Song Details
- Album Release Date: 2012
- Genre: gospel
Song Meaning of “By the Way of the Cross” by Grace Baptist College
This song is a beautiful hymn which speaks of Jesus’s suffering on the way of the cross. The melody is soothing and hopeful, with tender lyrics that reflect the strength, courage, and grace of Jesus as he suffered so we could be saved. As the lyrics paint the scene of Jesus’s passion and crucifixion, they speak of his love for us and his ultimate sacrifice that brought us salvation and restored our relationship with God.
The song begins with lyrics about Jesus’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem: “By the way of the cross, the Lordly Jesus came / Entering Jerusalem with songs of sacred fame.” This conveys the majesty and glory of his entrance, the highest point before his suffering began.
The song then moves on to express Jesus’s anguish and pain as he made his way to the cross on the road to Calvary, representing his ultimate sacrifice: “Now His steps were marked with sorrow, and His feet with tears bedewed / For His way was through the valley of the shadow of death, that He trod”.
The lyrics then move on to describe God’s love for Jesus, and the hope that he gives us in his suffering: “He was lifted up to heaven from the cross of Calvary / And He now abides within the glorious promised land, evermore to be.” This reflects God’s unwavering faithfulness to Jesus by restoring him to life and promising an eternity in glory with Him.
The final sentiment of the song returns to Jesus’s ultimate act of love for us on the cross, and the peace and hope that it brings: “By the way of the cross, He our burdens did bear / To the old rugged cross, for us, His love so dear.” As Jesus bore our sins for us on the cross, he brought us wholeness, healing, and redemption, so we can live in light of the freedom he provides us.
This song is a reminder of Jesus’s great love, strength, and sacrifice for us, and how his suffering on the way of the cross restored our relationship with God. As we sing this song, may we find strength and courage to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, being strong in our faith and trusting in the Lord’s promises.