Greek word dunamis, meaning powers. Miracles are unique displays of the power of God. “Signs” indicates that they are also signposts, pointing to some larger reality–in the above instance they authenticated the Person and the message of Christ. Later, they would do the same for the apostles and their ministry (cf. II Cor. 12:12; Heb. 2:4).

There’s a misconception that miracles contradict the laws of nature, as though the Creator God had to work against Himself and His own laws to perform them. Miracles involve the intersection of the supernatural and the natural through the active intervention of God. However, a miracle does not break the laws of nature, but rather involves the exercise of sovereign and supernatural control over an established pattern to accomplish the unusual.

A miracle involves the occurrence of something in the physical world that would not occur in the natural order and pattern of things, nor could it be produced by human agency. The making of a pathway through the Red Sea for Israelites to cross over on dry ground was a miracle (Exod. 14:21-22), as was the instant turning of water into wine by the Lord Jesus (Jn. 2:6-11), and the raising of Lazarus from the dead (Jn. 11:43-44).

Strictly speaking, conversion and the new birth are not miraculous, because they involve an inner spiritual transformation, rather than an outward physical manifestation. We may see a change in behaviour when a sinner trusts in Christ, but we did not observe the new birth itself (much as we see the effects of the wind but not the wind itself).

We ought to distinguish something simply amazing (e.g. the way plants sprout and grow) from a true miracle of God. But this gospel song, published in 1956, confuses the issue exactly as described. For that reason, I’ve avoided using I Believe in Miracles, though it was popular a generation ago. Yes, the deliverance of a sinner is truly wonderful, and so is the growth of a flower. But to lump them together and label all such things as “miracles” simply muddies the waters!

To say, “I believe in miracles for I believe in God” may not even be logical. It does not necessarily follow that the existence of God guarantees the existence of miracles. Or that He will always prove Himself by miracles. Further, Buck’s claim fails to reckon with the fact that the devil also can work miracles, and will, in the end times, give miraculous powers to the Antichrist (II Thess. 2:9).

I have discussed this same problem in dealing with John Peterson’s song It Took a Miracle. There I seek to provide a workable definition of a biblical miracle. Some of the things Peterson describes, like those of Buck, don’t seem to qualify. The refrain of this latter song says:

It took a miracle to put the stars in place,
It took a miracle to hang the world in space.

But wonderful though the creative work of God certainly was, it lacks several of the key characteristics of a miracle. Without denying the literal fulfilment of Genesis chapters one and two, or the eternal blessing of God’s saving work, we need to give full value to the remarkable nature of true miracles described in the Word of God.

Questions:

  1. Do you agree with limiting the word “miracle” as I have done? (If not, how broad would you make it?)
  2. Are there hymns you know and use that praise the Lord for true miracles?

Links:

Hosanna, Loud Hosanna

0

Words: Jeanette Threlfall (b. March 24, 1821; d. Nov. 30, 1880)
Music: Ellacombe, a German melody from 1784, adapted by William Henry Monk (b. March 16, 1823; d. March 1, 1889)

Note: The text of the hymn was published as a poem in 1873; the tune used for it was arranged by William Monk in 1868. Some information on Jeanette Threlfall’s care-filled life is found on the Worldwise link below.

(Stanza numbers in brackets below refer to the stanza number in The Cyber Hymnal. Find the link at the bottom of the article.)

What is known as the Triumphal Entry of Christ into Jerusalem is recorded in all four Gospels (Matt. 21:1-11, 15-15; Mk. 11:1-10; Lk. 19:29-38; Jn. 12:12-19). The involvement of children took place as a kind of aftermath of the actual procession, as the Lord entered the temple precincts:

“When the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple and saying, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David!’ they were indignant and said to Him, ‘Do You hear what these are saying?’ And Jesus said to them, ‘Yes. Have you never read, “Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have perfected praise [quoting Ps. 8:2]”?’”

Matt. 21:15-16

The children “cried out” their hosannas (meaning “Save, I pray!”), echoing those of the adults (vs. 9). Whether they also sang or not we aren’t told, but it’s certainly possible. The expression comes from a psalm, which we know was sung at this time of year (cf. Ps. 118:25).

(1) Hosanna, loud hosanna, the little children sang;
Through pillared court and temple the lovely anthem rang.
To Jesus, who had blessed them close folded to His breast,
The children sang their praises, the simplest and the best.

(2) From Olivet they followed mid an exultant crowd,
The victor palm branch waving, and chanting clear and loud.
The Lord of men and angels rode on in lowly state,
Nor scorned that little children should on His bidding wait.

The scene is striking both for its simple majesty and for its missed opportunity. Centuries before, Zechariah had prophesied concerning the coming of Israel’s Messiah-King, and how He could be recognized:

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey.

Zech. 9:9

The Gospel writers realized Christ was fulfilling this prophecy (cf. Matt. 21:4-5). There was general excitement about what the Lord would do. Would He use His great powers at that time to rid the nation of Roman domination? If that’s what many believed, they were in for a bitter disappointment. A week later, Jesus was arrested, tried, and crucified.

For his enemies, this was seen as weakness, and proof positive that He wasn’t the Messiah as He’d claimed to be. They stood beneath the cross and mocked Him, “He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him” (Matt. 27:42). But they should have read their Bibles more carefully. Before His reign was to come His rejection; before the crown, the cross.

Blind unbelief hid the true reality from the eyes of many. When the Lord Jesus approached the city of Jerusalem, He grieved at what was to come.

Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.”

Lk. 19:41-42

But a sovereign God was even in this. The cross of Christ had what theologians call a salvific purpose. In the rejection of Christ was the means of our salvation.

He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

Isa. 53:5-6

One day the Lord Jesus Christ will return in power and glory, and take up His reign over the earth (Matt. 24:30; Rev. 19:11-16). Until then, He is seated at the Father’s right hand, and rules as Head of the church (Eph. 1:22), and we can own Him as King over our lives, personally. He is both Lord and Saviour of those who trust in Him (I Pet. 3:18).

(3) “Hosanna in the highest!” that ancient song we sing,
For Christ is our Redeemer, the Lord of heaven our King.
O may we ever praise Him with heart and life and voice,
And in His blissful presence eternally rejoice!

Questions:

  1. What are some of the misconceptions about Jesus that are prevalent in our world today?
  2. Does your church celebrate Palm Sunday? If so, what do you see as the value of this annual remembrance?

Links:

He Who Would Valiant Be

0

Words: John Bunyan (b. Nov. 30, 1628; d. Aug. 31, 1688); later revision, Percy Dearmer (b. Feb. 27, 1867; d. May 29, 1936)
Music: St. Dunstan’s, by Charles Winfred Douglas (b. Feb. 15, 1867; d. Jan. 18, 1944)

Note: John Bunyan was a tinker by trade–a mender of pots and kettles. He was converted in 1653, and became a Puritan preacher and author, made famous by his allegory, The Pilgrim’s Progress. It was during his years in prison for preaching the Word of God that he wrote this immortal tale.

(Stanza numbers in brackets below refer to the stanza number in The Cyber Hymnal. Find the link at the bottom of the article.)

T he original words for the hymn are taken from the second part of the story which concerns Christian’s wife and children making their own pilgrimage. The poem (not meant by Bunyan to be a hymn) comes at the end of a conversation between Mr. Great-heart and Mr. Valiant-for-Truth.

Before speaking the lines of verse, Mr. Valiant-for-Truth says:

“I believed, and therefore I came out [of the City of Destruction], got into the Way, fought all that set themselves against me, and, by believing am come to this place.”

The revision of Bunyan’s words, published by Percy Dearmer in 1906, was extensive. In some places it departs completely from Bunyan’s original thought. You can see both versions on the Cyber Hymnal, and make a comparison for yourself, but I’ll mention the key ones here.

The words “pilgrim” and “pilgrimage” are used a number of times in the Scriptures. They picture those who are travelling through a foreign country to a new land up ahead. This describes each of us as Christians. “Our citizenship is in heaven” (Phil. 3:20), so the old Spiritual has it right: “This world is not my home, I’m just a-passin’ through.” David describes the people of God as “aliens and pilgrims” (I Chron. 29:15).

When the elderly Jacob meets the Pharaoh of Egypt, he tells him, “The days of the years of my pilgrimage are one hundred and thirty years; few and evil have been the days of the years of my life” (Gen. 47:9). Similar phrases are used elsewhere (cf. Heb. 11:13; I Pet. 2:11). In his first letter, Peter addresses “the pilgrims of the dispersion” (I Pet. 1:1), Jewish Christians who were scattered and exiled from their homeland, a troubling experience.  The struggles of the Christian pilgrim are emphasized in the hymn, and were very real to Bunyan and those who stood with him.

Like all pilgrims, we face dangers and difficulties along the way. Yet, even so, it is a great and glorious thing to be journeying toward our heavenly home. As the psalmist says, “ Blessed is the man whose strength is in You, whose heart is set on pilgrimage” (Ps. 84:5). In Psalm 119, the author says, “Your statutes have been my songs in the house of my pilgrimage” (vs. 54). Most commentators take the latter phrase to simply mean “wherever I roam.” But I wonder if the “house” is not a reference to the physical body, similar to Paul’s reference to his “earthly house” (II Cor. 5:1).

The first changes in (1) simply make the words more suitable for use as a hymn, and put a more spiritual turn on  the words. Bunyan wrote: “Who would true valour see, let him come hither; / One here will constant be, come wind, come weather.”

(1) He who would valiant be ’gainst all disaster,
Let him in constancy follow the Master.
There’s no discouragement shall make him once relent
His first avowed intent to be a pilgrim.

 In (2), Bunyan’s “No lion can him fright, / He’ll with a giant fight” becomes “No foes shall stay his might / Though he with giants fight.”

(2) Who so beset him round with dismal stories
Do but themselves confound—his strength the more is.
No foes shall stay his might; though he with giants fight,
He will make good his right to be a pilgrim.

Bunyan begins (3) with: “Hobgoblin nor foul fiend can daunt his spirit.” In folklore, hobgoblins were thought to be mischievous elves, but the term can also represent, generally, anything causing superstitious fear. This reference, however, is replaced by Dearmer with:

(3) Since, Lord, Thou dost defend us with Thy Spirit,
We know we at the end, shall life inherit.
Then fancies flee away! I’ll fear not what men say,
I’ll labour night and day to be a pilgrim.

Questions:

  1. What are the chief dangers you have faced in the recent days of your Christian pilgrimage?
  2. What spiritual resources have been a help to you?

Links:

He Lifted Me

Words: Charles Hutchinson Gabriel (b. Aug. 18, 1856; d. Sept. 15, 1932)
Music: Charles Hutchinson Gabriel

Note: The hymn was first published in 1905, and the text was credited to Charlotte G. Homer, a pen name of Charles Gabriel’s. This social convention was followed by gospel song books for the next forty years, but now books dispense with it and give Gabriel credit by name for both words and music.

(Stanza numbers in brackets below refer to the stanza number in The Cyber Hymnal. Find the link at the bottom of the article.)

Mr. Gabriel’s contribution to gospel music, near the end of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth, was extensive. The popularity of his songs was increased by their frequent use in Billy Sunday’s evangelistic meetings. The present song was a particular favourite because it provided a testimony of the transforming power of the cross.

The Petersens’, in their book The Complete Book of Hymns (p. 615), tell of a gentleman sitting on the platform before a congregation of five hundred, overwhelmed as he heard them sing this hymn with great feeling. He said, “I saw the glow in their faces and heard the passion of their voices, and I felt, ‘Here is the true Christian apologetic.’”

(1) In lovingkindness Jesus came
My soul in mercy to reclaim,
And from the depths of sin and shame
Through grace He lifted me.

From sinking sand He lifted me,
With tender hand He lifted me,
From shades of night to plains of light,
O praise His name, He lifted me!

With the poetic imagery of being “lifted,” there seems to be a connection with David’s testimony:

[The Lord] brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps. He has put a new song in my mouth–praise to our God; many will see it and fear, and will trust in the LORD.

Ps. 40:2-3

Not every saved sinner has this sense of being dramatically rescued from a slimy pit of wickedness and corruption, but converted ball player Billy Sunday certainly did. And we get another picture of a dramatic rescue, in a physical sense, with the experience of Peter when, at the Lord’s bidding, he tried to walk on the waters of the stormy Galilee to his Master:

Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.’ And Peter answered Him and said, ‘Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.’ So He said, ‘Come.’ And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, ‘Lord, save me!’ And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, ‘O you of little faith, why did you doubt?’ And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.

Matt. 14:27-32

(2) He called me long before I heard,
Before my sinful heart was stirred,
But when I took Him at His word,
Forgiv’n, He lifted me.

(2) reflects the hardness of the sinful heart, and the patient and persistent calling of the Saviour. The Lord’s pursuit of the sinner is dramatically described in The Hound of Heaven, a lengthy poem by Francis Thompson (1859-1907):

I fled Him, down the nights and down the days;
I fled Him, down the arches of the years;
I fled Him, down the labyrinthine ways
Of my own mind; and in the midst of tears
I hid from Him.

(3) provides a picture of the substitutionary death of Christ, when He took the sinner’s place under the wrath of God (cf. I Cor. 15:3; Eph. 1:7; I Pet. 2:24).

(3) His brow was pierced with many a thorn,
His hands by cruel nails were torn,
When from my guilt and grief, forlorn,
In love He lifted me.

In (4) we have both the delight and confidence of the saved individual, and a confession that the workings of sovereign grace are beyond our capacity to fully understand.

(4) Now on a higher plane I dwell,
And with my soul I know ’tis well;
Yet how or why I cannot tell
He should have lifted me.

Questions:

  1. What was your experience of the saving power of God?
  2. What differences has Christ made in your life?

Links:

Footsteps of Jesus

Words: Mary Bridges Canedy Slade (b. Jan. 18, 1826; d. April. 15, 1882)
Music: Asa Brooks Everett (b. Sept. ___, 1828; d. Sept. ___, 1885)

Note: This 1871 hymn is called Footsteps of Jesus in the Cyber Hymnal. This does seem to be the most used title over the years, though several books I’ve seen use “Footprints of Jesus,” a phrase taken from the refrain.

(1) Sweetly, Lord, have we heard Thee calling,
Come, follow Me!
And we see where Thy footprints falling
Lead us to Thee.

Footprints of Jesus,
That make the pathway glow;
We will follow the steps of Jesus
Where’er they go.

The original song had seven stanzas, but only four are commonly used today ((1), (2), (3) and (7)). The others may be of interest. Two of them speak of Gethsemane and Calvary, indicating that the summons to follow Christ will lead at times to suffering.

(4) Though, dear Lord, in Thy pathway keeping,
We follow Thee;
Through the gloom of that place of weeping,
Gethsemane!

(5) If Thy way and its sorrows bearing,
We go again,
Up the slope of the hillside, bearing
Our cross of pain.

(6), the other stanza often missed, provides a concluding pair with (7). It pictures the joys of heaven in the fellowship of the saints, and in worship around the throne of God.

(6) By and by, through the shining portals,
Turning our feet,
We shall walk, with the glad immortals,
Heav’n’s golden street.

(7) Then at last when on high He sees us,
Our journey done,
We will rest where the steps of Jesus
End at His throne.

(Stanza numbers in brackets below refer to the stanza number in The Cyber Hymnal. Find the link at the bottom of the article.)

The call to “follow Me” is found many times on the lips of the Lord Jesus, in the Gospels. One of the things we discover is that following Christ is a personal and individual experience. Yes, there are common elements. But it’s evident that the Lord may lead one on a path whose particulars are different from another’s. It was Peter’s curiosity about John’s future that brought this rebuke from the Lord: “What is that to you? You follow Me” (Jn. 21:22).

But having said this, we can also see in the Gospel record many of the common components in following the Saviour.

  1. “Follow Me” is a call to discipleship and learning from the master Teacher. That was a major purpose of the calling of the twelve, who heard His teaching for about three years. Among them was Matthew, or Levi. “He went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, ‘Follow Me’” (Lk. 5:27).
  2. “Follow Me” is a call to service for the Lord. “Jesus said to them, ‘Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men’” (Mk. 1:17). “If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me” (Jn. 12:26).
  3. “Follow Me” is a call to experience the Lord’s protection and provision as we trust Him as our Shepherd. “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me” (Jn. 10:27).
  4. “Follow Me” is a call to identify with Christ, and to follow the path of sacrifice. “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me” (Lk. 9:23).
  5. “Follow Me” is a call to adopt spiritual and eternal values and priorities. To the rich man who seems to have made a god of his wealth, Jesus said, “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me” (Lk. 18:22). Another tried to excuse himself from serving the Lord, because of other duties: “He said to [him], ‘Follow Me.’ But he said, ‘Lord, let me first go and bury my father.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God’” (Lk. 9:59-60).
  6. “Follow Me” leads on past this life to our heavenly home. In words that speak either of death, or of life beyond the grave–perhaps both–Jesus had this exchange with Peter. “Simon Peter said to Him, ‘Lord, where are You going?’ Jesus answered him, ‘Where I am going you cannot follow Me now, but you shall follow Me afterward’” (Jn. 13:36).

Questions:

  1. What are some of the things one who is a follower of Christ will be doing?
  2. What are some things a follower of Christ will avoid doing?

Links:

Load More