Glories of Calvary by Steve and Vickki Cook, 2003.

Verse 1:

Lord, You’re calling me to come and behold the wondrous cross
To explore the depths of grace that came to me at such a cost
Where Your boundless love conquered my boundless sin
And mercy’s arms were opened wide.

Chorus:

My heart is filled with a thousand songs proclaiming the glories of Calvary
With every breath, Lord how I long to sing of Jesus who died for me
Lord, take me deeper into the glories of Calvary.

Strangely, the symbol of the Christian religion is the cross. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines cross as: “a structure consisting of an upright with a transverse beam used especially by the ancient Romans for execution.” It was the height of ancient man’s most macabre means of execution. So, why the cross?

First, when God revealed the Law through Moses, Deuteronomy 21:22 says, And if a man has committed a crime punishable by death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree. From the very beginning in the Garden of Eden, God has said sin is a crime punishable by death (Genesis 2:17). We have all sinned, and the wages we are due for sin is death (Romans 3:23; 6:23).

Therefore, if Christ was to pay for our sin, he must be hung on a tree. Paul explains, Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”— so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith. (Galatians 3:13–14).

God calls us to “behold the wondrous cross” not because the cross itself is some kind of wonder, but because it reveals a mystery that has been a source of human wonder throughout history. How can we be saved? The mystery is revealed in the wonder of the cross of Christ.

It gets better. There are powerful authorities who are, for the time being, allowed to lead people into sin. The mystery of the source of sin is revealed in the wonder of the cross. And you, who were dead in your trespasses God (has) made alive together with (Christ), by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This (debt Jesus) set aside, nailing it to the cross. He (Jesus) disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him. (Colossians 2:13–15).

So, the cross saves me, but sometimes I feel so guilty over my remaining sin. Can I have peace with God? Verse 2 is our hope.

Verse 2:

Sinners find eternal joy in the triumph of Your wounds.
By our Savior’s crimson flow, Holy wrath has been removed.
And Your saints below Join with your saints above,
Rejoicing in the Risen Lamb.

The ‘bruised heel’ of Jesus crushed the head of Satan (Genesis 3:15). In his bruising, we find eternal joy because he crushed sin and death. What is more amazing is that Jesus finds eternal joy in those same wounds because they mark the redemption of those he loves. Heaven and earth rejoice because of the joy the Father, Son, and Spirit have in redeeming the creation for their glory and our joy. 

May your heart be “filled with a thousand songs proclaiming the glories of Calvary” today and every day.

Blessings, Pastor Don.