Were You There? (Good Friday Special)

[00:00:00] It was not the nails that held Jesus to that wretched cross.

[00:00:08] It was his unqualified resolution, out of love for his father to do his father's will

[00:00:16] and it was his love for sinners like me.

[00:00:21] This is The Bright Forever.

[00:00:44] Hello and welcome to The Bright Forever, where each week we rediscover the power and richness

[00:00:50] found in some of the greatest hymns of the faith.

[00:00:54] My name is Andy Peavyhouse and I am your host and guide on this, our adventure through

[00:01:00] himnity.

[00:01:02] We are nearing the end of Holy Week.

[00:01:04] Paul Sunday has passed and we are today celebrating a rather more somber day in the Easter

[00:01:12] season.

[00:01:14] Welcome to our special Good Friday episode.

[00:01:18] It's sometimes hard to think of Good Friday as good and why do we celebrate the day

[00:01:27] when perfection was humiliated, beaten, ridiculed and ultimately hung on a cross until dead.

[00:01:40] That doesn't sound good to me.

[00:01:44] It sounds pretty bad, actually.

[00:01:46] However one thing I've noticed in Scripture and I see it over and over again is that what

[00:01:53] we perceive to be the quote unquote correct way is usually flipped upside down, especially

[00:02:02] by Jesus.

[00:02:03] In Matthew 20, 26 through 28, Jesus says that whoever would be great must be a servant.

[00:02:11] Those who want to be first must be a slave.

[00:02:15] Jesus says he didn't come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom

[00:02:21] for many.

[00:02:22] Then in Luke 6 verses 20 through 26, Jesus tells us that blessed are the poor, the hungry,

[00:02:31] those who weep, those who are hated and he says to rejoice when we are reviled as evil

[00:02:41] because of him.

[00:02:44] Sounds pretty upside down to what this world tells us.

[00:02:48] God's kingdom is an upside down kingdom, an upside down kingdom where leaders are servants

[00:02:56] where neighbors and enemies are loved where poor widows give away half their money and

[00:03:08] sometimes sounds crazy to us.

[00:03:11] But the thing is that good Friday is that quintessential example of God's upside down

[00:03:18] kingdom.

[00:03:19] It was through being defeated by earthly powers that Jesus conquered the spiritual forces

[00:03:27] of evil, defeating this world's hold on us and the sin that so easily entangles us and

[00:03:36] setting us free, he's also setting up his kingdom.

[00:03:42] In Colossians 1, 15 through 20, it's one of my favorite, favorite passages of scripture.

[00:03:50] Paul tells us he being Jesus is the image of the invisible God, the first born of all

[00:03:58] creation for by him all things were created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible

[00:04:05] whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities, all things were created through

[00:04:10] him and for him.

[00:04:13] And he is before all things and in him all things hold together.

[00:04:20] And he is the head of the body, the church.

[00:04:22] He is the beginning, the first born from the dead that in everything he might be preeminent

[00:04:31] for in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell and through him to reconcile to himself

[00:04:41] all things whether on earth or in heaven making peace by the blood of his cross.

[00:04:51] Today as we remember the ultimate gift of love and grace given to us by God in Christ

[00:05:00] we will delve into the hauntingly beautiful hymn.

[00:05:06] Were you there?

[00:05:07] Appointing it, reflection on the cross of Jesus and his sacrificial love for us.

[00:05:14] Join us as we uncover the history, authorship and the theological depth behind this remarkable

[00:05:22] hymn.

[00:05:23] But before we do, make sure to hit subscribe or follow or like or whatever the button is

[00:05:29] on your podcast platform to make sure you don't miss an episode.

[00:05:41] Were you there is a hymn that originated as an American Negro spiritual.

[00:05:46] These songs were created and sung amongst enslaved Africans after their arrival in North

[00:05:52] America between 1619 and 1860.

[00:05:57] Its exact origins are unclear as is often the case with spirituals but it emerged out of

[00:06:05] the experiences of the enslaved who found solace and hope in their faith amidst unimaginable

[00:06:14] suffering.

[00:06:16] The simplicity and raw emotion of were you there resonate deeply with listeners, drawing

[00:06:24] them into the profound mystery of Christ's sacrifice.

[00:06:29] While the authorship of were you there remains uncertain its origins are rooted in the oral

[00:06:35] tradition.

[00:06:37] Based down through generations these songs served as a form of communal expression offering comfort

[00:06:47] and strength in the face of overwhelming opposition.

[00:06:53] Dr. Everett McCorvey, founder of the American Spiritual Ensemble, comments, the term American

[00:07:02] Negro spirituals speaks to the history, the suffering, the hope and the resolve of

[00:07:11] a people who were able to sing through their suffering and tell and retell their heroic

[00:07:20] stories of triumph and survival through these songs.

[00:07:27] It is a story and a history that hopefully will never be forgotten.

[00:07:33] And while the songs were born out of this very dark period in our American history these

[00:07:40] songs are now sung, celebrated and revered around the world.

[00:07:46] While some of the language in the music is updated in order to be sung in a more contemporary

[00:07:52] style and to remove the barrier of dialect, the melodies, the sentiment and the stories

[00:08:00] are over 400 years old and need to be sung and remembered.

[00:08:09] As a special treat we have a recording of the Fisk Jubilee singers, their male quartet

[00:08:19] from December 28th, 1920, over 100 years ago.

[00:08:27] As we listen to this recording we are invited to enter into the collective experience of

[00:08:35] those who first sang these powerful words.

[00:08:49] And they crucified my Lord.

[00:10:49] This hymn poses a simple yet profound question.

[00:11:18] Were you there when they crucified my Lord?

[00:11:25] Through this question we are confronted with the reality of Christ's suffering and death

[00:11:31] on the cross.

[00:11:33] As we contemplate the events of Good Friday, we are invited to consider our own part

[00:11:40] and response to Christ's crucifixion.

[00:11:47] Were we there in spirit standing at the foot of the cross?

[00:11:51] Or were we absent indifferent to the profound significance of Christ's sacrifice?

[00:12:00] Were you there?

[00:12:03] That question, were you there?

[00:12:06] Is repeated over and over again?

[00:12:10] It's a powerful reminder throughout the hymn of our connection to the crucifixion.

[00:12:17] And it challenges us to step up, to engage with the story.

[00:12:23] We can't be passive, distant onlookers and observers.

[00:12:29] We must be active participants in this unfolding story of redemption.

[00:12:36] As we sing these words, we are invited to enter into Christ's suffering, to bear witness

[00:12:44] to His sacrificial love and to respond with faith and gratitude.

[00:12:51] This hymn continues to speak to the hearts of believers around the world reminding us

[00:12:57] of the enduring power of Christ's sacrifice and the hope of redemption that it offers.

[00:13:10] Let's look into the story of Christ's crucifixion as told through the verses of this hymn.

[00:13:23] This one asks, Were you there when they crucified my Lord?

[00:13:33] As we reflect on this question, let's turn to the Gospel of Luke, chapter 23, verses

[00:13:41] 33 and 34.

[00:13:44] And when they came to the place that is called the skull, there they crucified Him and

[00:13:53] the criminals won on His right and won on His left.

[00:13:58] And Jesus said, Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.

[00:14:07] Were you there when they crucified my Lord?

[00:14:15] In verse 2 we hear, Were you there when they nailed Him to the tree?

[00:14:23] Let's turn to the Gospel of John, chapter 19, verses 17 and 18.

[00:14:29] And He went out bearing His own cross to the place called the place of a skull which

[00:14:35] an aero-mayek is Galgotha.

[00:14:41] There they crucified Him.

[00:14:45] And in doing that fulfilling the prophet Isaiah's words, from Isaiah 53, verse 5, but He was

[00:14:54] pierced for our transgressions.

[00:14:56] He was crushed for our iniquities upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace and

[00:15:03] by His wounds we are healed.

[00:15:06] Were you there when they nailed Him to the tree?

[00:15:11] As we get to verse 3, we hear another question, were you there when they pierced Him in the

[00:15:18] side?

[00:15:19] Let's read from the Gospel of John chapter 19 verses 31 through 37.

[00:15:26] Since it was the day of preparation and so that the bodies would not remain on the cross

[00:15:32] on the Sabbath.

[00:15:33] For that Sabbath was a high day.

[00:15:35] The Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away

[00:15:41] so the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who had been crucified

[00:15:47] with Him.

[00:15:48] But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs.

[00:15:54] But one of the soldiers pierced His side with the spear.

[00:15:58] And at once there came out blood and water.

[00:16:02] He who saw it has born witness, His testimony is true and He knows that He is telling the

[00:16:09] truth that you also may believe for these things took place that the scripture might be

[00:16:15] fulfilled.

[00:16:16] Not one of His bones will be broken.

[00:16:19] And again another scripture says they will look on Him whom they have pierced.

[00:16:26] Where you there when they pierced Him in His side.

[00:16:32] Then the Him reflects on the darkness that covered the land.

[00:16:37] In verse 4 it says, were you there when the sun refused to shine?

[00:16:46] Let's go to Matthew chapter 27 verses 45 through 54.

[00:16:54] Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour.

[00:17:02] And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice saying, that is my God, my

[00:17:13] God, why have you forsaken me?

[00:17:18] Some of the bystanders hearing it said this man is calling Elijah and one of them at once

[00:17:25] ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine and put it on a read and gave it to him

[00:17:33] to drink.

[00:17:35] But the other said, wait let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.

[00:17:42] And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.

[00:17:50] And behold the curtain of the temple was torn into from top to bottom.

[00:17:56] And the earth shook and the rocks were split, the tombs also were opened.

[00:18:03] Many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised and coming out of the tombs

[00:18:09] after his resurrection.

[00:18:12] They went into the holy city and appeared to many.

[00:18:16] Minnesan Churian and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus saw the earthquake

[00:18:24] and what took place.

[00:18:25] They were filled with awe and said, truly this was the Son of God.

[00:18:32] Were you there when the sun refused to shine?

[00:18:39] The fifth verse asks, were you there when they laid him in the tomb?

[00:18:46] If we continue on in Matthew chapter 27, in verse 57 it says, when it was evening, there

[00:18:54] came a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph who was a disciple of Jesus.

[00:19:00] He went to pilot and asked for the body of Jesus.

[00:19:03] When pilot ordered it be given to him and Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean

[00:19:10] linen shroud and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut in the rock.

[00:19:18] And he rolled a great stone to the entrance of the tomb and went away.

[00:19:24] Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?

[00:19:34] The final verse concludes with a somewhat newer inquiry.

[00:19:42] This verse is about the resurrection.

[00:19:45] Were you there when he rose up from the grave?

[00:19:49] It wasn't part of the original song.

[00:19:52] It was likely added to the song at some point after its initial composition.

[00:19:57] While the exact date of the edition of this verse we really don't know, it's kind of uncertain.

[00:20:03] It reflects the theological significance of Christ's resurrection and completes the

[00:20:09] story.

[00:20:10] It completes the narrative of Christ's passion, his death and triumph over the grave.

[00:20:16] Over time various versions and adaptations of the hymn have emerged with additional

[00:20:22] verses being incorporated to provide a more comprehensive portrayal of the Easter

[00:20:27] story.

[00:20:29] The typical arrangements that we see today are usually only about four verses, sometimes

[00:20:34] five, but usually four verses.

[00:20:37] The first verse being were you there when they crucified my Lord, focusing on our role

[00:20:43] where you there when it happened?

[00:20:47] Moving on to verse two, we hear were you there when they nailed him to the tree talking

[00:20:52] about Jesus's death and how he was crucified.

[00:20:58] Verse three being were you there when they laid him in the tomb, his burial?

[00:21:03] And then the fourth verse being were you there when he rose up from the grave, his resurrection.

[00:21:09] So it's our role, Christ's death, burial and resurrection.

[00:21:14] So typically what you get when you hear this song sung is a very succinct picture of

[00:21:23] the gospel.

[00:21:24] We had a role, our sin put Christ on the cross, where you there when they crucified him

[00:21:30] and our part in that story and then the story of the gospel.

[00:21:35] Christ's death, his burial and his resurrection.

[00:21:39] And many times people will go back and they'll repeat the first verse again at the end.

[00:21:45] For me, what I typically do is I leave off the last verse, especially when singing it

[00:21:52] for a good Friday service.

[00:21:54] There's a tension that it builds to and then leaves you in despair of your own sin.

[00:22:02] I think sometimes specifically on a day like this, as we remember Christ's death and our

[00:22:09] great sin and the desperate need we have for a Savior.

[00:22:14] It's good to leave us wanting, to leave us hoping, to leave us reflecting on what it must

[00:22:23] have been like for the disciples, unsure, scattered, scared, Peter having denied Christ

[00:22:33] and the hopelessness that he must have felt.

[00:22:40] When we take a moment to truly reflect on the weight of our sin, Easter morning becomes

[00:22:50] that much sweeter.

[00:22:53] As we put ourselves in the biblical narrative with a song like, where you there, we gain

[00:22:59] a deeper understanding of the crucifixion, feeling the weight of our sin as we witness

[00:23:06] the agony, the pain, the sacrifice and the love of a Savior who would not leave us or

[00:23:16] forsake us, but came to live the life that we could not live.

[00:23:23] Die the death that we deserve to die and rose again, defeating death itself and the chains

[00:23:35] of sin that so easily entangle us.

[00:23:40] And that really is the best part of the story that it didn't end at the cross because

[00:23:52] three days later, we celebrate his amazing accomplishment.

[00:24:01] The triumph of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior who endured the cross for our redemption

[00:24:12] and rose victorious over death itself.

[00:24:31] Where you there when they crucified my Lord, where you there when they crucified my Lord.

[00:24:44] Sometimes it causes me to tremble, where you there when they crucified my Lord, where

[00:24:56] you there when they nailed until the tree, where you there when they nailed until the tree.

[00:25:09] Sometimes it causes me to tremble, where you there when they nailed until the tree, where

[00:25:21] you there when they nailed until the tree, where you there when they nailed until the tree.

[00:25:34] Sometimes it causes me to tremble, where you there when they nailed until the tree, where

[00:25:45] you there when God raised them from the grave, where you there when God raised them from the

[00:25:55] grave.

[00:25:57] Sometimes it causes me to tremble, where you there when they nailed until the tree, where

[00:26:07] you there when they nailed until the tree, where you there when they crucified my Lord,

[00:26:13] That was, were you there? Perform by Nathan Drake of Reawaken Hems. From the live acoustic

[00:26:23] EP Reawaken Hems, volume 7. For more information about this song and all of the amazing resources

[00:26:32] available at Reawaken Hems, check out the links in the show notes for this episode.

[00:26:39] Thank you for joining us this week on the Bright Forever. Remember to follow us, review

[00:26:44] us and of course subscribe and check out all of the amazing features that we have on our

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[00:28:39] Thank you again for listening and I hope you all have a great week before we go. Let

[00:28:46] me close this out in prayer. Lord, we come to you today to simply say thank you. Thank

[00:28:57] you God for the blood of Jesus that was shed for us. Shed for me. Thank you for your sacrificial

[00:29:10] love, for your grace, for your mercy. Thank you for all you are and all you have done

[00:29:20] and continue to do for us daily. Help us to remember our sin and in turn, remember

[00:29:31] what you have done to break the chains of sin and make us free indeed. We love you Lord.

[00:29:41] Draw us closer to you as we continue to celebrate all that you have done for us through

[00:29:47] your Son and what he has done for us on the cross and through his resurrection.

[00:29:56] Give us an amazing Easter weekend, Father. Thank you so much for all that you are in

[00:30:01] its in Jesus name that we pray. Amen. God bless you all. Have an amazing good Friday

[00:30:09] and we'll be back here again on Sunday to explore another amazing hymn as we celebrate

[00:30:15] the glorious triumph of Easter morning. Until then, we're out.