Author's Note: All previous volumes of this series are here. The first 56 volumes are compiled into the book "Bible Study For Those Who Don't Read The Bible." "Part Two," featuring volumes 57-113, was published in December 2022.
Thanks for joining us today for a discussion of the glorious gospel hymn "Were You There"… better known by its extended title… "When They Crucified My Lord."
This study is a follow-up from last week's Vol. 310, when we discussed the hymn "What Wondrous Love Is This." After receiving positive feedback, I decided to offer another hymn relating to the Lenten Season, since Palm Sunday is only two weeks away.
According to Wikipedia, "Were You There When They Crucified My Lord?" is an African American spiritual that was first published in 1899 but created during the era of slavery.
The hymn serves as a powerful reminder of what Jesus endured on the cross. Each verse emphasizes a different stage of His suffering and makes it personal through a slow tempo, repeating the phrase: "Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble."
Interestingly, in 1940, "Where You Were" became the first African American spiritual to be included in the hymnal of a mainstream Protestant denomination—the Episcopal Church. Now, it appears in nearly every Christian hymnal because of its simple truth—Jesus was tortured and died on the cross for us and our sin debt.
There are many renditions of this hymn, and I enjoyed listening to several, but selected these three because of their different musical styles: Johnny Cash, a large church choir, and Michael W. Smith.
The lyrics below are the most common, but some artists do not sing all of them.
Recommended
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 cross?
Were you there when they nailed him to the cross?
Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they nailed him to the cross?
Were you there when they pierced him in the side?
Were you there when they pierced him in the side?
Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they pierced him in the side?
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 dead?
Were you there when He rose up from the dead?
Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble,
Were you there when He rose up from the dead?
(The words and music are in the public domain.)
This hymn holds special meaning to me because I first heard it sung in the Garden of Gethsemane in 1996 during a pilgrimage to the Holy Land sponsored by my church.
While our group was walking and praying around the Garden, a married couple spontaneously started singing, "Were You There When They Crucified My Lord?" Hearing it for the first time in that biblical setting made for an unforgettable moment in my faith journey during a challenging year. Decades later, whenever I hear this song, my mind flashes back to that serene garden scene where I felt the Holy Spirit.
After the Last Supper, Jesus and His disciples were in the Garden of Gethsemane among the olive trees. Before He was arrested and crucified, Jesus prayed:
"Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done" (Luke 22:42). The cup represents the magnitude of the horror Jesus knew he was about to experience, taking on the sins of humankind for our sake.
What does this song mean?
It calls for us to personally reflect upon the Passion of Jesus. We are to emotionally and spiritually experience his prolonged pain, eagerly awaiting the verse when Jesus triumphs over death on Resurrection Sunday.
The refrain, "Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble," strikes our hearts and makes us pause to consider the enormity of His sacrifice. The sequence of lyrics is an "in your face" hymn that reaches down into your soul as we become part of the Passion story.
This powerful hymn serves as an emotional accompaniment to St. Paul's writing:
"I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me" (Galatians 2:20).
And this profound verse from John's Gospel reminds us of who Christ is:
"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth" (John 1:14).
I pray this study enhances your Lenten Season journey to the cross.
Attention Townhall readers who live in or plan to visit Orlando, Florida: There is an inspiring exhibit about the Shroud of Turin that I have produced for the National Shroud of Turin Exhibit at Mary, Queen of the Universe Basilica. Admission is free, and the exhibition closes at the end of September. There is also a magnificent Gospel Garden, comprised of 14 life-sized bronze panels by Timothy Schmalz, a world-renowned sculptor. Together, the Shroud exhibit and the Gospel Gardens are worth visiting and will enhance your Orlando experience.
Myra Kahn Adams is a conservative political and religious writer. Her book "Bible Study For Those Who Don't Read The Bible" reprints the first 56 volumes of this popular study. "Part 2," reprints Vols. 57 –113. Order it here.
Myra is also the Executive Director of the National Shroud of Turin Exhibit. You can help support our new six-month exhibit in Orlando, Florida. Contact: Myraadams01@gmail.com
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