Read: Romans 5:6-11
God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us. (v. 8 NRSV)
Isaac Watts, heralded as the father of English hymnody, composed more than 600 hymns in his lifetime. Many consider his crowning achievement to be the beloved hymn “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross.” Originally intended to be sung for Communion, it gives us so much to contemplate in this season of Lent. In one of the most powerful stanzas, Watts captures the stunning juxtaposition of the suffering and crucified Christ: “Did e’er such love and sorrow meet, or thorns compose so rich a crown?”
The cross is literally the crux of the gospel, the clear focal point of the Christian story. But how is it that an ancient instrument of torture and death can be the primary vehicle of God’s love and redemption for the world? What happened on the cross two thousand years ago, and why does it matter for us today?
Over the next ten days as we prepare for Easter, we’re going to explore a variety of “atonement” images and motifs in the Bible. By drawing from the richness of Scripture and the treasures of church history, my hope is that you’ll see each of these different images as part of a beautiful mosaic. All together, as Watts expressed in his hymn, they give us a clearer and more compelling picture of the wondrous cross “on which the Prince of glory died”—this “love so amazing, so divine,” it “demands my soul, my life, my all.”
As you pray, ask God to deepen your understanding of his incredible love for you and this world, revealed in the cross.
Brian Keepers has been an ordained pastor in the Reformed Church in America for more than 20 years. He is currently serving as the lead pastor of Trinity Reformed Church in Orange City, Iowa. Brian is married to Tammy, and they have two daughters and a granddaughter.
