A hymn is a religious song or poem of praise. Good Friday hymns are filled with remembrance of how Jesus died on the cross for our sins. With the sadness of Good Friday comes hope for Easter Sunday.
Good Friday is a solemn and reflective day in the Christian calendar, commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Hymns sung on Good Friday often reflect on the sacrifice of Jesus and the significance of the cross. Here are some traditional Good Friday hymns that are commonly sung in various Christian denominations:
Good Friday Hymns
- 1. How Great Thou Art
- 2. Were You There?
- 3. The Old Rugged Cross
- 4. Amazing Grace
- 5. Rock of Ages
- 6. Glorious Day
- 7. All My Hope
- 8. In Christ Alone
- 9. Blessed Assurance
- 10. What He’s Done
May these Good Friday hymns inspire gratitude for the sacrifice of Christ to die for our sins and save us from death!
1. How Great Thou Art
“How Great Thou Art” is based on a Swedish melody and poem written by Carl Boberg. First translated into German, it was translated into English by missionary Stuart K. Hine. He added two original verses. This hymn became popular during the Billy Graham crusades. Numerous versions of this song have been recorded. Reportedly, “Amazing Grace” is the only hymn recorded more times.
The song begins by describing the awesome wonder of God’s creations. Thanksgiving and joy are found as the glory of His worlds are found. As the song continues, we are reminded of the sacrifice given when God gave His only Son to die for our sins.
“And when I think that God, His Son not sparing
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in
That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing
He bled and died to take away my sin”
The magnificence of the Lord is proclaimed as the hymn continues with “How Great Thou Art.”
‘When Christ shall come,
With shouts of acclamation,
And take me home,
What joy shall fill my heart!’
Historians say that in 1885, Carol Boberg was walking home when a thunderstorm filled the sky with lightning. He ran home and wrote the words to this hymn. The song was first titled “O Store Gud.” This is a song for every day, not just Good Friday. This hymn is one of the most requested songs at church services and funerals.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.’ (Matthew 11:28 NIV)
One of the COOLEST Performances of How Great Thou Art using DRUMS! by StikYard from theremix on GodTube.
2. Were You There?
An American spiritual hymn likely composed by enslaved African Americans in the 19th century and first published in Old Plantation Hymns by William Eleazar Barton. The song was the first spiritual to be included in an American hymnal. The lyrics are filled with emotion and heartache as they ask, “Were you there when they crucified my Lord?” “Were you there when they nailed Him to the cross?”
Each word of the song reminds us of Scripture sharing when Jesus was nailed to the cross and crucified. The Bible shares the heartache of that day when the world turned dark, and Jesus bore the price for our sins. (John 19:17-27 NIV) The crowd stood and watched as Jesus was interrogated, spat upon, stripped and flogged, and nailed to the cross He was made to carry to Golgotha. At the foot of the cross was the mother of Jesus, Mary, the sister of Mary ( wife of Clopas), and Mary Magdalene. John was also at the cross.
Each stanza of the hymn portrays the emotions of the time. The song brings forth the sensation of the trembling of His family and followers at each moment of the crucifixion of Jesus.
‘Were you there when they crucified my Lord? (Were you there?)
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
O sometimes, it causes me to tremble! Tremble! Tremble!
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?’
Passion Of The Christ- Were you There When They Crucified... from timeinflux on GodTube.
3. The Old Rugged Cross
This hymn was written by American composer and preacher George Bennard. He was born in Youngstown, Ohio, in February 1873 and died in October 1958. Bennard was an ordained minister in the Methodist church.
“The Old Rugged Cross” is said to have been written in response to George being ridiculed at a revival. He wrote the first verse in Albion, Michigan, in 1912. According to historians, George and Ed Mieras performed the song as a duet for a meeting in Wisconsin.
The hymn, published in 1915, paints a vivid picture of the scene on a faraway hill where an old rugged cross stands. That song describes clinging to the cross and exchanging it for a crown some day. This song has been a favorite in the country music field since 1952. Singer Ernest Tubb performed the track on a gospel album. Other artists have given meaningful performances of the hymn, which invites the listener to cherish the old rugged cross.
Christians know that Jesus died on the cross to bear our sins. He will return. Jesus was crucified on the cross but is not in the tomb. The Apostles’ Creed states, “On the third day He arose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sat at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.”
The cross is seen today in artwork, jewelry, and other places. Crosses are often given as a gift for special occasions.
Hebrews 12:1-3 shares the reminder that Jesus endured the cross for us.
4. Amazing Grace
One of the most popular songs for Christians, this song has brought tears to the listener as they remember the grace given by God. “Amazing Grace” was written by English poet John Newton and published in 1779. John was born in Wapping, a district in London. His mother died when he was six years old. His father was a sailor. Newton began writing the lyrics in 1773 to illustrate a sermon. The words were put to music somewhere between 1835-1844 by William Walker.
John Newton was a sailor and was known to have created obscene poems and songs about a captain. Punishment for his crude behavior caused him and others to be chained and imprisoned while at sea. During one of the times at sea in Ireland, a strong storm arose, and because of overwhelming fear, he placed his faith in God. He is said to have had a spiritual conversion on the ship as he cried out to God for mercy. Newton served in the Royal Navy and afterward became involved in the Atlantic slave trade. Newton was ordained in the Church of England in 1764 after studying Christian theology. He later became an abolitionist. Newton married Polly Catlett.
Newton’s change in behavior did not come without trials. The message of “Amazing Grace” is one of forgiveness and redemption.
“Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind but now I see.”
5. Rock of Ages
The hymn “Rock of Ages” was written by a Reformed Anglican minister, Reverend Augustus Toplady. Part of the song was first published in a magazine in 1775. The entire song was published in March 1776 in The Gospel Magazine. Various hymn versions have been recorded, from slow and purposeful tunes to upbeat foot-stomping arrangements.
“Rock of Ages” is a song about finding refuge and strength in God. One story claims that Toplady wrote the hymn during a storm where he took shelter in a gorge. Although this story has not been proven, the lyrics remind us to cling to God in all circumstances. Toplady reportedly said that as England could never pay her debt, man could not pay his debts with God. The hymn’s words remind us that we take nothing in our hands to the cross, beginning and ending with the need to find solace and comfort in God. We cling to Him. Hope is found in the Lord.
Augustus Toplady died at the age of 38 of consumption. As he neared the end of his earthly life, he said, “My prayers are now all converted into praise.”
Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to Thy cross I cling,
Naked, come to Thee for dress:
Helpless, look to Thee for grace:
Foul, I to the fountain fly;
Wash me, Savior, or I die.
Vestal Goodman and The Martins - Rock of Ages from vestal-goodman on GodTube.
6. Glorious Day
Christian band Casting Crowns has written some of the most popular songs in Christian music. “Glorious Day” is a song that reminds Christians that even though Good Friday is a dark day, it is the beginning of the good to come.
Lead singer and Youth Pastor Mark Hall started Casting Crowns in 1999. The group continues to preach and write songs. Mark shares how he heard a verse of the song “One Day,” a hymn he remembered from childhood. “One Day” was written by Presbyterian evangelist John Wilbur Chapman around 1908. Mark Hall heard about composer Michael Bleecker, and they worked together to create “Glorious Day (Living He Loved Me).”
The lyrics remind us how Jesus lived, died, was buried, and rose again on that glorious day. The grave could not keep Jesus. When the stone was rolled away from the tomb, He was not there. The glorious day is coming when Jesus will return (Acts 2:24).
Good Friday brought darkness, but the glorious day was about to arrive.
Glorious Day - Casting Crowns from hulahan on GodTube.
7. All My Hope
The song “All My Hope” was composed by Crowder, Jeff Sojka, and Ben Glover. In a video testimony, David Crowder describes being invited to a Prodigal party. The event was for a man, Wilson, who had been released from prison after 26 years. Friends who knew Wilson before his incarceration and family members who were there to welcome him home gathered to greet Wilson. His life was different because Wilson had learned to trust God while in prison. The song had already been written and released into the music world. Crowder hoped to share the good news of Christ with others and to remind them, all our hope is in Jesus.
David Crowder grew up in Texarkana, Texas, and currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia. He tours across the country with his band. This song is an example of how music can touch anyone’s minds, hearts, and souls.
The lyrics of this song remind us that the blood of Jesus has washed us. His sacrifice on that Good Friday washed away our sins. All hope can be placed with Him. God chose to give His only Son so that we may have eternal life with Him (John 3:16).
8. In Christ Alone
Keith Getty and Stuart Townend wrote the hymn ‘In Christ Alone.’ The music was composed by Getty and original lyrics by Townend in 2001. According to Townend, the song came about in an unusual way. After meeting Keith Getty at a worship event, they decided to work together and create songs that captured biblical truth. The song’s central theme is the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Not even death on the cross could hold Him down. Different musical artists have recorded various versions of the song.
“Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” (Matthew 7:24-27 NIV)
As Christians, we are called to worship God and only God. Material things on earth are not to be worshiped or hoarded. Placing God first in every moment of life can bring comfort and peace.
The Booth Brothers - In Christ Alone (Medley) [Live] from the-booth-brothers on GodTube.
9. Blessed Assurance
The famous hymn “Blessed Assurance” was written by Fanny Jane Crosby, a prolific hymn writer, in 1873. Fanny was blind, yet she thanked God for what she would notice and “see” that the world couldn’t. Her blindness was said to have resulted from a doctor applying a mustard plaster poultice to her eyes when she was about six weeks old. Around 15 years old, Fanny entered the New York Institute for the Blind. After graduation, she became a teacher there. She married and became a mother. Fanny wrote over 8,000 Gospel songs and hymns.
In the book Fanny Crosby’s Story of Ninety-Four Years, Fanny said, “Some people seem to forget that blind girls have just as great a faculty for loving, and do love just as much and just as truly as those who have their sight.”
Her husband was Alexander Van Alstyne, who was also blind. They met when he came to the institute.
According to historians, on a day in 1873, Fanny visited with a friend. The woman played a tune on the piano, which she had written. Asking Fanny what she thought the tune said, Fanny replied, “It says, ‘Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!’
“Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
O what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God.
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior, all the day long,
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior, all the day long.”
Blessed Assurance from sesamonte on GodTube.
10. What He’s Done
In this inspirational song, artists Tasha Cobb Leonard, Kristian Stanfill, and Anna Golden give a live performance that brings people out of their seats as they raise their hands to the Lord. The video was filmed in Georgia. The lyrics begin by mentioning the hill of Calvary where Jesus bled. Continuing through the song, the artists praise God for what He’s done.
Each day of Holy Week has a significant meaning. From the Last Supper to the betrayal by Judas, the questioning of Jesus, and the journey to the cross, Jesus experiences a heartbreaking journey for us. Jesus knew His Father had a plan, and Jesus obeyed. His wounds were real. Blood flowed from His body as He was flogged. The cross was a heavy physical and spiritual burden to carry. Jesus lived and died so that we may have eternal life with God.
May we always remember God’s love for His Son and each of us. His obedience and love for His Father exemplify how strong God’s love for His children are and always will be.
Christ is not in the tomb. He is Risen, Risen Indeed! Hallelujah! (Luke 24)
Good Friday is here. But, Sunday is coming. Amen.
In His Name,
Melissa Henderson
Photo Credit: GettyImages/Halfpoint
Melissa is the author of Licky the Lizard and Grumpy the Gator. Her passions are helping in the community and church. Melissa is an Elder, Deacon, and Stephen Minister.
Follow Melissa on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and at http://www.melissaghenderson.
Learn more about the meaning and significance behind the Easter holiday and Holy Week celebrations:
What is Lent? and When Does Lent Start?
What is Ash Wednesday? and When is Ash Wednesday?
What is Palm Sunday?
What is Maundy Thursday?
What is Good Friday? and When is Good Friday?
What is Holy Saturday?
What is Easter? and When is Easter Sunday?
Easter Bible Verses
The Resurrection of Jesus
Easter Prayers
