Cecil Frances Alexander (1818-1895) spent her whole life in Ireland. She married an Anglican pastor in 1850, William Alexander, who later became Bishop of Derry in 1867. She was very interested in children’s education throughout her life, and many of her almost 400 hymns were written especially with young people in mind. In 1848 she published Hymns for Little Children. One of her goals was to present the Apostles’ Creed in an interesting way which children would understand. She wrote three hymns which expressed certain parts of the Creed in simple language. “All Things Bright and Beautiful” reflects on “Maker of heaven and earth.” The hymn “Once in Royal David’s City” explains Christ’s being “born of the Virgin Mary.” Finally, “There Is a Green Hill Far Away” tells how Christ “Suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried.” The opening verse of “There Is a Green Hill Far Away” is a good example of how her hymns relate the gospel in story-like fashion:

There is a green hill far away,
Without (outside) a city wall,
Where the dear Lord was crucified
Who died to save us all.

These lines outline a significant truth: the gospel is the good news about what God has done to save us.

The Apostle Paul provides for us the content of the gospel witness:

“Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.”

1 Corinthians 15:1-5

Paul highlights for us the absolute centrality of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Without these historic facts in place, there is no good news to preach. It is not surprising, therefore, that the Church has historically placed a great deal of emphasis on commemorating these events in its yearly worship cycle. The traditional nomenclature of “Holy Week” helps bring out the significance to us.

The immeasurable significance of Holy Week is perhaps best attested by the amount of space given to recording its events in the gospels. From the total of 89 chapters in the four gospel accounts, 29 chapters are devoted to describing what Jesus said and did from Palm Sunday to Easter. Not only this, but each gospel is composed so the reader can clearly understand that there is an inexorable movement in Jesus’ life towards the cross and the empty tomb. For example, Matthew’s gospel reads this way, “From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised” (Matthew 16:21). Luke 9:51 says Jesus “set his face to go to Jerusalem.” John’s gospel refers repeatedly to Jesus’ “hour,” pointing ahead to his death and the glory which would be manifested.

Holy Week gives extraordinary insight into the heart of God himself. It is where we see preeminently his great saving love for his people through the death and resurrection of Jesus. The names and places listed in the gospel accounts each bring to mind an amazing weight of significance: upper room, Gethsemane, Judas Iscariot, Pontius Pilate, crown of thorns, Barrabas, Golgotha, cross, thieves, mother, son, stone, tomb. The Gospel of John makes it clear that Christ’s saving work is the manifestation of the love of God towards sinners. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” We also learn that Christ’s death and resurrection is at the heart of the Father’s love for the Son and the Son’s love for the Father: “For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again” (John 10:17).

These great truths about our God and Savior ought to bring out of us our deepest devotion. Can we hear of Christ’s love for the Father in laying down his life for sinners and not stand in awe? Cecil Frances Alexander recognized this, so she included in her hymns verses which call the Christian to a life of commitment to Christ. The last verse of “There Is a Green Hill Far Away” reads:

O dearly, dearly has He loved,
And we must love Him too,
And trust in His redeeming blood,
And try His works to do.

Tenth’s Good Friday and Easter services and concert are intended to give all who attend an opportunity to be reminded of these great realities and to give God the worship he so richly deserves.

I want to give a brief word about the Good Friday Choral concert which will be held Friday evening, April 18. This year the Tenth Choir will present St. John Passion by Bob Chilcott. A musical “Passion” is quite simply the words of one of the Gospels set to music and intended to be sung in the context of a worship service.  St. John Passion contains almost the entirety of John 18 and 19, beginning in the Garden of Gethsemane through the death of Jesus on the cross. As with the well-known Passion settings by J.S. Bach, Mr. Chilcott’s St. John Passion includes not only the scriptural narrative, but also musical meditations intended to personalize the significance of the events. It also contains several beautiful new settings of familiar hymn texts which offer an opportunity for the congregation to participate. Among those hymns are “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” and “There Is a Green Hill Far Away.” There is perhaps no greater time of year to invite friends and family members to come and hear for themselves the glorious gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ!