Let There Be Wonder by Matt RedmanSample

UPON HIM

“The punishment that brought us peace was upon Him… and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” Isaiah 53:5/6 BSB

Much of songwriting is the art of expressing a universal truth in a unique way. We take something we know to be true and relevant to people’s lives, and we seek to sing of it in a brand new way. It is the same old truth, but from a fresh new perspective. 

When in worship songwriting we look upon the cross of Christ, there are countless angles we could approach it from. Throughout history, hymn writers have been drawing near to that place in adoration and awe, beholding the many wonders of Calvary. In that place John Newton sang of ‘Amazing grace’, William Cowper saw a ‘fountain’ of healing, and Isaac Watts encountered ‘sorrow and love’ flowing powerfully together. Thousands upon thousands of songs and hymns have been written on this subject, each looking through their own window onto the cross. 

Thinking about the phrase ‘Upon Him’ one day, I realized it might be a powerful song title and another different angle by which to survey this wondrous cross. For it was upon a hill that our Savior was crucified, and upon His head a crown of thorns. Upon Him was the punishment that brought us peace, and upon Him was laid the iniquity of us all. It is staggering to think of the dark and intense weight of sin and shame that our precious Savior was willing to take upon Himself to purchase our freedom. We need carry no part of it – not a single ounce of our heavy transgressions – every single sin of ours, the Redeemer took upon Himself. Oswald Chambers perhaps says it best:

“The Cross was the place where God and sinful man merged with a tremendous collision and where the way to life was opened. But all the cost and pain of the collision was absorbed by the heart of God.”

Worshippers have been singing of the cross of Christ for more than 2000 years, and the glory and importance of that place can never be exhausted. We will gather together for all eternity and the wonders of the cross will never grow old. Upon our hearts forever His name shall be written – and upon Him together we will pour out a song of everlasting praise.