Good Morning!  As we get into our time of devotion together, I'm really eager to share with you a beautiful hymn that is specifically for the Lenten season.  We’ve often heard it on Good Friday, or hear it sung by many country gospel singers over the years.  This hymn was written by George Bennard in 1912 after meditating on the cross and coming to the realization that not only is it a symbol for Christianity, but the cross is really at the center of our faith.  Without the cross we have no life. Without the cross we have we have no Savior, and no forgiveness of sins.  As he meditated on Scripture relating to the cross, he wrote this hymn The Old Rugged Cross. I encourage you to find the time to listen to one of the many recordings of this hymn.

So let’s take a look at the lyrics to this hymn and some of the Scripture that he drew from.

Stanza 1: 

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

In Romans 5:8 we read: “But God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.” 

Christ's suffering and death were not meaningless, but had purpose. Because of his great love for you, Christ suffered the wrath of God upon the cross in order to forgive you and give you his righteousness.

Stanza 2:

Oh, that old rugged Cross so despised by the world

Has a wondrous attraction for me

For the dear Lamb of God, left His Glory above

To bear it to dark Calvary

Clearly we hear that he had given up his glory in order to enter into flesh, enter into humanity, into humiliation.  This is expressed in Philippians the second chapter. I also want to look at how in the wisdom of God, the cross, was the means by which the Lamb of God was sacrificed for our redemption. We find that in 1 Peter 1:18-19

18 You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish.

Christ, the perfect Lamb of God was sacrificed for your freedom.   He bought our lives, not with silver and gold, but with his own holy and innocent blood, just as we read in the Small Catechism. 

Stanza 3:

In the old rugged Cross, stain'd with blood so divine

A wondrous beauty I see

For ’twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died

To pardon and sanctify me

Jesus died on the cross not just a martyrdom for a good cause, but it was a sacrifice that saved each and everyone of us.  We read in 1 Peter 2:24-25:

 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that, free from sins, we might live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were going astray like sheep, but now you have returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.

Jesus, the perfect Lamb of God; our Good Shepherd died upon the cross, sacrificing himself not only so that we may live in righteousness, but that we would live eternally righteous through and by him.  He took upon himself all of our sins, out of his mercy and his goodness.

Stanza 4:

To the old rugged Cross, I will ever be true

Its shame and reproach gladly bear

Then He'll call me some day to my home far away

Where His glory forever I'll share

Galatians 6:14:

May I never boast of anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

Though the world may look upon the cross and dispise it, or think it weak or silly, we continue to cling to that cross, and to boast of the goodness and mercy of Christ, that he suffered for our sin and shame, and gave us freedom and eternal life through his death and resurrection.

The chorus describes our reaction to the cross.

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

Such a beautiful hymn!  To consider that through God's grace, we are allowed to cling to the old rugged cross.  It may not be pretty.  Certainly suffering, sorrow, and humiliation happened on the cross. But God's glory was secured and promised upon the cross and in the empty tomb for you.

So, as we continue to march toward that old rugged cross this Lenten season, I pray that you will cling to it, and cling to the promise it delivers to you in Christ and Christ alone.

Let us pray:  Lord we thank for bearing our suffering, our sorrows, our shame, and our sin upon the cross. Lord, we repent of the sin that got you there, and we praise you for overcoming our sin, our greed, our pride, and our selfishness. We thank you and praise you for freeing us and giving us eternal life with you in your glory.  Lord, we lift this to you in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Enjoy the rest of your week.  Cling to the old rugged cross, and lift your praises to Him who has saved you now and forevermore.  God bless! 

Pastor Malinak