THE VOICE OF THE CROSS
(Seven Last Words)
By Edith Hendry
Twas on that same night on which He was betrayed,
Our Lord and Savior went up to the hills and prayed.
He prayed to God for the souls of all living men,
And asked forgiveness for their many sins.
He begged God for strength, His cross to bear,
And if twas possible, His suffering to spare.
“Nevertheless not My will, but Thine be done.”
The greatest victory on earth to be won.
In that moment our Lord suffered much anguish and pain,
For a world to save, which seemed so in vain.
Then at last He arose prepared to meet,
The fate destined, for all men, sin to defeat.
It was written by prophets and must be fulfilled,
Our Savior must suffer much sorrow and finally be killed,
So that we in all our hatred and sin,
By accepting and believing in our Christ over death could win.
He was betrayed, this man who had no one harmed,
And taken by a crowd that so quickly had formed.
He was led through the streets, thorns crowning His brow,
While crowds cried, “Crucify Him, Crucify Him now.”
In the midst of this horror, Jesus did spy,
His mother and John standing helplessly by.
To her He said, “Woman, behold thy son.”
And John, “Behold thy mother.” This union was thus begun.
As He witnessed this hatred of many, the love of so few,
Prayed, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.”
In the midst of this seething, vicious, bloodthirsty throng,
He was able in mercy to pray to God for their wrong.
Oh! Lord, Thou hast shown us forgiveness of heart,
Help us that we by our lives so impart,
To a world embroiled in conflicts and greed,
The love Thou taught us in that last hour, to heed.
Down that long narrow street they led Him, dejected and shamed,
Where a few days before He’d been proudly proclaimed.
Now crowds mocking and sneering, Christ cried out His plea,
“My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken me?”
On they pushed Him, that frenzied, maddened mob,
To the place called Calvary, the world of this soul to rob.
This man whose memory would forever be,
The symbol of patience, love and great humility.
There were also two men, who were sentenced to die,
Along with our Savior, and they didn’t deny,
They had committed a sin, for which they should pay,
By giving their lives on the cross that same day.
They were guilty and willing to take their just due,
But this man, why should He pay too?
One turning said, “Jesus, Lord, remember me when Thou dost rise.”
Jesus answered, “Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.”
The torture He suffered, the mockery and lies,
Remission and forgiveness for us He buys.
Hung on the cross, nails piercing His side,
While gathered around Him His persecutors cried.
“Thou canst save others, save thyself first.”
But Jesus, His lips parched, pleaded, “I thirst.”
His thirst was nothing to what ours should be.
Our thirst for the grace sanctified on Calvary.
As the end drew near, He spoke and all did hear it,
“Father into Thy hands I command my spirit.”
The spirit was spent, but could never be dead,
They could never forget all He had said,
Of love, of kindness, of helping and giving,
Of all the beauty of Christlike living.
No, His lips may be quiet and no longer plead,
But His words will forever fill our needs.
He raised up His head in the final breath,
Saying, “It is finished.” Then came His death.
A death over which He would conquer and win,
For us the atonement of all our sins.
Oh! Lord, we pray Thee twas not in vain,
Thou gavest Thy life this victory to gain,
So that we midst all envy and strife,
By asking and believing can have Eternal Life.
(Seven Last Words)
By Edith Hendry
Twas on that same night on which He was betrayed,
Our Lord and Savior went up to the hills and prayed.
He prayed to God for the souls of all living men,
And asked forgiveness for their many sins.
He begged God for strength, His cross to bear,
And if twas possible, His suffering to spare.
“Nevertheless not My will, but Thine be done.”
The greatest victory on earth to be won.
In that moment our Lord suffered much anguish and pain,
For a world to save, which seemed so in vain.
Then at last He arose prepared to meet,
The fate destined, for all men, sin to defeat.
It was written by prophets and must be fulfilled,
Our Savior must suffer much sorrow and finally be killed,
So that we in all our hatred and sin,
By accepting and believing in our Christ over death could win.
He was betrayed, this man who had no one harmed,
And taken by a crowd that so quickly had formed.
He was led through the streets, thorns crowning His brow,
While crowds cried, “Crucify Him, Crucify Him now.”
In the midst of this horror, Jesus did spy,
His mother and John standing helplessly by.
To her He said, “Woman, behold thy son.”
And John, “Behold thy mother.” This union was thus begun.
As He witnessed this hatred of many, the love of so few,
Prayed, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.”
In the midst of this seething, vicious, bloodthirsty throng,
He was able in mercy to pray to God for their wrong.
Oh! Lord, Thou hast shown us forgiveness of heart,
Help us that we by our lives so impart,
To a world embroiled in conflicts and greed,
The love Thou taught us in that last hour, to heed.
Down that long narrow street they led Him, dejected and shamed,
Where a few days before He’d been proudly proclaimed.
Now crowds mocking and sneering, Christ cried out His plea,
“My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken me?”
On they pushed Him, that frenzied, maddened mob,
To the place called Calvary, the world of this soul to rob.
This man whose memory would forever be,
The symbol of patience, love and great humility.
There were also two men, who were sentenced to die,
Along with our Savior, and they didn’t deny,
They had committed a sin, for which they should pay,
By giving their lives on the cross that same day.
They were guilty and willing to take their just due,
But this man, why should He pay too?
One turning said, “Jesus, Lord, remember me when Thou dost rise.”
Jesus answered, “Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.”
The torture He suffered, the mockery and lies,
Remission and forgiveness for us He buys.
Hung on the cross, nails piercing His side,
While gathered around Him His persecutors cried.
“Thou canst save others, save thyself first.”
But Jesus, His lips parched, pleaded, “I thirst.”
His thirst was nothing to what ours should be.
Our thirst for the grace sanctified on Calvary.
As the end drew near, He spoke and all did hear it,
“Father into Thy hands I command my spirit.”
The spirit was spent, but could never be dead,
They could never forget all He had said,
Of love, of kindness, of helping and giving,
Of all the beauty of Christlike living.
No, His lips may be quiet and no longer plead,
But His words will forever fill our needs.
He raised up His head in the final breath,
Saying, “It is finished.” Then came His death.
A death over which He would conquer and win,
For us the atonement of all our sins.
Oh! Lord, we pray Thee twas not in vain,
Thou gavest Thy life this victory to gain,
So that we midst all envy and strife,
By asking and believing can have Eternal Life.
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