Episode Transcript
Hello, I'm Dr. Kylie Fisher. Welcome to heavenly harmonies.
But we all beholding, as in a glass, the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image. It is by beholding, by admiring the character of Christ, that we become like him. Our hymn for today, when I survey the wondrous cross, is a powerful way to do this.
Stay with me to see how the beauties of this song can draw you nearer to the heart of God. Our hymn for today was written by the great hymn writer Isaac Watts. And it is reportedly said that Charles Wesley, the great Methodist hymn writer, who wrote over a thousand hymns, actually, apparently reportedly said that he would have given all the hymns that he wrote.
Just have this one hymn by Watts. Now, we don't totally know whether that's true or not, but it certainly does speak to just how powerful this hymn is when I survey the wondrous cross. Yeah, a tremendously powerful hymn.
So let's have a look at the first verse and see what it has to say to us today. 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. So let's have a look back and look at this song and look back at this first verse and think about what this is saying to us.
So we have been tracing through the life of Christ, and last episode, we spoke a little bit about Christ's sufferings in Gethsemane and his trial and crucifixion. But in this song, we're really focusing on the cross, because the cross is so important to the Christian. If we were to take away the cross from the Christian, it would be like blotting the sun from the sky.
Just all of our hopes rest in the cross and in what Christ suffered for us. And that's really a tremendous thing, because living today and even myself speaking, I'm aware that I've really got no conception of what the cross was like and the horrors of the cross and of crucifixion. I mean, I can sort of try to imagine it, but, yeah, living today, well, many of us are just so far removed from this, but let's think a little bit about this now.
So Christ, when he came here to earth, was during the time of the ancient roman empire. Now, the ancient roman empire, besides being know, in passing to some extent in the gospels, well, probably not quite in passing, but it sort of forms the background to the life of Christ. It's not really the key focus.
So besides the empire of Rome being described in the gospels, and in the New Testament, and forming the backdrop to those things, it is also described in Bible prophecy. Now, we do not have time to look at this in detail today, but I would just like to draw your attention to this. And if you want more information about this, we at three abn have other resources that we can direct you to that speak about these prophecies in more detail.
It's so relevant to us living today. So the empire of Rome is mentioned in prophecies in Daniel chapter two, Daniel chapter seven, and in others as well. But I'm going to just mention these briefly today, because Daniel chapter two, basically, at the time that this was written, Babylon was the ruling power and the king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, had a dream.
When he awoke, he could not remember the dream. And anyway, to cut a long story short, finally, Daniel, this hebrew slave, was able to interpret, was able to tell Nebuchadnezzar, first of all, his dream, which was amazing, because the dream to Nebuchadnezzar had been given by God. So that was how Daniel, God's prophet, was able to tell Nebuchadnezzar the dream when Nebuchadnezzar had forgotten it.
And Daniel was also able to interpret its meaning. And so in this dream, the different empires of the earth, starting from Babylon, the time in which the dream was given, the different empires of earth were depicted by different metals. And so there was gold, silver, brass, and then there was legs that were iron.
And it was these iron legs that actually represented the empire of Rome, which was, in Daniel's day, writing and speaking about and living about 600 bc, that was still far into the future. But this was Foretold in this prophecy. And even the secular historian Gibbons was not the least bit religious by any means.
But he used this description of Rome. He called it the iron monarchy of Rome. And his words were taken from the Bible, because iron just so accurately depicted the crushing power of Rome.
And so this is actually described by Daniel in his interpretation of the dream. And so Daniel chapter two, as we've been saying, and verse 40, it describes the meaning of and why iron was chosen to represent Rome in this dream. So it says in Daniel two, and verse 40, it says, the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron, for as much as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things, and as iron that breaketh all these shall it break in pieces and bruise.
And so that's the description that was given hundreds of years before the empire of Rome took its place on the know what more accurate description could we have of that? And Daniel also actually an angel in another dream given to Daniel in Daniel chapter seven, elaborates further on this. And so let's just have a look at Daniel chapter seven and verse 23, just over a few pages. Daniel chapter seven and verse 23.
And this is actually an angel speaking to Daniel and explaining some things in the dream that Daniel himself did not understand. So the angel said to Daniel, the fourth beast, which the fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth. So it was like the fourth kingdom after Babylon.
And it said, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down and break it in pieces. And that is such an accurate description of the empire of Rome. It was just such a cruel empire.
And the cross was just the height of Rome's cruelty. In fact, the word excruciating actually comes from the word crucifixion. So the cross was actually means that Rome had devised to torture a prisoner as long as they possibly could without the person actually dying.
So it was a terrible. It was a humiliating. Yeah.
And this was the death that Christ suffered for us. So, yeah, when we think about the. Know, when I survey the wondrous cross, this is what Christ was willing to do to demonstrate his love for a world that had rejected him.
So, yeah, it's just absolutely amazing that Christ has such tremendous love for us. He was the prince of glory, as this hymn says, and yet he died on that cruel cross. And so.
Yeah, well, do we say, my richest gain I count but loss and poor contempt on all my pride? And so let's go on to the second verse. The second verse says, 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. Let's look at the Bible verses that this is based on.
Now, this is really taken from the experience of the apostle Paul, and it's very directly based on Galatians chapter six and verse 14, which says, God forbid that I should glory, saving the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. And so what did Paul mean by this? Well, the apostle Paul describes this further and gives us more detail of this in Philippians chapter three and beginning at verse four. Philippians chapter three and beginning in verse four, because Paul was a pharisee, and so he was a religious leader, and he thought that because of his position and so forth, that because of that he was deserving of salvation, and that he could actually work to earn his own salvation.
So let's have a look at how does he describe his own experience. So Philippians chapter three and verse four, he says that I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath wear off, he might trust in the flesh.
I more. So, Paul, you know, thought that he was pretty good. So verse five says, circumcise the 8th day of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin and Hebrew, of the Hebrews, as touching the law of Pharisee concerning zeal persecuting the church, touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
So, you know, when Paul looked at his life, he thought that he was just so good and he didn't really need a saviour. But let's see what conclusion he finally came to. He says, what things were gained to me, the things that he thought earned him merit with God.
He says, those I counted loss for Christ. And then in verse eight, he goes on to say, yea, doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my lord. And verse nine, it says, be found in him not having my own righteousness which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.
And so we see here such a distinction between Christianity and every other religious belief that Christianity, God is the one that sends the gift that reconciles us to himself. We are not the ones going in search of God. God is the one going in search of us and giving us what we can never hope to accomplish by ourselves.
Because all of our efforts to reform our outward actions, they have their place, and they certainly have their place in the life of a Christian. And we certainly do those things out of gratitude for Christ. But we can't change our hearts.
We can't create life. And when it comes to that, we're just, absolutely powerless. And so we have to pray with David, who committed adultery and committed murder.
He was just from being a man after God's own heart, he just fell to the lowest depths of sin. And yet he recognised in Christ his saviour. And so he prayed in psalm 51 and verse ten, he said, create in me a clean heart, o God, and renew a right spirit within me.
Only God can transform our hearts. So that's what we need. We need to have a new heart and experience this change of life that can come only through Christ.
So, yeah, all the vain things that charm me most, I sacrifice them to his blood. Because really, Isaiah 59, verse one says, sin, your sin has separated between you and your God. Sin separates us from God.
And so God asks us to give up these things that are separating us from him and that are preventing us from experiencing the joy of salvation and the eternal, everlasting joy that God came to bring us and that we find in following him and in walking with him. So let's go on now to the third verse, which says, see, from his head, his hands, his feet, sorrow and love flow mingled down did heir such love and sorrow meet or thorns compose so rich a crown? So here in this verse, we are in imagination. We are really picturing the death of Christ.
That's really what is described there for us in that poetry. This song is quite interesting in that it goes between us actually contemplating truths, contemplating, meditating upon thinking about truths that are revealed in the word of God. And then it goes to actually praying about those things.
The first verse has, when I survey the wondrous cross on which the prince of glory died my richest gain I count but loss and poor contempt on all my pride. So the speaker is really meditating and thinking upon those things. Then in the second verse, he goes into, like, a direct prayer because he says, forbid it, Lord.
And so he's directly addressing God in prayer. This is a tremendous song in terms of teaching us how to study the Bible and then pray about the things that we've studied. So then the third verse, see, from his head, his hands, his feet.
So he's actually describing it and describing what you're seeing in your imagination. If you were actually singing this song in terms of performing it for others or whether you're thinking about it and using this as part of your Bible study, you want to have that picture in your mind, as close as we can get, of what it actually would have looked like for Christ to be there on the cross. See, from his head, his hands, his feet, so in love flow mingled down.
And it talks there about or thorns composed so rich a crown. So let's just have a look at this. The specific Bible verse about this, which is found in John, chapter 19.
John, chapter 19, verse one says, pilate took Jesus and scourged him. And then John 19, verse two, says, and the soldiers plattered a crown of thorns and put it on his head. And they put on him a purple robe, and they said, hail, king of the Jews.
So they were mocking him, mocking his claim to be king. So, yeah, that's just so incredible. As we think about that royal head that was pierced with that crown of thorns and pierced for us.
What an incredible. So then finally we have the final response to this meditation on the death of Christ. And the last verse says, will the whole realm of nature mind that were present far too small love so amazing, so divine demands my soul, my life, my all? And so let's have a look at a few Bible verses about this, because this idea of what response can we give to Christ in view of all that he has done for us? The Bible writers experienced this same realisation, that there was never really any way that they could actually repay Christ for what he had done for them.
So let's have a look at. Actually, we'll look at psalm 116 in just a moment, but let's look at another verse. First of all, we're going to look at first chronicles, chapter 29.
1st chronicles, chapter 29. And here David is wanting to build the king David. We've spoken about him in previous episodes.
He was planning to build a temple for God to come and dwell in. Well, he was planning for his son Solomon to build the temple. So he invited the people to give offerings for this temple so that it could be just the most beautiful temple that ever been built on earth, which indeed it was.
And so then David prayed a prayer over all of these offerings that were brought. And verse 14 just really picks up what David said about this. He says, referring to the offerings, he says, who am I and what is my people that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? For all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee, for we are strangers before thee and sojourners, as were all our fathers, o Lord our God, all this store that we have prepared to build thee, and house of thine holy name cometh of thine hand, and is all thine own.
So, I mean, we really are God's creation ourselves. And so what response can we make? What can we give to God? Well, let's have a look. In psalm 116, verse twelve.
Psalm 116, verse twelve, which says, what shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits toward me? Verse 13 says, I will take the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord. You know, nothing can give God greater glory and honour and joy than for us willingly to choose to give our hearts to him. That is what he asks of us, even though it's such a feeble return.
These tremendous sentiments that are expressed in this song. So, as I've mentioned in thinking about this hymn, there are some contrasts in terms of that. There's verses one and three are sort of really a meditation on the word of God.
Verse two is really a direct prayer to God. And then the fourth verse, I think, is just full of realisation of our inadequacy, but also that joy and determination in choosing to give our heart to God. So let's listen to fountain view orchestra and choir as they perform this amazing hymn.
When I survey the wondrous cross when I survey the wonder on which the prince of glory died my rich escape I can of my life that I should boast saving the death of Christ my king all the things that show me most I sacrifice them to you it sorrow and love glory and sorrow jump ground where all nature mind that where I present you love the one baby, don't divine soul my life, my home love so amazing, so divine indeed demands my life, my soul, my all. Let's say a prayer to make that dedication to God today. Dear Lord, we are so far from comprehending the tremendous sacrifice of Christ for us.
And dear God, what can we give you for all of the things that you have done for us? But we can, as it says in psalm 116 and verse 13, we can take the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord. And so that is what we choose to do today. Dear Lord, I just pray that you will come into my heart, into the heart of each person listening to this broadcast.
Please change. Please transform our hearts, dear Lord, we give them willingly to you and we just thank you that you've got the power to change our hearts. And we thank you that Christ was willing to make that the greatest sacrifice that love could make.
Thank you for hearing and answering our prayer in Jesus name. Amen. Thank you for joining me today on heavenly harmonies.
Please join me again next time to discuss another beautiful hymn. But until then, goodbye and God bless.
