In The Cross of Christ I Glory

In the cross of Christ I glory,
Tow’ring o’er the wrecks of time;
All the light of sacred story
Gathers round its head sublime.

When the woes of life o’ertake me,
Hopes deceive, and fears annoy,
Never shall the cross forsake me,
Lo! it glows with peace and joy.

When the sun of bliss is beaming
Light and love upon my way,
From the cross the radiance streaming
Adds more luster to the day.

Bane and blessing, pain and pleasure,
By the cross are sanctified;
Peace is there that knows no measure,
Joys that through all time abide.

I felt that today’s hymn was a perfect Good Friday hymn.  It is a song about the Cross.  Not just any cross though.  Hundreds, if not thousands, died upon Roman crosses.  The fact that a man died on a cross is not particularly unique.  Even the day that Jesus died, there were two others who were also crucified on crosses.  But the Cross in which Christians glory is the Cross of Christ.  It is truly unique and exceptional because the Son of God was crucified upon it.  For thousands of years, Christians across the globe have placed crosses in their churches, in their homes, and around their neck.  Not that we are worshipping a graven image, that would not be the Christian way.   But that we are reminded of what happened two thousand years ago on Golgotha’s hill, and we keep the remembrance of the Cross in our minds at all times.

This hymn was written by John Bowring in the 1800’s.  Many believe that his inspiration for this hymn came from a visit to Macao on the South China coast.  A cathedral was originally constructed by Portuguese colonists, and that cathedral had been destroyed by a typhoon.  All that remained of the cathedral was one wall and upon that wall was a bronze cross.  The scene of the cross so impressed Mr. Bowring that he was inspired to pen these great words.  Try to picture in your mind a beautiful bronze cross shining in the sun, and reread the verses with this image in your mind.

Couple of comments on the lyrics:

• “Hopes deceive, fears annoy” – Have you ever told your children, “Don’t get your hopes up?”  Why do we as parents do that?  Because we are realists.  We know that children get excited and hopeful very easily, but we also know they can be crushed when their hopes and dreams don’t come true.  But even into adulthood, we still sometimes get our hopes up.  We tend to look on the bright side.  We are the eternal optimists, and sometimes we get deceived by hope.  The reality of a fallen world smacks us in the face, and our hope evaporates like smoke in the wind.  And then comes the second part of the “1-2 punch.”  After our hopes have been shattered and gone up in smoke, fear begins to knock at the door annoyingly.  Over and over again the same old fears tend to rear their ugly heads and those fears begin to wear on us.  Pestering us.  Bothering us.  Irritating us.  But thank the Lord that despite deceitful hopes and annoying fears, Jesus will never forsake us.  When our minds and emotions play tricks on us, we can take hope in the Cross.  We don’t have to fear anything in this life or in death because of Jesus’ finished work on the Cross.  He is our hope and He casts out all fear.

• “Adds more luster to the day” – Isn’t it interesting how simple little things during our day can “add luster” to the monotony of life?  Like an old table that needs to be dusted off and a coat of polish put down.  Whether it be cold or hot outside, a kind word from a friend can provide this kind of luster.  An unexpected note in the mail from a loved one can make the sun seem to shine brighter.  A Bible verse that you read in devotion that is just what you needed can put a spring in your step.  The Cross should have the same impact on our day.  When we are going through dark days, we can think back of what Jesus endured for all of us.  We can encourage one another with promises of eternal blessings, as well as temporal blessings on this earth.  The Cross will, at times, cause us to weep, but it should also “add luster” to our daily walk because it is God’s love that radiates from the Cross.

Finally, the the last verse of this song is wonderfully poetic.  “Bane and blessing, pain and pleasure, by the cross are sanctified.”  Bane can be defined as “death, destruction, and ruin.”  Can God really sanctify these things through the power of the Cross – death, destruction, ruin, and pain?  Can God use both “bane and pain” to sanctify His children?  The answer is yes.  He already has.  Jesus endured death and pain already that you and I might be sanctified by His blood.  Sometimes God sends blessings and pleasure into our lives because He loves us and knows how to give good gifts to His children.  But He also uses “bane and pain” to teach us patience or to draw us back to Him.  “Bane and pain” may be two uninvited guests in our lives sometimes, but through the power of the Spirit and by the renewing of our minds through the Word, we can welcome these visitors and allow God to use them to sanctify us through the Cross. 

I hope this Good Friday that you will glory in the Cross.  That you will boast not of works or tell of good deeds.  But that you will glory in the Cross less His suffering all be in vain.