Only The Hands
NewSong Lyrics


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People came from everywhere, they heard a man was there, who could do miracles,
There was power in his hands, He was like no other man,
Could this really be the long awaited king,
When would he rise and take his throne, when would he make his kingdom known,
What was he waiting for, they just didn't know,

Only the hands that bled can bless,
Only the eyes filled with tenderness,
Only the heart that was broken for our sins,
Only the feet that walked that hill
Could love the ones who rejected him,
Only the one who died and is living still,
Only the hands that bled.

They had listened to his words, but few had really heard what he was telling them,
He said that he must die, and tried to tell them why,
Most of them just could not understand,
For this was the man who raised the dead, these were the hands that healed and feed,
He could have stopped the nails, but he just let them go,

Only the hands that bled can bless,
Only the eyes filled with tenderness,
Only the heart that was broken for our sins,
Only the feet that walked that hill
Could love the ones who rejected him,
Only the one who died and is living still,
Only the hands that bled.

Only the life he sacrificed could save us, Only Jesus

Only the hands that bled can bless,
Only the eyes filled with tenderness,
Only the heart that was broken for our sins,
Only the feet that walked that hill
Could love the ones who rejected him,
Only the one who died and is living still,
Only the hands that bled.

TWICE:
Only the heart that was broken for our sins,
Only the feet that walked that hill
Could love the ones who rejected him,




Only the one who died and is living still,
Only the hands that bled.

Overall Meaning

The song "Only the Hands" by NewSong is a reflective piece that speaks to the sacrifice made by Jesus Christ on the cross. The lyrics explore the doubts and concerns of people who had heard of Jesus's power and miracles, but still couldn't fully understand why he had to die. The opening verses lament the hope that people had for Jesus to become the long-awaited king. Yet, he remained humble and chose to walk the path of the cross, the epitome of selflessness, and love.


The chorus of the song emphasizes the importance of Jesus's hands as they are the ones that bled for our salvation. The hands that healed and fed also chose to remain on the cross to save humanity, and it is only through them that we can receive blessings. The song highlights that only tenderness and love can come from the eyes that witnessed such a sacrifice. Jesus's heart broke to pay for our sins, and only one who walked the hill of Golgotha can understand the depth of rejection, and pain that ensued from that act of selflessness.


The song concludes with a powerful statement that acknowledges the magnitude of the sacrifice. Only through the life He sacrificed for our redemption could we ever find true salvation, and only Jesus could have done this for us.


Line by Line Meaning

People came from everywhere, they heard a man was there, who could do miracles,
Crowds flocked to see a man who could perform miracles, hearing of his power from all over.


There was power in his hands, He was like no other man,
The man possessed an extraordinary power in his hands, making him completely different from any other person.


Could this really be the long awaited king,
They wondered if he was the long-anticipated king that had been prophesied about.


When would he rise and take his throne, when would he make his kingdom known,
They wanted to know when he would claim his rightful place as king and establish his kingdom.


What was he waiting for, they just didn't know,
The people were unsure of what he was waiting for, or what his ultimate plan was.


Only the hands that bled can bless,
The only hands capable of granting a blessing are those that have been wounded.


Only the eyes filled with tenderness,
Only eyes that hold a genuine tender kindness can offer love and comfort.


Only the heart that was broken for our sins,
Only a heart that has been shattered by the weight of our wrongdoing can bring us forgiveness and redemption.


Only the feet that walked that hill
Only the person who climbed the hill to die on the cross can truly understand and love those who rejected him.


Could love the ones who rejected him,
Only someone who was loved those who despised him can truly show love and forgiveness.


Only the one who died and is living still,
The only one who can truly be alive despite death is the person who died and then rose again.


They had listened to his words, but few had really heard what he was telling them,
While many heard the man's words, few actually understood their profound meaning.


He said that he must die, and tried to tell them why,
The man explained to the people that he needed to die, and attempted to explain why this was necessary.


Most of them just could not understand,
Unfortunately, many of the people simply could not grasp the message he was trying to convey.


For this was the man who raised the dead, these were the hands that healed and feed,
Despite the miraculous acts he performed, the people struggled to comprehend why he would choose to die on the cross.


He could have stopped the nails, but he just let them go,
Although he had the power to stop his own torture and death, he willingly allowed it to happen.


Only the life he sacrificed could save us, Only Jesus
The only way for us to be saved was through the sacrifice of his life, which only Jesus could provide.


TWICE: Only the heart that was broken for our sins,
Repeating that the only way to obtain forgiveness was from someone who truly knew the depths of the human condition.


Only the feet that walked that hill
Repeating that only the one person who walked up Calvary's Hill can show the pure love that came from his ultimate sacrifice.


Could love the ones who rejected him,
Repeating that only someone who loved those who hated him could truly forgive and love everyone.


Only the one who died and is living still,
Repeating that only someone who was crucified and then resurrected can bring hope and light to the world.


Only the hands that bled.
Repeating that the only hands worthy of blessing others are those that have been marred and scarred.




Writer(s): Oliver W. Wells, Eddie Carswell, Steven Curtis Chapman

Contributed by Scarlett N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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