Why do we sing? The truth of God not only moves us to praise Him in songs, it commands us to sing. "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God." (Colossians 3:16, ESV) When we raise our voices to sing to the Lord, we give Him the adoration and worship He is due; we glorify Him with the beautiful gifts He has so graciously granted us; we instill the truth of God into our hearts.

As you sing through these timeless hymns, meditate on the words and let the music help you respond to the gospel both intellectually and emotionally. Let us fix our eyes on our redeemer and worship Him in spirit and in truth!

Find lyrics and reflections for each song below.

This hymn was written in 1800 by William Cowper, a solicitor in the lower courts of the English justice system. In spite of his intellectual achievements, he was burdened with grief throughout his life with the death of his mother, who died when he was only six years old. After a significant mental breakdown, he never practiced law, and was involved in an unhappy love affair that resulted in an unsuccessful suicide attempt. At 33 years old, he was reading the Book of Romans during confinement and prolonged periods of depression, and he was confronted with these words:

“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.” (Romans 3:23-25, ESV)

We are all in need of personal redemption and the sufficiency that is in the shed blood of Jesus Christ, our Saviour. May we rejoice, as Cowper did, knowing that we are offered a personal relationship with Christ, who suffers with us in our grief and offers forgiveness for our sin.

"But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ." (Ephesians 2:13, ESV)

Lyrics

There is a fountain filled with blood
Drawn from Immanuel's veins;
And sinners, plunged beneath that flood,
Lose all their guilty stains:
Lose all their guilty stains,
Lose all their guilty stains;
And sinners, plunged beneath that flood,
Lose all their guilty stains.

The dying thief rejoiced to see
That fountain in his day;
And there may I, though vile as he,
Wash all my sins away:
Wash all my sins away,
Wash all my sins away;
And there may I, though vile as he,
Wash all my sins away.

Dear dying Lamb, Thy precious blood
Shall never lose its pow'r,
Till all the ransomed Church of God
Be saved, to sin no more:
Be saved, to sin no more,
Be saved, to sin no more;
Till all the ransomed Church of God
Be saved to sin no more.

E'er since by faith I saw the stream
Thy flowing wounds supply,
Redeeming love has been my theme,
And shall be till I die:
And shall be till I die,
And shall be till I die;
Redeeming love has been my theme,
And shall be till I die.

The Old Rugged Cross is a popular hymn written in 1912 by evangelist and song-leader George Bennard and it speaks of the writer's adoration of Christ and His sacrifice at Calvary. The cross is seen as “the emblem of suffering and shame,” yet Jesus transformed the cross into an emblem of love and hope for the whole world. The joy that is found in contemplating the cross is not found in the shame, but in the promise that someday the saints will exchange the labor of sanctification for the crown of life (James 1:12, Rev. 2:10).

Lyrics

On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
the emblem of suffering and shame;
and I love that old cross where the dearest and best
for a world of lost sinners was slain.

So I'll cherish the old rugged cross,
till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross

O that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,
has a wondrous attraction for me;
for the dear Lamb of God left his glory above
to bear it to dark Calvary.

So I'll cherish the old rugged cross,
till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
and exchange it someday for a crown.

To that old rugged cross I will ever be true,
its shame and reproach gladly bear;
then he'll call me some day to my home far away,
where his glory forever I'll share. 

So I'll cherish the old rugged cross,
till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
and exchange it someday for a crown.

The lyrics to Jesus Paid It All were penned 1865 by Elvina M. Hall during a sermon at the Monument Methodist Episcopal Church in Baltimore, England. One of the Scriptural references is taken from Isaiah 1:18. Isaiah 1 outlines Israel's (and our own) sins and shortcomings; collectively, our tendencies to pervert justice (v. 4), to be self-righteous in our religious traditions (v. 11-15), and ultimately turn away from God and what He commands (v. 2). But in verse 18, God promises Israel through the prophet Isaiah: "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool." (ESV) Of course, Jesus was the one whose red blood paid our debts so that we may be white as snow. We owe an infinite debt of gratitude to our Saviour. Let us live lives of thankfulness to Him!

Lyrics

I hear the saviour say
Thy strength indeed is small
Child of weakness, watch and pray
Find in me thine all in all

Jesus paid it all
All to him I owe
Sin had left a crimson stain
He washed it white as snow

Lord, now indeed I find
Thy power and thine alone
Came and changed the lepers spots
And it melt the heart of stone

Jesus paid it all
All to him I owe
Sin had left a crimson stain
He washed it white as snow

And when before the throne
I stand in him complete
Jesus died my soul to save
My lips shall still repeat

Jesus paid it all
All to him I owe
Sin had left a crimson stain
He washed it white as snow

Lyrics

Alleluia! Sing to Jesus!
His the scepter, His the throne.
Alleluia! His the triumph,
His the victory alone.
Hark! The songs of peaceful Zion
Thunder like a mighty flood:
"Jesus out of ev'ry nation
Has redeemed us by His blood."

Alleluia! Bread of angels,
Here on earth our food, our stay!
Alleluia! Here the sinful
Flee to You from day to day.
Intercessor, friend of sinners,
Earth's redeemer, plead for me,
Where the songs of all the sinless
Sweep across the crystal sea.

Alleluia! King eternal,
You the Lord of lords we own;
Alleluia! Born of Mary,
Earth Your footstool, heav'n Your throne.
You within the veil have entered,
Robed in flesh, our great high priest;
Here on earth both priest and victim
In the eucharistic feast.

God’s mercy and justice met perfectly at the cross. Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus, conquered death by laying down His own life. What a wondrous mystery, that “for our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God!” (2 Corinthians 5:21, ESV) The bloody cross, the sign of defeat and humiliation, has become the greatest victory in history, where sin is dealt with once for all.

Even though writing roughly 350 years apart, German reformer Martin Luther and Canadian hymn writer William R. Featherston expressed the very same desire: to “know Him and the power of His resurrection.” (Philippians 3:10, ESV) In this arrangement, you will hear the original melody as well as J. S. Bach’s adaptation of Christ lag in Todesbanden (Christ lay in the bands of death), with My Jesus I Love Thee interposed between verses. 

Lyrics

Christ Jesus lay in death’s strong bands 
for our offenses given,
But now at God’s right hand He stands 
and brings us life from heaven.
Wherefore let us rejoice be
and sing to God right thankfully
Loud songs of Alleluia! Alleluia!

My Jesus, I love thee, I know thou art mine;
for thee all the follies of sin I resign;
my gracious Redeemer, my Saviour art thou;
if ever I loved thee, my Jesus, 'tis now.

It was a strange and dreadful strife 
when life and death contended.
The victory remained with life, 
the reign of death is ended.
Stripped of power, no more it reigns,
An empty form alone remains.
Death’s sting is lost forever! Alleluia!

I'll love thee in life, I will love thee in death,
and praise thee as long as thou lendest me breath,
and say when the deathdew lies cold on my brow:
If ever I loved thee, my Jesus, 'tis now.

So let us keep the festival 
where to the Lord invites us;
Christ is Himself the joy of all.
the sun that warms and lights us.
By His grace He doth impart
eternal sunshine to the heart.
The night of sin is ended! Alleluia! 

This arrangement begins with the first line of the choral piece, Miserere Mei (Gregorio Allegri, 1630s). This piece is a setting of Psalm 51, which is a personal psalm that David composed after Nathan the prophet convicted him of his sins of adultery and murder. The Latin, “Miserere mei, Deus: secundum magnam misericordiam tuam,” translates to “Have mercy upon me, O God: after Thy great goodness.”

After this humble plea for God’s mercy, the arrangement progresses into the celebratory Easter hymn, Christ the Lord Is Risen Today (Charles Wesley, 1739). Each verse focuses on a different element of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ and ends with the refrain, “Alleluia!” This Hebrew word commonly appears throughout the Psalms and translates literally to “Praise the Lord!”

Lyrics

Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia!
All creation, join to say Alleluia!
Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia!
Sing, ye heavens, and earth reply, Alleluia!

Love's redeeming work is done, Alleluia!
Fought the fight, the battle won, Alleluia!
Death in vain forbids him rise, Alleluia!
Christ has opened paradise. Alleluia!

Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia!
Where, O death, is now thy sting? Alleluia!
Once he died our souls to save, Alleluia!
Where thy victory, O grave? Alleluia!

This hymn is a triumphant reminder of the death, resurrection, and lordship of Jesus Christ, which was written in 1851 by Matthew Bridges and Godfrey Thring. The lyrics are based on Revelation 19:11-13 (ESV):

“Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God.”

By meditating on this hymn, one can find renewed confidence and trust that Jesus will come again to earth, to destroy the forces of evil and reign over all of creation.

Lyrics

Crown Him with many crowns, the Lamb upon His throne
Hark how the heavenly anthem drowns
All music but its own
Awake my soul and sing of Him who died for thee
And hail Him as thy matchless King
Through all eternity

Crown Him the Lord of life who triumphed o'er the grave
And rose victorious in the strife
For those He came to save
His glories now we sing who died and rose on high
Who died eternal life to bring
And lives that death may die

Holy holy holy, Lord God Almighty
Early in the morning, Our song shall rise to Thee
Holy holy holy, Merciful and mighty
God in three persons, Blessed Trinity

Crown Him the Lord of years the Potentate of time
Creator of the rolling spheres
Ineffably sublime
All hail Redeemer hail, for Thou hast died for me
Thy praise shall never, never fail
Throughout eternity

This is a strong hymn of praise, written in 1680 by Joachim Neander. The lyrics are based on Psalms 103 and 150 and celebrate God’s immense goodness and love. Each stanza begins with an exhortation to praise God and then goes on to describe why he is worthy of our praise. God generously loves his faithful people, and to those who fear him, he provides physical nourishment, makes work fruitful and meaningful, brings defence against the forces of evil, and extends the gifts of salvation and eternal life. Therefore, let us “praise him for his mighty deeds … according to his excellent greatness!” (Psalm 150: 2, ESV).

Lyrics

Praise to the Lord the Almighty the King of creation
O my soul praise Him for He is thy health and salvation
All ye who hear, now to His temple draw near
Praise Him in glad adoration

Praise to the Lord above all things so wondrously reigning
Sheltering thee under His wings and so gently sustaining
Have you not seen, all that is needful has been
Sent by his gracious ordaining

Praise to the Lord who will prosper thy work and defend thee
Surely His goodness and mercy shall daily attend thee
Ponder anew what the Almighty can do
If with His love He befriend thee

Praise to the Lord O let all that is in me adore Him
All that has life and breath come now with praises before Him
Let the Amen sound from His people again
Gladly forever adore Him

Famous hymn writer Isaac Watts wrote this hymn which was published in 1707. The song focuses on the picture of the cross and what it means for our lives. In Galatians 6, Paul, nearing the end of his letter, hopes that he may never “boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” (v. 14, ESV). Boasting, in this sense, is not a point of arrogance where we can be proud of anything that we accomplished. The very opposite is the case! The cross symbolizes our only source of confidence for salvation and who it is that we should seek to humbly glorify: Jesus Christ, the Prince of glory, whose love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all.

Lyrics

When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ my God!
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.

See from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.