O Love, How Deep, How Broad, How High
O Love, How Deep, How Broad, How High
O love, how deep, how broad, how high,
How passing thought and fantasy,
That God, the Son of God, should take
Our mortal form for mortals’ sake.
For us baptized, for us He bore
His holy fast, and hungered sore;
For us temptations sharp He knew,
For us the tempter overthrew.
For us He prayed, for us He taught,
For us His daily works He wrought,
By words and signs and actions, thus
Still seeking not Himself, but us.
For us to wicked men betrayed,
Scourged, mocked, in purple robe arrayed,
He bore the shameful cross and death,
For us gave up His dying breath.
For us He rose from death again,
For us He went on high to reign;
For us He sent His Spirit here
To guide, to strengthen, and to cheer.
All glory to our Lord and God
For love so deep, so high, so broad:
The Trinity, whom we adore
For ever and for evermore.
Translated by Benjamin Webb (1819–1885)
THIS ANCIENT HYMN weaves together threads of different Scriptures. Paul prays that the Ephesians might have “the power to understand . . . how wide, how long, how high, and how deep [God’s] love is,” and then dedicates them to God, “who is able . . . to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think” (Ephesians 3:18, 20). Incredible power and immeasurable love—it’s a great combination.
Paul reminds the Philippians that Christ “gave up his divine privileges” and took on human form, dying a criminal’s death (Philippians 2:6-7). This is the thrust of the Good News: Jesus came to seek and save those who were lost. He was not living for Himself, but for us. Every word, every healing, every gentle touch was for us. And His painful death was also for us, even when our sin made us His enemies.
God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation.
Romans 5:8-9
From the book
