Oh, to see the dawn
Of the darkest day
Christ on the road to Calvary
Tried by sinful men
Torn and beaten, then
Nailed to a cross of wood

This, the power of the cross
Christ became sin for us
Took the blame, bore the wrath
We stand forgiven at the cross

Oh, to see the pain
Written on Your face
Bearing the awesome weight of all my sin
Every bitter thought
Every evil deed
Crowning Your bloodstained brow

This, the power of the cross
Christ became sin for us
He took the blame, bore the wrath
We stand forgiven at the cross

Ooh, yeah, yeah
Ooh

Now the daylight flees
And now the ground beneath
Quakes as its Maker bows His head
Curtain torn in two
Dead are raised to life
"Finished," the victory cry

This, the power of the cross
And Christ became sin for us
He took the blame and bore the wrath
We stand forgiven at the cross

And oh, to see my name
Written in the wounds
For through Your suffering I am free
And death is crushed to death
And life is mine to live
Won through Your selfless love

And this, the power of that old rugged cross
Son of God, slain for us
What a love, what a cost
We stand forgiven at
We stand forgiven at
We stand forgiven at the cross

Overall Meaning

The song “Power Of The Cross” by Heather Headley recounts the events of Jesus Christ's crucifixion and sacrifice on behalf of humanity. The first verse sets the scene of Christ’s journey to Calvary, where he was put on trial and eventually crucified, as predicted in the biblical accounts. The following verse details the physical and emotional agony Jesus experienced on the cross, as he bore the sins of humanity and ultimately died to offer salvation to all who would accept it. The chorus of the song emphasizes the transformative power of the cross, which is central to Christian theology. Christians believe that by dying on the cross, Jesus took on the punishment that people deserved for their sins, and by accepting his sacrifice, they can be forgiven and reconciled with God.

The second verse of the song describes the aftermath of Christ’s death, highlighting the significance of the curtain in the Jewish temple being torn in two, symbolizing the abolition of the division between God and humanity. The final verse of the song reflects on the personal impact of Christ’s sacrifice, celebrating the freedom and new life that believers receive by putting their faith in Jesus Christ.

Line by Line Meaning

Oh, to see the dawn
I am amazed to see the beginning of the darkest day.

Of the darkest day
I am amazed to see the dawn of a day filled with sorrow.

Christ on the road to Calvary
Jesus Christ was walking towards Calvary where He would be crucified.

Tried by sinful men
Jesus was prosecuted by sinners.

Torn and beaten, then
He was then humiliated, torn and beaten.

Nailed to a cross of wood
Finally, He was nailed to a wooden cross.

This, the power of the cross
The strength of the cross is represented in this.

Christ became sin for us
Christ took our sins upon Himself.

Took the blame, bore the wrath
He accepted the responsibility and punishment for our transgressions.

We stand forgiven at the cross
At the cross, we are forgiven of our sins.

Oh, to see the pain
I am filled with sorrow seeing the pain in Your eyes.

Written on Your face
The pain of carrying all my sins was visible on Your face.

Bearing the awesome weight of all my sin
You bore the burden of my entire sin.

Every bitter thought
Every ill feeling I've ever had.

Every evil deed
Every wicked act committed by me.

Crowning Your bloodstained brow
Your head was adorned with a crown of thorns while Your face was drenched in blood.

Now the daylight flees
As You breathe Your last, the sun fades away.

And now the ground beneath
The very ground beneath You shakes.

Quakes as its Maker bows His head
The earth trembles as its Maker passes away.

Curtain torn in two
The veil in the temple was ripped in two.

Dead are raised to life
Those who had succumbed to death are now resurrected.

"Finished," the victory cry
You declare victory over sin with Your dying breath.

And oh, to see my name
To think that I might see my name.

Written in the wounds
Written in the scars inflicted upon You for me.

For through Your suffering I am free
It is because of Your death and suffering that I am now free.

And death is crushed to death
Death itself is defeated.

And life is mine to live
I now have life to live.

Won through Your selfless love
All because of Your self-sacrificing love.

And this, the power of that old rugged cross
This is the influence of the old, rugged cross.

Son of God, slain for us
The Son of God died for us.

What a love, what a cost
What a love; what a price to pay.

We stand forgiven at
At the cross signifies our forgiveness.

We stand forgiven at the cross
We stand forgiven at the cross.

Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Aaron Lindsey, Dayna Caddell, Israel Houghton, Ricardo Sanchez

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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