The Wondrous Story

I like to play the song “I Will Sing the Wondrous Story” on my piano accordion, you may have heard me playing it.  Can I give you just a few reasons why I love this song?  My reasons are based on the Holy Scripture and below the passages are given for you to check them for yourself.

The first verse says: “I will sing the wondrous story of the Christ who died for me; How He left His home in glory for the cross of Calvary.

The most wondrous story ever told is that Christ died for us: Romans 5.8 and 1 Corinthians 15.3-4.

In order to do this, He left His home in glory: Philippians 2.5-8.  And His death upon the cross of Calvary is the means by which we have redemption from our sins: 1 Corinthians 1.18-21.

Verse two says that we should sing it because we were lost but Jesus found us “I was lost, but Jesus found me, Found the sheep that went astray; Threw His loving arms around me, Drew me back into His way.” All responsible human beings are lost because they have sinned: Romans 3.23, 6.23.

But just as a shepherd goes in search of his sheep that has gone astray and brings it back, so Jesus is the good Shepherd who came to seek and save the lost: Luke 15.4‑5, 19.10. And the means by which He draws us back into His way is the teaching of the gospel message, which we must believe and obey: John 6.44-45

Verse three says that we should sing it because Jesus healed us when we were bruised. “I was bruised, but Jesus healed me; Faint was I from many a fall; sight was gone, and fears possessed me, But He freed me from them all.”

Jesus is also pictured as the great Physician who came to heal those who are spiritually sick: Mark 2:16-17.  When we are in sin, we are pictured as spiritually blind: 2 Corinthians 4:3-4. However, He can cure us because He frees us from the sins that cause this condition: Romans 6:17-18.

Verse four says that we should sing it because Jesus is with us when days of darkness come over us: “Days of darkness still come o’er me, Sorrows paths I often tread, But the Saviour still is with me; By His hand I’m safely led.” Even Christians who have been saved by the blood of the Lamb, as long as we live on this earth will have their share of darkness and sorrow: Psalms 90:10. However, during all our trials and difficulties in this life, Jesus has promised to be with us as we do His will: Matthew 28:18-20. Therefore, we can trust Him to lead us by His hand: Psalm 139:9-10.

Verse five says that we should sing it because He will keep us until death “He will keep me till the river rolls its waters at my feet: Then He’ll bear me safely over Where the loved ones I shall meet.” “The river” here refers poetically to death; quite often in religious poetry death is symbolized as standing between us and heaven as the Jordan River stood between the people of Israel and their promised rest in Canaan: Joshua 6.13-17.

Everyone who has turned to Jesus in repentance and faithfulness, can have great assurance that one day they will be with Jesus for eternity, as St Paul told the believers in Thessalonians.

“Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.  For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.

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. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.   Therefore encourage one another with these words.” 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18