How Deep the Father's Love for Us
Stuart Townend Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure
How great the pain of searing loss
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the Chosen One
Bring many sons to glory
Behold the man upon a cross
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice
Call out among the scoffers
It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished
I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection
Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom
The lyrics to Stuart Townend's song "How Deep the Father's Love for Us" convey a profound message about the sacrificial love of God. The song begins by acknowledging the immeasurable depth and vastness of God's love for humanity. This love is demonstrated by the fact that God willingly gave His only Son, Jesus, to die on the cross in order to redeem us, even though we were undeserving and considered wretches. The pain and agony Jesus endured on the cross are described as the Father turning His face away from His Son, and the wounds suffered by Jesus become the means through which many people are brought to glory and eternal salvation.
The second verse delves into personal reflection as the singer considers their own sin and the role they played in Jesus being crucified. They express shame and regret for their mocking voice among those who scoffed at Jesus during His crucifixion. They acknowledge that it was their sin that held Jesus on the cross until His mission of redemption was accomplished. Yet, the beauty and power of the song lies in the realization that Jesus' death on the cross brings the listener life and a deep understanding that it is finished, meaning the work of salvation is complete.
The final verse brings it home by emphasizing the singer's humble posture. They declare that they will not boast in anything they possess or any human worldly achievements but will instead proudly boast in Jesus Christ, His death, and His resurrection. The singer expresses a sense of awe and wonder, questioning why they should gain any reward from Jesus when they have nothing to offer in return. Ultimately, they acknowledge that they are redeemed and forgiven solely because of Jesus' wounds, which served as the payment for their ransom.
Overall, "How Deep the Father's Love for Us" is a contemplative and introspective song that invites listeners to reflect on the incredible depth of God's love, their own sinfulness, and the redemption and salvation offered through Jesus' sacrifice on the cross.
Line by Line Meaning
How deep the Father's love for us
The love that the Father has for us is immeasurable and goes to great depths
How vast beyond all measure
This love is so immense and cannot be fully comprehended or measured
That He should give His only Son
The Father gave His one and only Son
To make a wretch His treasure
The Father chose to make someone who was undeserving and unworthy His precious possession
How great the pain of searing loss
The pain and sorrow experienced by the Father at the loss of His Son is unimaginable
The Father turns His face away
The Father, in His grief, looks away from His Son
As wounds which mar the Chosen One
The wounds on the body of the Chosen One, Jesus, are visible and disfigure him
Bring many sons to glory
Through these wounds and sacrifice, many people are brought to a state of honor and glory
Behold the man upon a cross
Look at the man who is crucified on a cross
My sin upon His shoulders
My wrongdoing and guilt are placed upon His shoulders
Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice
Feeling ashamed, I hear myself joining in with the mocking voices
Call out among the scoffers
I am one of those who call out insults and jeer along with the others
It was my sin that held Him there
Because of my sins, He remained on the cross
Until it was accomplished
Until the task or purpose was completed
His dying breath has brought me life
His last breath resulted in my receiving life
I know that it is finished
I am fully aware and certain that everything has been completed
I will not boast in anything
I will not take pride in any achievement or possession
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
Neither material possessions, influence, nor knowledge can be a source of boasting for me
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
Instead, my source of pride and boasting is in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection
Specifically, I boast in the fact that He died and was raised to life again
Why should I gain from His reward?
There is no logical reason why I should benefit or receive any reward from His actions
I cannot give an answer
I am unable to provide a justification or explanation
But this I know with all my heart
What I am certain of and deeply believe in
His wounds have paid my ransom
The wounds He suffered have fully compensated and redeemed me
Lyrics © CAPITOL CHRISTIAN MUSIC GROUP, Capitol CMG Publishing
Written by: Stuart Townend
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
The Introvert Gospel Music
“I shall never understand, even in heaven, why the Lord Jesus should ever have loved me.”~Spurgeon
Pamela Potts
Same here . I Love him for this. Hallelujah. , I give him GLORY.
Craig Cunningham
Easy. Because God is love! Why should that surprise us 🙂
Marie C-H
You are His child - impossible not to love you ❤
Northern Star
All glory and honour to our lord and saviour Jesus Christ
From Mimi To You
God carefully created and molded you and me in his own hands as written in Genesis chapter 2. And breathed his life on us, that we became his treasure. That's how God loves us so much. God wants us back out from the clutches of eternal death. But life eternal with Him.
Lawrence Ngoje
My mom went to be with the Lord on Oct 12, 2019. Since then, I have been playing this song every single day; I can't imagine what love God has for us. And my mom is in the best place now because she kept the faith.
Jan Tore Sætre monsen
Bra musikk
Bronwen Morris
My dad went home exactly one month later!
Mary R
My mom passed away July 9th 2010! RIP she is with the Lord!!