Great Hymns of Easter — “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross”

Text: Galatians 6:14

Theme: Living in the shadow of the wondrous cross.

The Church owes a debt of gratitude to Isaac Watts. He was an 18th -century English Pastor, Theologian, Philosopher and, (Praise God) a hymn writer who almost single-handedly changed the way Protestant congregations worship in their song services. Three hundred years after he lived the Church still sings dozens of his compositions. Most of the hymns we sang this morning were written by Mr. Watts.

In the early 18th -century English congregations primarily sang the psalms to dull, methodical tunes that the young Isaac Watts called “deplorable.” At the time, English-speaking congregations sang in a ponderously slow and monotonous way. A Deacon would first sing the verse that was going to be sung, followed by the congregation repeating the verse — usually without the benefit of musical instruments. It was called lining-out. Thus, the singing of a long psalm or hymn could become extremely tedious with every line of every stanza being repeated twice. It was hardly satisfying or spiritually edifying to sing in such a fragmented way.

The story goes that one Sunday after church, the eighteen-year-old Isaac complained to his father about the slow, monotonous, way Christians sang in their worship. Isaac’s father, a leading deacon in their church, snapped back, “Well then, young man, why don’t you give us something better to sing?” By the next Sunday, Watts had produced his first hymn — Behold the Glories of the Lamb. The hymn was such a success with the congregation, that for the next two years, he wrote a new hymn for every Sunday. By the time he died, he had 750 hymns to his credit! To this day, Watts is known as “The Godfather of English Hymnody.” His hymns quickly became popular throughout England. Among Presbyterians and Congregationalists in the American Colonies his psalms and hymns were almost the only songs they sang in their worship.

Isaac Watts was probably a genius. At the age of four he learned Latin and by the age of nine had learned Greek. By the age of 11 he had added French to his list of languages, and by the age of 13 Hebrew. He was also a student of theology and philosophy, logic and music. As a child he had a passion for poetry and rhyming even in everyday conversation. It kinda drove family and friends nuts. At one point, his father, after several warnings, decided to spank the rhyming nonsense out of his son. After the spanking a tearful Isaac replied to his father,

‘Oh father do some pity take,

and I will no more verses make.’

It seems that verse just flowed from Isaac Watts.

Many of the hymns that Watts wrote — including When I Survey the Wondrous Cross — were controversial among the churches of his day. Many Christians of his day considered it blasphemous to sing anything other than the Psalms. The controversy sparked the “worship wars” of his day, and divided congregations just as the “worship wars” of our day are dividing congregations between contemporary and traditional worship styles.

Isaac Watts wrote "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross" in preparation for a communion service in 1707. To this day many hymnologists still consider "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross" one of the finest Christian hymns ever written, and the very best hymn in the English language. It’s the first hymn we know of to be written in the first person. Watt’s hymn-writing reshaped the future of church music, and inaugurated what is considered the golden age of hymn-writing.

Using only 16 lines of verse, he paints a soul-stirring picture of the Savior’s death on the cross coupled with the whole-hearted response of the believer to such amazing love.

The tune that we traditionally sing this hymn to is entitled Hamburg, and was arranged in 1824 by Lowell Mason who is often referred to as The Father of American Church Music. In 2008 Bruce Greer set Watt’s hymn to the tune O Waly Waly, an Appalachian folk melody. It is the tune most Baptists now prefer to sing the hymn to. Bruce Green is one of the most acclaimed music arrangers of our day, and is the lead piano accompanist at First Baptist Dallas.

Southern Baptists have been singing this hymn ever since it first appeared in the 1850 hymnal The Baptist Psalmody.

I. LET ME WONDER

When I survey, the wondrous cross

On which the Prince of glory died,

My richest gain I count but loss,

And pour contempt on all my pride

1. Watts begins his hymn by encouraging us along with him to survey, the wondrous cross

a. the believer’s journey toward Easter Sunday always begins with Ash Wednesday, when we remember that we are dust and will one day die

1) before we arrive at the resurrection, we must first reckon with the cross

2) this hymn calls us to this necessary consideration

b. when Watts wrote this hymn to “survey” meant to “contemplate”

1) the hymn, therefore, is an invitation to contemplate death — our own as well as Christ’s ... before we can rejoice in life everlasting, we must mourn over the sting of death

c. looking upon the cross ... contemplating the cross ... meditating on the cross clarifies what truly matters now as we consider what is to come for each and every one of us

“And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,” (Hebrews 9:27, ESV)

2. when the sinner makes a detailed and critical inspection of the cross they will wonder with amazement

"For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross." (Colossians 1:19-20, ESV)

a. the wonder of the cross is that the sinless Son of God willingly suffered its agony and shame for my richest gain

1) what is that gain?

2) that I might be justified, and sanctified and ultimately glorified despite the sinfulness of my sin

3. a thousand years before the Messiah was born, the prophet Isaiah had prophesied that a time would come when peace would be proclaimed to those who were far off

" ... Peace, peace, to the far and to the near,” says the Lord, “and I will heal him." (Isaiah 57:19, ESV)

a. this was a reference to the Gentiles and predicted that one day, they too, would be included in God's plan of grace

b. this is the message that Jesus preached during his public ministry on Earth

“Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”” (Mark 1:14–15, ESV)

4. Paul proclaims in Colossians 1:19-20 that through Christ, God has chosen to reconcile men unto Himself

a. how is He going to do this?

b. by the wondrous cross ... on which the Prince of glory died

1) Paul says that God gives us peace ... through the blood of His cross; through Him ...

A. THROUGH THE PRINCE OF GLORY GOD’S CHOSEN ARE RECONCILED TO GOD

1. the blood of Christ opens the way for all who would call upon the name of the Lord

"For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:13, ESV)

a. he invites both Jew and Gentile, male and female, bond or free, the mighty or the lowly to accept the peace that God offers

“All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.” (John 6:37, ESV)

2. here is the amazing wonder of the cross that we must survey

a. when we were the enemies of God, Christ died for us so that we might be reconciled to Him

b. how has God accomplished this work of reconciling us to Himself?

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—” (Ephesians 2:4–5, ESV)

3. through his death on the cross, Christ abolished the need for the Jewish ceremonial law and its rituals of animal sacrifice

a. sacrifice and ritual no longer bring a man into right relationship with God

1) only a humble faith the pours contempt on all one’s pride will suffice

"But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ." (Philippians 3:7, ESV)

II. LET ME NOT BOAST

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,

Save in the death of Christ, my God;

All the vain things that charm me most,

I sacrifice them to His blood

"But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world." (Galatians 6:14, ESV)

1. the second stanza is both a prayer and a response to the first stanza

2. Watts calls us to lay aside our pride and hubris and look at the cross and see our champion

a. His name is Jesus, and He is the Christ, the Son of the Living God

b. the cross is the great revealer, exposing the temporary stuff of earth for what it is — empty and vain — and directing our hearts and minds toward the everlasting substance of eternity

3. the Cross of Christ does not allow for boasting

a. and if are going to boast, it should only be in the death of Christ, my God

b. the cross upends human value systems — worldly riches, pride in our self-sufficiency, vain pursuits — all of these lose their splendor and shine in the shadow of Calvary

A. A PROUD MAN CANNOT KNOW GOD

1. Jesus was very clear about this

a. he told his disciples and the crowds that only the ‘poor of spirit' will make up the kingdom of God

2. pride, on the other had, makes us arrogant and in that arrogance we boast of our self-sufficiency, and our self-autonomy that demands independence from God

a. pride says "I am the master of my own fate."

b. pride says "I can run my own life."

c. pride says "I can call my own shots."

d. pride says "I can go it alone."

3. but self-sufficiency is self-delusion

a. you cannot got it alone

b. you do need guidance in running you life

c. you cannot always rely on yourself

d. you can call you own shots, but sooner or later you'll most likely shoot yourself in the foot

e. and most importantly ... you cannot, cannot, cannot make it into heaven by your own effort

4. God warned the people of Israel about the pitfall of pride and self-autonomy

“Take care lest you forget the Lord your God by not keeping his commandments and his rules and his statutes, which I command you today, 12 lest, when you have eaten and are full and have built good houses and live in them, 13 and when your herds and flocks multiply and your silver and gold is multiplied and all that you have is multiplied, 14 then your heart be lifted up, and you forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery," (Deuteronomy 8:11-14, ESV)

a. there's nothing like a little prosperity to make a person proud

b. and when a person is proud, they easily convince themselves that they don’t need God

B. REPENTANCE SACRIFICES OUR PRIDE TO HIS BLOOD

ILLUS. Augustine says in his work, The City of God that everyone in the world belongs to either one of two cities: You either belong to he City of God, which consists of "all who love God to the despising of self," or you belong to the City of Man, populated by those who "love self to the despising of God." In the end Augustine wrote, there are two kinds of people who will stand before the Lord in the end: Those who say to God, Thy will be done, and those to whom God will say, Your will be done.

1. pride is the greatest sin because it is the center of all sins

a. pride say to God My will be done

2. Watts writes: All the vain things that charm me most, I sacrifice them to His blood

a. have you examined you life recently?

1) are there things of this world that are charming you more than the Savior?

2) if so, will you sacrifice them to his blood this morning?

III. LET ME SEE

See, from His head, His hands, His feet,

Sorrow and love flow mingled down;

Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,

Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

A. GOD’S LOVE AND SORROW THAT FLOWED AT CALVARY WILL RESCUE US

"For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves," (Colossians 1:13, NIV)

1. he tells the Colossian Christians that he has rescued us

a. most other translations use the word delivered instead of rescued as does the NIV

b. delivered is a perfectly fine translation, but rescue gives a better sense what God is doing on our behalf

2. the word rescue implies three conditions:

a. 1st, the word rescue implies the perilous and wretched condition of a person in his or her capture

1) imprisonment in ancient times was a dreadful and fearful experience

2) dungeons were cold and dank and dark, and conditions so appalling that men often went insane or died of exposure

3) wretched conditions tuned men into wretches

ILLUS. John Newton was absolutely correct when he confessed in the first stanza Of his hymn Amazing Grace, How Sweet the Sound, that he was a wretch who needed saving.

b. 2nd, the word rescue implies that deliverance is something that must happen to us because we are incapable of delivering ourselves from our captivity

ILLUS. Consider the story of Apollo 13. 200,000 miles away from earth there was a massive explosion that ripped out the side of the capsule’s service module. There was serious concern that Jim Lovell, Fred Haise, and Jack Swigert would literally be lost in space. NASA pooled together its genius to navigate problems such as finding enough oxygen and power to get them home, solving the crew’s buildup of deadly carbon dioxide, and navigating the vastness of space with no guidance system. Apollo 13 was rescued by the genius of the men and women of NASA.

c. the Bible paints a picture of man’s spiritual condition outside of a relationship with Christ as a life of captivity

1) outside of God’s grace, the lost man is a prisoner of the world, the flesh, and the devil

2) we need rescue because we cannot save ourselves

d. 3rd, the word rescue implies that deliverance is costly

1) our Heavenly Father rescued us by sending His Son in the flesh into the world

a) he came to die for sinners on the cross

"who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father," (Galatians 1:4, NIV)

b) he would rise and ascend into heaven, after which He poured out His Spirit into our hearts, calling us, and quickening us, and converting us through our acceptance of His Son

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you,” (1 Peter 1:3–4,

B. GOD’S LOVE AND SORROW THAT FLOWED AT CALVARY CAN MAKE US RIGHTEOUS

"For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." (2 Corinthians 5:21, ESV)

1. salvation is not the merely accepting certain religious doctrines

2. salvation is not the regular practice of certain religious ritual

a. (though once we are saved both become important)

3. in 2 Corinthians 5:21, the Apostle uses strong and stirring words

a. he tells us that for our sake he made him [Jesus] to be sin

1) theologians refer to this verse as the “great exchange”

a) Christ, who knew no sin had all our unrighteousness imputed to him so that he became sin for us

b) sinners, who only know unrighteousness, have all of Christ’s righteousness imputed to us so that we might become the righteousness of God

c) if you don’t know it ... we get the better end of that deal!! ESV)

4. at Calvary sorrow and love flowed from a head crowned with thorns, and when love and sorrow met, grace abounded

5 . what’s our response to this?

a. Watts tells us in the last verse of his hymn

IV. LET ME SACRIFICE ALL

Were the whole realm of nature mine,

That were a present far too small;

Love so amazing, so divine,

Demands my soul, my life, my all

1. Isaac Watts testifies that if it were his to give as a sacrifice to God for the grace that he found in Christ, the whole realm of nature would not be a fitting gift to offer in return

a. it would be a present far too small

b. in this Watts echos the Apostle Paul

"But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith." (Philippians 3:7-9, NIV)

2. what can Isaac Watts offer God in return for love so amazing? it is his soul, his life, and his all

a. what are you willing to offer Christ this morning?

3. Christianity, I’m afraid, has become for many merely a spiritual accessory to the rest of their lives rather than being the driving force that it was meant to be

a. Isaac Watts understood that life in Christ Demands my soul, my life, my all

con. Secularism tells us that, ultimately, there is only life and death. It tells us that our lone option is to revel in the former before eventually and inevitably succumbing to the latter. Secularism echos the rich man in one of Jesus’ parables ... “Eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die.” And culture at large is at the ready, offering us endless temporary pleasures designed to keep our eyes fixed on shallow versions of the present. This is dangerous because, in the famous adage derived from a William Blake poem, “We become what we behold.” For the Christian, beholding the Cross is a way of breaking free from the morbid, nihilistic shortsightedness of secularism in order to live more fully into the hopeful, eternal story unfolding in the present and awaiting us in the future. In the words of Paul in Romans 14:8–9, “If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.”