The Strife Is O'er

The Strife Is O'er

Latin Hymn, c. 1695, transcribed by Francis Pott (1832-1909)

Sung to VICTORY, composed by Giovanni P. da Palestrina (1525-1594)

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

V. 1 The strife is o'er, the battle done;

Now is the victor's triumph won!

Now be the song of praise begun.

Alleluia!

Luke 22:53 Every day I was with you in the temple courts, and you did not lay a hand on me. But this is your hour—when darkness reigns.

V. 2 The pow'rs of death have done their worst,

But Christ their legions has dispersed.

Let shouts of holy joy outburst.

Alleluia!

Luke 24:6 He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee.

V. 3 The three sad days have quickly sped,

He rises glorious from the dead.

All glory to our risen head!

Alleluia!

1 Corinthians 15:55 “Where, O death, is your victory?

Where, O death, is your sting?”

Revelation 19:1 After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude in heaven shouting: “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God.

V. 4 Lord, by the stripes which wounded You,

From death's sting free Your servants too,

That we may live and sing to You.

Alleluia!

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

Go to Dark Gethsemane

Go to Dark Gethsemane

Text written in 1820 by James Montgomery

Sung to GETHSEMANE, composed in 1853 by Richard Redhead (1820-1901)

Matthew 26:36, 40, 41 Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.”  Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

V. 1 Go to dark Gethsemane,

Ye that feel the tempter's power;

Your Redeemer's conflict see;

Watch with Him one bitter hour;

Turn not from His griefs away;

Learn of Jesus Christ to pray.

Matthew 27:9, 26, 27 Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: “They took the thirty pieces of silver, the price set on him by the people of Israel....Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.  Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. 

V. 2 See Him at the judgment hall,

Beaten, bound, reviled, arraigned;

See Him meekly bearing all;

Love to man His soul sustained;

Shun not suffering, shame, or loss;

Learn of Christ to bear the cross.

John 19:30 When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

V. 3 Calvary's mournful mountain climb;

There adoring at His feet,

Mark that miracle of time,

God's own sacrifice complete;

"It is finished!" hear Him cry;

Learn of Jesus Christ to die.

Were You There?

Were You There?

American Negro Spiritual

John 19:18 There they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle.

V. 1 Were you there when they crucified my Lord?

Were you there when they crucified my Lord?

O! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble,

Were you there when they crucified my Lord?

John 20:25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”

But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

V. 2 Were you there when they nailed Him to the tree?

Were you there when they nailed Him to the tree?

O! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble,

Were you there when they nailed Him to the tree?

John 19:42 Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.

V. 3 Were you there when they pierced Him in the side?

Were you there when they pierced Him in the side?

O! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble,

Were you there when they pierced Him in the side?

John 20:9 They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.

V. 4 Were you there when the sun refused to shine?

Were you there when the sun refused to shine?

O! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble,

Were you there when the sun refused to shine?

V. 5 Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb?

Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb?

O! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble,

Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb?

Wondrous Love

Wondrous Love

Text attributed to Alexander Means

Sung to WONDROUS LOVE, Southern Harmony, 1835

Galations 3:13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.”

V. 1 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?

Exodus 3:14, 15 God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’ ”

God also said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.’ “This is my name forever, the name you shall call me

from generation to generation."

V. 2 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.

V. 3 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.

O Sacred Head Now Wounded

O Sacred Head Now Wounded

Text attributed to Bernard of Clairvaux (1091-1153), transcribed in German in 1656 by Paul Gerhardt (1607-1676), and then transcribed in English in 1830 by James W. Alexander (1804-1859)

Sung to PASSION CHORALE, composed in 1601 by Hans Leo Hassler (1564-1612), arranged in 1729 by J.S. Bach (1685-1750)

Matthew 27:29 ...and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said.

V. 1 O sacred head, now wounded,

With grief and shame weighed down,

Now scornfully surrounded

With thorns, Thine only crown:

O sacred head, what glory,

What bliss till now was Thine!

Yet, though despised and gory,

I joy to call Thee mine.

V. 2 What Thou, my Lord, hast suffered

Was all for sinner's gain;

Mine, mine was the transgression,

But Thine the deadly pain.

Lo, here I fall, my savior!

'Tis I deserve Thy place;

Look on me with Thy favor,

Vouchsafe to me Thy grace.

V. 3 What language shall I borrow 

To thank Thee, dearest friend,

For this Thy dying sorrow,

Thy pity without end?

O make me Thine forever;

And should I fainting be,

Lord, let me never, never

Outlive my love to Thee.

Tell Me the Story of Jesus

Tell Me the Story of Jesus

Text written by Fanny J. Crosby (1820-1915)

Tune composed by John R. Sweney (1873-1899)

Luke 2:13, 14 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

V. 1 Tell me the story of Jesus,

Write on my heart every word,

Tell me the story most precious

Sweetest that ever was heard;

Tell how the angels, in chorus,

Sang as they welcomed His birth,

Glory to God in the highest,

Peace and good tidings to earth.

Refrain: Tell me the story of Jesus,

Write on my heart every word,

Tell me the story most precious,

Sweetest that ever was heard.

Isaiah 53:3 He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.

Luke 4:1, 2 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.

Luke 9:58 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”

V. 2 Fasting, alone in the desert,

Tell of the days that He passed,

How for our sins He was tempted,

Yet was triumphant at last;

Tell of the years of His labor,

Tell of the sorrow He bore,

He was despised and afflicted,

Homeless, rejected, and poor.

Refrain

Luke 23:33, 53 When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left....Then he took it [Jesus' body] down, wrapped it in linen cloth and placed it in a tomb cut in the rock, one in which no one had yet been laid. 

Luke 24:6, 7 He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’  ” 

V. 3 Tell of the cross where they nailed Him,

Writhing in anguish and pain;

Tell of the grave where they laid Him,

Tell how He liveth again;

Love in that story so tender,

Clearer than ever I see;

Stay, let me weep while you whisper,

Love paid the ransom for me.

Refrain

Throned Upon the Awful Tree

Throned Upon the Awful Tree

Text written in 1875 by John Ellerton (1826-1893)

Sung to ARFON, a traditional melody from France & Wales, adapted c. 1906 by Hugh Davies (1844-1907)

Matthew 27:45 From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. 

V. 1 Throned upon the awful tree,

Lamb of God, Your grief we see.

Darkness veils Your anguished face;

None its lines of woe can trace.

None can tell what pangs unknown

Hold You silent and alone.

Matthew 27:46 About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).

V. 2 Silent through those three dread hours,

Wrestling with the evil powers,

Left alone with human sin,

Gloom around You and within,

Till th'appointed time is nigh,

Till the Lamb of God may die.

V. 3 Hark, that cry that peals aloud

Upward through the whelming cloud!

You, the Father's only Son,

You, His own anointed one,

You are asking--can it be?

"Why have you forsaken Me?"

V. 4 Lord, should fear and anguish roll

Darkly o'er our sinful soul,

You, who once were thus bereft

That Your own might ne'er be left,

Teach us by that bitter cry

In the gloom to know You nigh.

Ride On in Majesty

A hymn for Palm Sunday

Ride On in Majesty

Text written in 1827 by Henry H. Milman (1791-1868)

Sung to CANNOCK, composed by Walter K. Stanton (1891-1978)

Matthew 21:5-9 "Say to Daughter Zion, ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’ ”  The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

V. 1 Ride on! ride on in majesty!

Hark, all the tribes hosanna cry;

O Savior meek, pursue Thy road

With palms and scattered garments strowed.

V. 2 Ride on! ride on in majesty!

In lowly pomp ride on to die;

O Christ, Thy triumphs now begin

O'er captive death and conquered sin.

V. 3 Ride on! ride on in majesty!

The winged squadrons of the sky

Look down with sad and wondering eyes

To see the approaching sacrifice.

V. 4 Ride on! ride on in majesty!

In lowly pomp ride on to die;

Bow Thy meek head to mortal pain, 

Then take, O God, Thy power and reign.

The Dawn of God's Dear Sabbath

The Dawn of God's Dear Sabbath

Text written in 1866 by Ada Cross (1844-1926)

Sung to ST. GEORGE'S, BOLTON, composed in 1875 by J. Walch (1837-1901)

Hebrews 4:10, 11 For anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.

V. 1 The dawn of God's dear Sabbath

Breaks o'er the earth again,

As some sweet summer morning

After a night of pain;

It comes as cooling showers 

To some exhausted land,

As shade of clustered palm trees

'Mid weary wastes of sand.

V. 2 Lord, we would bring for offering,

Though marred with earthly soil,

A week of earnest labor,

Of steady, faithful toil,

Fair fruits of self-denial,

Of strong, deep love to Thee,

Fostered by Thine own Spirit,

In true humility.

V. 3 And we would bring our burden

Of sinful thought and deed,

In Thy pure presence kneeling,

From bondage to be freed,

Our heart's most bitter sorrow

For all Thy work undone--

So many talents wasted!

So few bright laurels won!

V. 4 And with that sorrow mingling,

A steadfast faith, and sure,

And love so deep and fervent,

For Thee to make it pure,

In Thy dear presence finding

The pardon that we need,

And then the peace so lasting--

Celestial peace indeed.

At the Cross

At the Cross

Text written by Isaac Watts (1674-1748)

Music composed by Ralph E. Hudson (1843-1901)

Psalm 22:6 But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by everyone, despised by the people.

John 19:30 When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

V. 1 Alas, and did my Savior bleed:

And did my Sovereign die?

Would He devote that sacred head

For someone such as I?

Refrain: At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light,

And the burden of my heart rolled away,

It was there by faith I received my sight,

And now I am happy all the day!

1 Peter 2:24 "He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed."

V. 2 Was it for crimes that I have done,

He suffered on the tree:

Amazing the pity! grace unknown!

And love beyond degree!

Refrain

V. 3 But drops of grief can ne'er repay

The debt of love I owe:

Here, Lord, I give myself away,

'Tis all that I can do!

Refrain

Softly Now the Light of Day

Softly Now the Light of Day

Text written in 1824 by George W. Doane (1799-1859)

Sung to SEYMOUR, composed in 1826 by Carl M. von Weber (1786-1826)

Psalm 141:2 May my prayer be set before you like incense;

may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.

V. 1 Softly now the light of day

Fades upon our sight away:

Free from care, from labor free,

Lord, we would commune with Thee.

Psalm 19:12 But who can discern their own errors?

Forgive my hidden faults.

V. 2 Thou, whose all-pervading eye

Nought escapes, without, within,

Pardon each infirmity,

Open fault, and secret sin.

V. 3 Soon from us the light of day

Shall forever pass away;

Then, from sin and sorrow free,

Take us, Lord to dwell with Thee.

Spring Has Now Unwrapped the Flowers

In honor of the arrival of spring, I bring you

Spring Has Now Unwrapped the Flowers

Text written by Isaac Watts (1674-1748)

Sung to ANGELUS, composed in the 17th century by Georg Joseph

Psalm 145:10 All your works praise you, Lord; your faithful people extol you.

V. 1 Nature with open volume stands,

To spread its Maker's praise abroad;

And every labor of His hands

Shows something worthy of our God.

Galatians 6:14 May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 

V. 2 But in the grace that rescued us

His brightest form of glory shines;

'Tis fairest drawn upon the cross

In precious blood and crimson lines.

1 Corinthians 1:24 But to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 

V. 3 Here His whole name appears complete.

Nor wit can guess, nor reason prove,

Which of the letters best is writ,

The pow'r, the wisdom, or the love.

Revelation 5:12 In a loud voice they were saying: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength

and honor and glory and praise!”

V. 4 We would forever speak His name

In sounds to mortal ears unknown,

With angels join to praise the Lamb,

And worship at His Father's throne.

I'd Rather Have Jesus

I'd Rather Have Jesus

Text written in 1922 by Rhea F. Miller (1894-1966)

Tune composed in 1939 by George Beverly Shea (1909-1976)

Matthew 16:26 What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?

V. 1 I'd rather have Jesus than silver or gold,

I'd rather be His than have riches untold;

I'd rather have Jesus than houses or lands,

I'd rather be led by His nail-pierced hand.

Refrain: Thank to be the king of a vast domain

Or be held in sin's dread sway;

I'd rather have Jesus than anything

This world affords today.

V. 2 I'd rather have Jesus than men's applause,

I'd rather be faithful to His dear cause;

I'd rather have Jesus than worldwide fame,

I'd rather be true to His holy name.

Refrain

Psalm 19:10 They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold;

they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb.

Song of Solomon 2:2 Like a lily among thorns

is my darling among the young women.

V. 3 He's fairer than lilies of rarest bloom,

He's sweeter than honey from out the comb;

He's all that my hungering spirit needs,

I'd rather have Jesus and let Him lead.

Refrain

Praise We the Lord

Praise We the Lord

Text written in 1928 by J. Steuart Wilson (1889-1966)

Sung to the tune FRAGRANCE, a French carol melody arranged by Martin Shaw (1875-1958)

(The video is a Christmas video because the tune is more frequently heard at Christmas time.  I couldn't find it set to the words for "Praise We the Lord", but at least you'll know what the tune sounds like.)

Ecclesiastes 3:11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. 

V. 1 Praise we the Lord, who made all beauty

For all our senses to enjoy;

Owe we our humble thanks and duty

That simple pleasures never cloy;

Praise we the Lord, who made all beauty

For all our senses to enjoy.

Psalm 19:4, 5 Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun. It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, like a champion rejoicing to run his course.

V. 2 Praise Him who loves to see young lovers,

Fresh hearts that swell with youthful pride;

Thank Him who sends the sun above u,

As bridegroom fit to meet his bride;

Praise Him who loves to see young lovers,

Fresh hearts that swell with youthful pride.

V. 3 Praise Him who by a simple flower

Lifts up our hearts to things above;

Thank Him who gives to each one power

To find a friend to know and love;

Praise Him who by a simple flower

Lifts up our hearts to things above.

I Cannot Tell Why

I Cannot Tell Why

Text written by W. Y. Fullerton (1857-1932)

Sung to LONDONDERRY AIR, an Irish melody arranged by John Barnard (b. 1948)

Luke 2:37, 39 ...And then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying....When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth.

Luke 15:4 Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?

John 4:42 They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.”

Hebrews 1:6 And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says,

“Let all God’s angels worship him.”

V. 1 I cannot tell why He whom angels worship

Should set His love upon the souls of men,

Or why as Shepherd He should seek the wanderers,

To bring them back, they know not how nor when.

But this I know that He was born of Mary

When Bethlehem's manger was His only home,

And that He lived at Nazareth and labored;

And so the Savior, Savior of the world, has come.

Matthew 11:28 Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

Luke 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me

to proclaim good news to the poor.

V. 2 I cannot tell how silently He suffered

As with His peace He graced this place of tears,

Nor how His heart upon the cross was broken,

The crown of pain to three and thirty years.

But this I know He heals the broken hearted

And stays our sin and calms our lurking fear,

And lifts the burden from the heavy laden;

For still the Savior, Savior of the world, is here.

Luke 3:6 And all people will see God’s salvation.

V. 3 I cannot tell how He will win the nations,

How He will claim His earthly heritage,

How satisfy the needs and aspirations

Of east and west, of sinner and of sage.

But this I know all flesh shall see His glory,

And He shall reap the harvest He has sown,

And some glad day His sun will shine in splendor

When He the Savior, Savior of the world, is known.

Matthew 8:26 He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.

Revelation 11:15 The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign for ever and ever.”

V. 4 I cannot tell how all the lands shall worship,

When at His bidding every storm is stilled,

Or who can say how great the jubilation

When all our hearts with love for Him are filled.

But this I know the skies shall sound His praises,

Ten thousand thousand human voices sing,

And earth to heaven, and heaven to earth will answer,

At last the Savior, Savior of the world, is King!

Safely Through Another Week

Safely Through Another Week

Text written in 1774 by John Newton (1725-1807)

Sung to the tune SABBATH, composed in 1824 by Lowell Mason (1792-1872)

Hebrews 4:9 There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God.

V. 1 Safely through another week

God has brought us on our way;

Let us now a blessing seek,

Waiting in His courts to day;

Day of all the week the best, 

Emblem of eternal rest;

Day of all the week the best,

Emblem of eternal rest.

V. 2 While we seek supplies of grace

Through the dear Redeemer's name,

Show Thy reconciling face,

Take away our sin and shame;

From our worldly cares set free

May we rest this day in Thee.

From our worldly cares set free

May we rest this day in Thee.

V. 3 When the morn shall bid us rise,

May we feel Thy presence near,

May Thy glory meet our eyes

When we in Thy house appear;

Here afford us, Lord, a taste 

Of our everlasting feast.

Here afford us, Lord, a taste

Of our everlasting feast.

V. 4 May the gospel's joyful sound

Conquer sinners, comfort saints;

Make the fruits of grace abound,

Bring relief to all complaints;

Thus may all our Sabbaths be

Till we rise to reign with Thee.

Thus may all our Sabbaths be

Till we rise to reign with Thee.

My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less

My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less

Text written in 1834 by Edward Mote (1797-1874)

Hymn tune composed in 1863 by Wm. B. Bradbury (1816-1868)

Psalm 143:11 For your name’s sake, Lord, preserve my life;

in your righteousness, bring me out of trouble.

V. 1 My hope is built on nothing less

Than Jesus' blood and righteousness;

I dare not trust the sweetest frame,

But wholly lean on Jesus' name.

Matthew 7:24, 26  “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock....But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand."

Refrain: On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;

All other ground is sinking sand,

All other ground is sinking sand.

Acts 15:11 No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.

Hebrews 6:19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain.

V. 2 When darkness seems to veil His face,

I rest on His unchanging grace;

In every high and stormy gale,

My anchor holds within the veil.

Refrain

Psalm 18:18 They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the Lord was my support.

V. 3 His oath, His covenant, and blood,

Support me in the whelming flood;

When all around my soul gives way,

He then is all my hope and stay.

Refrain

Philippians 3:9 ...And be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. 

1 Thessalonians 4:16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 

Jude 24 To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy.

V. 4 When He shall come with trumpet sound,

O may I then in Him be found;

Clad in His righteousness alone,

Faultless to stand before the throne.

Refrain