Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. John 15:13 (New King James Version)
Why did Jesus sacrifice his life for ours? Yes, he loves us and wants us to have a relationship with him and spend eternity with him. But a love so great that would make anyone willing to die for someone else is hard to grasp. It is even harder to understand when you consider the manner of his death and the torture and humiliation he suffered before he died. This is probably a question that we will never be able to answer. What we can do is be thankful for this great love and determine to live our lives sharing this love so that others will know just how much Jesus loves them, too.
One of the Lenten hymns found in The Presbyterian Hymnal is What Wondrous Love Is This. This hymn is an American folk hymn and was written around 1811. It is usually associated with the Appalachian area and the melody has a minor sound. This type of sound makes the effect on the listener even more profound as one considers the question: “What made Jesus die for me?”
What Wondrous Love Is This
What wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this that caused the Lord of bliss
To bear the dreadful curse for my soul, for my soul,
To bear the dreadful curse for my soul.
To God and to the Lamb, I will sing, I will sing;
To God and to the Lamb, I will sing.
To God and to the Lamb who is the great “I Am”;
While millions join the theme, I will sing, I will sing;
While millions join the theme, I will sing.
And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on;
And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on.
And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing and joyful be;
And through eternity, I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on;
And through eternity, I’ll sing on.
