“Jesus held back any words that would have relieved Him from the shame and blame of sin. “The clearest proof that man is utterly fallen, and that the natural heart is enmity against God, is seen in the fact that they did spit in Christ's face.” “Jesus was conscious that God’s plan was being worked out and nobody, not Peter, not Judas, not the mob, nor anyone else was going to keep that plan from being fulfilled.” “The intensity of his agony and his sovereign resolve to bear it, his control over his captors, his protection of his own, his grace to the wounded, all proved he is an omniscient, all-powerful God.” Rather it’s a pain infinitely greater-the agony of being abandoned by His Father.” “What Jesus recoils from here is not an anticipation of the physical pain associated with crucifixion.
“It wasn’t that Jesus simply stepped up and said “I’ll do this for you.” It is that Jesus became the very embodiment of all that sin is.” “When Jesus set his face to walk the Calvary road, he was not merely taking our place he was setting our pattern.”Īlistair Begg: An Innocent Man Crushed by God John Piper: He Set His Face to Go to Jerusalem If you are so hardened that you do not tremble, then you have reason to tremble.” “The whole value of the meditation of the suffering of Christ lies in this, that man should come to the knowledge of himself and sink and tremble. Martin Luther: True Contemplation of the Cross Kent Hughes, and Joni Eareckson Tada.ĭeeper than shallow “inspirational” thoughts, and more scripture-based and theologically sound than other “spiritual” guides available, each essay expounds on a particular aspect of the Cross and Resurrection and includes the appropriate scripture passage from the ESV.
Packer, John Calvin, Alistair Begg, John MacArthur, Ray Ortlund, Jr., Francis Shaeffer, J.C. Mahaney, Adrian Rogers, Phillip Ryken, John Owen, Stephen Olford, Skip Ryan, Martin Luther, John Piper, Tim Keller, Martin Lloyd-Jones, Ligon Duncan, Jonathan Edwards, Charles Spurgeon, Saint Augustine, J. The short meditations are drawn from a number of sources including books, other writings, and sermonic materials from: C. Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross is a collection of 25 short readings drawn from the works of classic and contemporary theologians and Bible teachers that will lead readers into thoughtful contemplation of the cross. It could also be used as instrumental music preceding Communion, such as in a handbell arrangement like “Near the Cross.A collection of readings on the Cross and resurrection 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.