In His crucifixion, Jesus was establishing a pattern for our lives. “It must be an inexpressible and unendurable yearning,” said Martin Luther, “that causes the Son of God Himself so to suffer!” This miracle, this cross, this death of God’s Son - this is how much God loves sinners.įinally, until we steadfastly look upon the cross in all its gory magnificence, it will be impossible to realize God’s call upon our lives. He was under no obligation to do so and yet, He died, horribly, all for love’s sake. Consider the awesome omnipotence of His love, not that He overlooked sin - far from it! - but that on the cross He died for it. No sentimentalism, no sappy “anything goes” tolerance is visible at the cross. Look at the cross and see what the Son of God endured to solve our sin problem! He took sin seriously, and so must we.Īs we look on the cross more intently, we learn, in addition, to appreciate Christ’s love. The incomprehensible suffering of Christ shows us that sin is no mere trifle. Staying near the cross, keeping it in the center of our lives, also helps us see the truth about our sin. At the cross, where the Son of God was broken under the weight of the Father’s wrath, we see that the holiness of God exceeds all our imaginations. Until we discipline ourselves to gaze upon the cross, to meditate on its meaning and rehearse all that happened there, we never rightly comprehend God’s righteousness. When Jesus suffered on the cross He was taking our place, enduring the separation from God we deserved, serving as our substitute.Īnd so, let us pray to be kept near the cross, saying “O Lamb of God, bring its scenes before me,” to correct our vision of what is important in life and to keep the dazzle of this world from causing us to stumble from God’s call. Of course, there is a degree of truth in that notion: without the death of God’s Son, you and I would still be in our sins, and therefore rightfully under God’s wrath.
We tend to think of the cross as a way for us to get more of God’s goodies, the ticket, as it were, to our best life now. Too many of us have an incomplete understanding of what happened when Jesus willingly embraced the cross and died upon it. More than just a song, it’s a much-needed prayer for Christians. It could also be used as instrumental music preceding Communion, such as in a handbell arrangement like “Near the Cross.How many of us can sing by heart the words of the song that starts “Jesus, keep me near the cross”? Can you recall the next few lines? This hymn is perfect for a contemporary or blended worship service, as it fits well with modern songs such as “The Power of the Cross,” as in the choral arrangements “Near the Cross,” or “Keep Me Near the Cross,” both of which can be accompanied by piano alone, or with optional instruments. This hymn is best suited to Lent or Holy Week. If it is too fast, it sounds like a dance, which is not appropriate to the theme of the text, but an excessively slow tempo is depressing, while the text gives hope. This tune should be sung at a moderate tempo. The stanza and the refrain are in two phrases each, clearly marked by the ending long notes. He wrote the tune in 1869 and it was first published with the text in Bright Jewels. Doane, who often collaborated with Crosby, is the composer. The tune for this hymn was actually written before the text, but it was named after the text, NEAR THE CROSS. The third stanza is a prayer that the Christian would always remember God's love as shown on the cross, and the fourth looks forward to heaven. The first stanza describes redemption through Jesus' blood, and the second, the need of humanity for salvation. Each stanza has a slightly different aspect of the main theme. The first line of each stanza contains the phrase “near the cross,” emphasizing the value of Christ's redeeming work there. The fourth stanza (“Near the cross I'll watch and wait”) is occasionally omitted. Crosby wrote four stanzas and a refrain, which most hymnals have kept. The text and tune were published together in Bright Jewels for the Sunday School in 1869. In 1869, Fanny Crosby was shown a tune by William Doane, for which she wrote this text.