There is a green hill far away,
Without a city wall,
Where the dear Lord was crucified,
Who died to save us all.
We may not know, we cannot tell,
What pains He had to bear;
But we believe it was for us
He hung and suffered there.
He died that we might be forgiven,
He died to make us good,
That we might go at last to heaven,
Saved by His precious blood.
There was no other good enough
To pay the price of sin;
He only could unlock the gate
Of heaven, and let us in.
O dearly, dearly has He loved,
And we must love Him, too,
And trust in His redeeming blood,
And try His works to do.
Mrs. Cecil Frances Alexander, 1948
Read luke 23:26-43
Before I read the lyrics, I thought “There's a Green Hill” was a missions song. Instead, it's a hymn clearly expressing that gospel message we carry. The gospel is simple and uncomplicated and perhaps we need an occasional reminder. It's just Jesus on a green hill, dying in our place.
