were you there?

Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
 
Were you there when they nailed Him to the tree?
Were you there when they nailed Him to the tree?
Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they nailed Him to the tree?
 
Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb?
Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb?
Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb?
 
Were you there when He rose up from the grave?
Were you there when He rose up from the grave?
Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when He rose up from the grave?

First published in William Barton's Old Plantation Hymns (1899)

We end where we started - with the lyrics of a song. They invite us into the heart of the Passion, a time of great sorrow, great sacrifice, and great love. They remind us that the events leading to the cross were not just historical moments but are connected to each of us. "Were you there?" asks us to reflect on our own place in the story of Jesus' suffering, death, and resurrection.

The first verse brings us face to face with the crucifixion and calls us not only to recall the horrific physical reality of the cross but also recognise how our sin led Jesus to that place of suffering. We may not have been physically present, but spiritually we stand before the cross realising the profound truth: he died for us.

As the hymn continues, it leads us through his crucifixion - his nails, his death, his burial - and ultimately his victory over sin and death. We are there in the text, and we are there in his heart.

We remember the nails were not what held him to the cross; his love for humanity did that. The stone rolled over the tomb of Jesus was not a symbol of finality; it was the sealing of a moment before something utterly miraculous. The resurrection is a promise that death is defeated and has no hold on us; one day we will rise with him. To ask, "Were you there when He rose?" is to invite us to claim our place in the resurrection - alive in Christ, forever transformed. Not just believers in a future hope, but recipients of a present reality which changes everything about us.

Let's pray:
Lord Jesus, I tremble at the thought of your sacrifice, the horror of the cross, and the victory of the empty tomb. Help me stand with you in your suffering and rejoice with you in your resurrection. This Easter, help me experience the reality of your great love for me and help me live in the truth of the resurrection hope and death-defeating power you have given me. Thank you for the cross, Jesus. Thank you for the cross. Amen.