Love Beyond All Comprehending.

A new hymn based on Ephesians 3:14-21.

 

Grebe – Johann Georg Ebeling by George vP

Up Yonder in the Heavens (Daar Boven in de Hemel)

 Translated for a friend from the Dutch hymnal Geestelijke Liederen. 

Up Yonder in the Heavens – George vP by George vP

Mighty God, We Give You Praise

A translation of a classic, Grote God, Wij Loven U

Mighty God, We Give you Praise SATB copy by George vP

The Seven Words Christ Spoke while on the Cross

The Seven Last Words of Jesus from the Cross: A Meditation on His Love

The final words spoken by Jesus as he hung on the cross are among the most powerful ever uttered. Each phrase is a window into his heart, revealing his mercy, mission, and immeasurable love for us. As we reflect on these words, may our hearts be stirred to deeper faith, deeper gratitude, and deeper surrender.

1. Word of Forgiveness

“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” – Luke 23:34

At the height of his suffering, Jesus prays—not for himself, but for those who are crucifying him. What mercy! What patience!

They didn’t know what they were doing (see 1 Corinthians 2:8—"None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory."), but that ignorance did not make them innocent. Jesus wasn’t declaring them saved—salvation requires repentance, faith, and new birth. But he was interceding, asking for a delay in judgment, pleading for time for them to receive grace.

Here we glimpse the depths of God’s patience and the breadth of his mercy. This is the God who calls you to believe. This is the Saviour sent to rescue. Do you know this forgiveness?

2. Word of Salvation

“Truly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in paradise.” – Luke 23:43

Two criminals hung beside Jesus. Both broken. Both condemned. But one turned to him in desperate, genuine faith: “Remember me.” And in that moment, grace was poured out.

No time for good works. No religious résumé. Just trust in Jesus. And that was enough.

Salvation is immediate. It is personal. It is by grace alone.

Have you come to Jesus like that thief—honest, humble, and trusting?

3. Word of Compassion

“Woman, behold your son... Behold your mother.” – John 19:26–27

Even in His agony, Jesus looks outward. He sees his mother. He sees John. He brings them together in a new bond—a new family.

The cross does not isolate us; it draws us into community. The Church is born at the foot of the cross, through compassion and connection.

This is the kind of love Christ has for his people. A love that sees. A love that acts. A love that creates family.

Who is God calling you to care for—even in the midst of your own struggle?

4. Word of Anguish

“My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” – Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34

This is the most haunting cry in Scripture. Jesus, the Son, experiences abandonment as he bears the full weight of sin.

He quotes Psalm 22—a psalm that begins in desolation but ends in trust. Even in the darkness, Jesus is praying.

If you’ve ever felt forsaken, know this: Jesus has been there. And because he was forsaken, we never truly are.

Do you bring your pain to him? He understands.

5. Word of Suffering

“I thirst.” – John 19:28

Such a simple phrase, but so full of meaning. Jesus, the Creator of water, is parched. The One who said, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me,” now tastes the dryness of death.

He feels the full weight of human pain. He doesn’t just understand suffering—He lived it.

What do you thirst for in life? Jesus meets us in that place. He shares in our pain and offers us the water of life.

6. Word of Victory

“It is finished.” – John 19:30

This is not a cry of defeat, but of triumph. The mission is complete. The debt is paid. Nothing more needs to be added.

Redemption has been accomplished—fully, finally, forever.

Are you still trying to earn what has already been given? Rest in the finished work of Christ. You are free.

7. Word of Trust

“Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.” – Luke 23:46

Jesus dies not in fear, but in faith. He surrenders to the Father with complete trust.

This is the final act of love—the Son entrusting himself into the hands of God.

It is also an invitation. Will you trust God like this? Even in uncertainty, even in suffering, your life is safest in his hands.

Final Thought:

These seven words are not just moments in a story—they are invitations to enter into the life Jesus offers. Mercy. Grace. Love. Pain. Victory. Surrender.

They speak to every part of our journey. May they draw you nearer to the cross—and to the Saviour who died there for you.

**Based on a lesson for the Karen Zoom class the day before Good Friday.

It is finished

When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit (John 19:30).

1. It is finished! Do not forget
this word, my heart, that he once said.
My soul, recall it was for you he died.
For you he suffered, he was crucified.
Remember him who one time perished,
who cried aloud: It is finished!

2. It is finished! It was foretold
by faithful prophets from of old.
Find solace in the wounds of Jesus Christ
who, for the sin of man, was sacrificed.
What God in ages past established,
our Lord fulfilled. It is finished!

3. It is finished! All satisfied:
the Father lays his wrath aside.
Our peace is won and God's demands were met.
Our Saviour, Christ, has paid our ev'ry debt.
We should not fear for he on Calv'ry bled
to make us whole. It is finished!

4. It is finished! What must I do
to add to what was done by you?
No work, no deed, for what you did for me
has earned me life with you, eternally.
Henceforth, I'll follow Jesus Christ, my head.
I am reborn. It is finished!

5. It is finished! I am set free.
I praise my Lord so joyfully.
All sin and death are by your pow'r removed
and I am by the Holy Ghost renewed.
Although I falter and feel vanquished
yet this I know: It is finished!

6. It is finished! Do not forget
this word, my heart, that he once said
and let it serve you now and all your life.
Hold on to Christ throughout the bitter strife.
Do stay with him and you'll be comforted,
for he once said: It is finished!

George van Popta, 2022

(In SATB) 

 (As published in Clarion)

Darkness

 … darkness has become my only companion—Psalm 88:18

 On Good Friday, while on the cross, our Lord Jesus experienced three hours of darkness: “And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour” (Mark 15:33). The Father turned his face away from his Son for three hours. The first great creative deed of Almighty God was the gift of light. The first word God spoke over his creation was “‘Let there be light,’” and there was light” (Gen. 1:3). But on that most dreadful of days, the Father withdrew the light, and the land was plunged into darkness. Our Lord Jesus was abandoned to the darkness. He was forsaken on the cross “. . . that we might be accepted by God and nevermore be forsaken by him” (Lord’s Supper Form).

When we meditate on Christ in the darkness, Psalm 88 comes to mind. The human author of Psalm 88 was Heman the Ezrahite. This Heman was probably the Heman mentioned in various places in Chronicles as one of the temple musicians and chief singers.

Psalm 88 is the dark Psalm. It is the only Psalm of the 150 Psalms which has no resolution. To be sure, Heman began by praying to the God who saves. He cried out to God in a prayer in which he expressed confidence in God (vv 1 & 2), but for the rest of the Psalm he complained bitterly to God that God had abandoned him and taken every friend and support from him. He ended the song with bitter words: “You have caused my beloved and my friend to shun me; darkness has become my only companion.”

Did Heman write here about his personal experience? We do not know. What we do know is that he put into words and song feelings that God’s children of all times and places at times have—we as well.

In 2012 I was blessed to go on a tour of Israel. One of the most moving moments was when we descended into the Sacred Pit, a dungeon under where tradition has it that the Palace of Caiaphas stood. The Sacred Pit was discovered in 1888 and tradition also has it that Jesus was kept in this pit after he was tried by the Sanhedrin. At the bottom of the pit was a lectern on which were leaves of scriptures in many languages that contained only Psalm 88. Our leader, Rev. James Visscher, read the Psalm. As we ascended the stairs, we spontaneously began humming Genevan 22—"My God, O why have you forsaken me?” Very moving.

In 1966 Paul Simon released a song titled “The Sound of Silence” and sang it with Art Garfunkel. Both Simon and Garfunkel are Jewish, and this song echoes the words from the songbook of their, and our, religions. The song begins with these words: “Hello darkness, my old friend // I’ve come to talk with you again.”

So far, so good. And arguably it ends where Psalm 88 ends: “The words of the prophets are written on the subway walls // And tenement halls // And whispered in the sound of silence.”

I still enjoy the music of Simon and Garfunkel, but I love the gospel much more. The gospel says that Psalm 88 does not have the last word. The last word that Christ spoke was not, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” It was, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” (Luke 23:46). Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).

Let us live confidently in the light of Jesus.

 For Further Study:

 ·         Think about the connection between the plague of darkness (Exodus 10:21ff) and the darkness experienced by our Lord Jesus on the cross.

·         Meditate on the connection between Genesis 1:3 and John 1:3-5.

 For Further Reading: Psalm 88