The Weight of The Cross (Chapter 4)
Walking out of the Garden of Gethsemane, we transition to experience the tragic yet crucial story of the crucifixion: Jesus bearing the heavy cross up the hill, the tortuous nailing of his hands and feet to the cross, Jesus calling out to the Father “Eli Eli Lama Sabachthani,” to his final last cry, punctuated by the earthquake and curtain splitting in two. Inspiration Passage can be read here: Matthew 27: 27-56
I think hearing the phrase “Jesus died on the cross for our sins to save us” may perhaps become a sentence that loses impact. For me, prolonged reflection of this act when writing this song was a meaningful reminder of the significance. Thus, my prayer is that you will close your eyes and sit in the song to reflect on the incredible weight of the story of the cross. My hope is that the music can powerfully convey one of the most central moments of the Bible, even though my words on this page may not .
The crucifixion is profoundly powerful when reflecting on what was accomplished by Jesus AND by God. As we read in the Old Testament, God endured centuries of human failure to fulfill his laws. This prevented communion with Him, which grieved him. However, God, in his deep love and mercy for us, provided a sacrifice so that his desire to be in communion with us could be fulfilled. But not just any sacrifice. A perfect and righteous sacrifice that only he could provide, Jesus Christ. It was only through God's provision of Jesus, a perfect human, living in perfect communion with God, that we could be rescued and reconciled to Him. Jesus was blameless, who committed NO crimes, yet died a horrific and humiliating death as a “criminal”. Even through the faulty lens of human justice, we can acknowledge the depravity and injustice of Jesus' death. In the act of fulfilling the will of the Father, by suffering on the cross, we see the depths of his love for us. This sacrifice from Jesus, in exchange for our need to sacrifice, allowed for us to be in the presence of God’s holy nature and to be in a relationship with Him. Even more significantly, this was the momentous point where God extended His grace, mercy, and love not only to Israel, but to freely include you and me.
Glimpses into the Writing
My most cinematic song on the soundtrack, where I attempted to channel my inner-hidden Hans Zimmer and Howard Shore. LOL. I love the multiple meanings to the title, including Jesus physically carrying the immense weight of the cross to where the crucifixion takes place, as well as bearing the weight of the sins of mankind
The dark moment after the Garden of Gethsemane when Jesus was betrayed and is handed over to his accusers, begins with the low long held notes of the resonant double bass. The cellos then enter with intentionality, using moving notes to create a sense of motion and purpose, and to prepare the listener for the violent events that are about to begin.
Throughout the song, the drums are chosen to carry deep reverberations, where the listener is meant to feel the power of the vibrations in the body (turn up the bass in your car or device!). With every few drum beats, you can hear a sound of metal clanging representing Jesus being nailed to the cross. TJ, the lead female voice drifts in with the choir (Lisa and Katie), hauntingly representing the women who dearly loved Jesus, watching and crying out in horror as he is tortured, mocked, and crucified to the cross. TJ masterfully captures the heartache that can be heard through her beautifully intense emotional outcries in the character of a canter. These powerful moments in the music and story convey the overwhelming angst that those who loved Jesus were feeling, as well as the unspeakable pain that Jesus was enduring.
As the drums and lower instruments continue to build in intensity, we hear Jesus cry out “Eli Eli Sabachthani”. The women continue to cry in the background as they watch in horror. As Jesus cries out for the last time, the curtain splits and earth quakes, represented by the profoundly dramatic bass drums. The drums then transition to a heartbeat-like sound, representing the heartbeat of Jesus, which slowly fades as his heart stops beating after he takes his last breath.
Artwork by: Oana Seman
The Weight of the Cross (Words by Rob Beaudreault)
Between two trees
The story unfolds
From Garden
To Revelation
Jesus Christ
Gods only son
The crown of all creation
Golgotha’s March
A shouldered cross
Hung between two sinners
Upon a hill
As soldiers mock
The sun goes dark. No glimmer.
A curtain torn
As mountains shake
Christ says, “It is finished”
As Mary mourns
Among the scorn
Faith, it seems, diminished
The weight of sin
The wrath of man
Son of God, defeated
God’s perfect son
Hung on that cross
A sacrifice was needed
In 3 days time
Again, He’ll rise
For now we mourn sweet Jesus
Son of God
Son of Man
Sent to die and free us