In honor of the start of Lent on Wednesday, I've decided to post my first story behind the song on a song that I wrote a year ago. On the night I wrote it, I had driven from Manhattan to Kansas City to see Winter Jam at the Sprint Center. Even though I would have given just about anything to have been on my way to Oklahoma instead for the all-Wesley retreat, I had a commitment on Sunday and was unable to. Little did I know that God had different plans for me that weekend. Writing this song was one of them.
I left my apartment about 11:00 to begin the trip. I stopped about noon to eat lunch, and ended up getting a cell phone charger because my phone had died en route, and I didn't want to be worried about getting stranded without a way of communicating, especially considering I likely would not get back until well after midnight. I parked across the street from the Sprint Center and stood in line for about 5 hours before they opened the doors. During the concert, I was swept away by the music and truly felt the words in my heart. After I left, and finally found my way back to I-70, I began thinking about some of what I had heard in the songs.
It wasn't long before I was reflecting on all it meant to have been saved by Christ's sacrifice. One of the things I thought about was that the last 24 hours of Christ's life weren't just physically painful, but emotionally as well. I began praying, thanking God for being willing to send His son to die for me and endure all that humiliation on my behalf. As I prayed, a melody began to form in me, and less than half an hour later, I had the whole song in my head. It was two days before I wrote it down because, obviously, I couldn't write it while driving, and I was too tired when I got to my apartment to do it then. In those two days, I tweaked it slightly, but the essence stayed the same. Jesus went through hell for us so he wouldn't have to go to heaven without us. It was the only way we could truly be saved.
The Only Way
He cries in the garden
His sweat drips like blood
His strength is failing
Swept away by the flood
He prays that the cup leaves
But wants God's will to be done
This world needed a savior
And He is the Chosen One
Born a babe in Bethlehem
He grew up with just one task
To save God's people from all their sins
There is just one thing He'd been asked
It was the hardest thing He'd ever have to do
But it had been the plan ever since the Fall
God's perfect Son had to give His own life
It was the only way to save us all
He's in Pilate's courtyard
Lashes cut to the bone
His disciples have scattered
And He feels so alone
On the road to His fate now
Heavy cross on His back
Simon of Cyrene comes to help
And be the strength that He lacks
Born a babe in Bethlehem
He grew up with just one task
To save God's people from all their sins
There is just one thing He'd been asked
It was the hardest thing He'd ever have to do
But it had been the plan ever since the Fall
God's perfect Son had to give His own life
It was the only way to save us all
He hangs on the cross now
Disciple and mother at His knee
He says, "Would you please, friend,
Take care of her for me?"
He knows it's now over
His time on Earth has now passed
He cries, "God, take my spirit"
And then He breathes His last
Born a babe in Bethlehem
He grew up with just one task
To save God's people from all their sins
This is what He'd been asked
It was the hardest thing He ever had to do
But it had been the plan ever since the Fall
God's perfect Son just gave His own life
It was the only way to save us all
Three days later
There comes a surprise
Watch the stone roll away
And the Savior arise
Born a babe in Bethlehem
He grew up with just one task
To save God's people from sin and death
This is what He'd been asked
It was the hardest thing He ever had to do
But it had been the plan ever since the Fall
God's perfect Son gave His life and then rose
It was the only way to save us all
God's perfect Son died to bring us to Him
It was the only way to save us all
I left my apartment about 11:00 to begin the trip. I stopped about noon to eat lunch, and ended up getting a cell phone charger because my phone had died en route, and I didn't want to be worried about getting stranded without a way of communicating, especially considering I likely would not get back until well after midnight. I parked across the street from the Sprint Center and stood in line for about 5 hours before they opened the doors. During the concert, I was swept away by the music and truly felt the words in my heart. After I left, and finally found my way back to I-70, I began thinking about some of what I had heard in the songs.
It wasn't long before I was reflecting on all it meant to have been saved by Christ's sacrifice. One of the things I thought about was that the last 24 hours of Christ's life weren't just physically painful, but emotionally as well. I began praying, thanking God for being willing to send His son to die for me and endure all that humiliation on my behalf. As I prayed, a melody began to form in me, and less than half an hour later, I had the whole song in my head. It was two days before I wrote it down because, obviously, I couldn't write it while driving, and I was too tired when I got to my apartment to do it then. In those two days, I tweaked it slightly, but the essence stayed the same. Jesus went through hell for us so he wouldn't have to go to heaven without us. It was the only way we could truly be saved.
The Only Way
He cries in the garden
His sweat drips like blood
His strength is failing
Swept away by the flood
He prays that the cup leaves
But wants God's will to be done
This world needed a savior
And He is the Chosen One
Born a babe in Bethlehem
He grew up with just one task
To save God's people from all their sins
There is just one thing He'd been asked
It was the hardest thing He'd ever have to do
But it had been the plan ever since the Fall
God's perfect Son had to give His own life
It was the only way to save us all
He's in Pilate's courtyard
Lashes cut to the bone
His disciples have scattered
And He feels so alone
On the road to His fate now
Heavy cross on His back
Simon of Cyrene comes to help
And be the strength that He lacks
Born a babe in Bethlehem
He grew up with just one task
To save God's people from all their sins
There is just one thing He'd been asked
It was the hardest thing He'd ever have to do
But it had been the plan ever since the Fall
God's perfect Son had to give His own life
It was the only way to save us all
He hangs on the cross now
Disciple and mother at His knee
He says, "Would you please, friend,
Take care of her for me?"
He knows it's now over
His time on Earth has now passed
He cries, "God, take my spirit"
And then He breathes His last
Born a babe in Bethlehem
He grew up with just one task
To save God's people from all their sins
This is what He'd been asked
It was the hardest thing He ever had to do
But it had been the plan ever since the Fall
God's perfect Son just gave His own life
It was the only way to save us all
Three days later
There comes a surprise
Watch the stone roll away
And the Savior arise
Born a babe in Bethlehem
He grew up with just one task
To save God's people from sin and death
This is what He'd been asked
It was the hardest thing He ever had to do
But it had been the plan ever since the Fall
God's perfect Son gave His life and then rose
It was the only way to save us all
God's perfect Son died to bring us to Him
It was the only way to save us all
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