How beauteous were the marks divine
That in Thy meekness used to shine
That lit Thy lonely pathway, trod
In wondrous love, O Son of God.
O who like Thee, so calm, so bright,
Thou Son of man, Thou Light of Light;
O who like Thee did ever go
So patient through a world of woe?
O who like Thee so humbly bore
The scorn, the scoffs of men before?
So meek, forgiving, Godlike, high,
So glorious in humility!
And all Thy life’s unchanging years,
A man of sorrows and of tears,
The cross, where all our sins were laid,
Upon Thy bending shoulders weighed.
And death, that sets the prisoner free,
Was pang and scoff and scorn to Thee;
Yet love through all Thy torture glowed,
And mercy with Thy life-blood flowed.
O in Thy light be mine to go,
Illuming all this way of woe;
And give me ever on the road
To trace Thy footsteps, Son of God!
A. Cleveland Coxe, 1840
Read 1 Peter 2:20-25
At first glance, the word “beauteous” would seem to be the last adjective we’d think of when describing nail prints Christ suffered at His crucifixion. But if you look at them as marks of redemption, marks that are the evidence of Christ’s great love for us, then it proves much more fitting. Beyond that, the marks attest to the grace that transforms and heals all who come to Jesus. Use this hymn as an opportunity to consider Christ’s sacrifice on your behalf. How can we respond with less than love, faith, and devotion to our Savior?