John's Cross and Mine

INTRODUCTION

This is the fifteenth message in a series on the Cross. In this series we have focused our attention on the Cross, on what Jesus Christ did for us at Calvary. We have also given special attention to our Lord’s command to take up our cross and follow Him.

The person who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; the person who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And whoever doesn’t take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me. Anyone finding his life will lose it, and anyone losing his life because of Me will find it (Matt 10:37-39, HCSB).

This was not the only time Jesus made a clear and strong statement about the importance of our taking up our cross and following Him.

"Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone wants to come with Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of Me will find it (Matt 16:24-25, HCSB).

The Roman cross was an instrument of death. People who were not Roman citizens were nailed to a cross and left there to die a horrible death. When Jesus tells us to take up our cross and follow Him, He was not talking about sticking one of those little magnetic signs on one’s donkey. He poured out His life for our salvation and He demands that we pour out our life for Him. I am reminded of a little poem I have already used in this series:

I have His cross upon me,

And easy ‘tis to bear.

In the burden which He carries,

I gladly take my share.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, as I have mentioned before, took up his cross and followed Jesus to a Nazi prison for his stand for Jesus Christ and his stand against Adolph Hitler. He understood the significance of cross bearing. Let me remind you of something he said about the Cross: "When Christ calls a man, he bids him to come and die. That is exactly what the cross meant to Bonhoeffer, and that is what it mean to John, the beloved disciple.

I. THE DISCIPLE JESUS LOVED WAS NOT PERFECT.

A. Jesus Called John and His Brother James, "Sons of Thunder."

John and his brother James fished with their father Zebedee on the Sea of Galilee. We cannot be sure, but it seems that their mother was Salome, and that she may well have been the sister of Mary, the mother of Jesus (John 19:25). If so, Jesus was their first cousin.

James is always mentioned first, probably because he was the older brother. They were always listed first with Peter and Andrew in the list of apostles. Jesus gave the sons of Zebedee a nickname: "He appointed the Twelve: To Simon, He gave the name Peter; and to James the son of Zebedee, and to his brother John, He gave the name "Boanerges" [that is, "Sons of Thunder"] (Mark 3:16-17). Perhaps this brief account reveals the reason for that name:

When the days were coming to a close for Him to be taken up, He determined to journey to Jerusalem. He sent messengers ahead of Him, and on the way they entered a village of the Samaritans to make preparations for Him. But they did not welcome Him, because He determined to journey to Jerusalem. When the disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Lord, do You want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?" But He turned and rebuked them, and they went to another village (Luke 9:51-56).

B. John and James Once Sought Preeminence Among the Apostles.

The Sons of Thunder cause something of a storm when they sought preeminence among the Apostles.

Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, approached Him and said, "Teacher, we want You to do something for us if we ask You."

"What do you want Me to do for you?" He asked them.

They answered Him, "Allow us to sit at Your right and at Your left in Your glory."

But Jesus said to them, "You don’t know what you’re asking. Are you able to drink the cup I drink or to be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?"

"We are able," they told Him.

Jesus said to them, "You will drink the cup I drink, and you will be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with. But to sit at My right or left is not Mine to give; intead, it is for those it has been prepared for." When the [other] 10 [disciples] heard this, they began to be indignant with James and John (Mark 10:35-41),

Those of us who like to see certain biblical characters as being bigger than life, or super saints, we may wonder why certain things were included in the Scripture. There could be a number of reasons, but let me mention only two. In the first place, only God is good, perfect, holy. All men and women are sinners struggling with the old sinful nature. Francis Shaeffer stressed in some of his letters to various individuals that we must not be surprised at how low fallen man can go. A second reason an account like this might be recorded is that we may well learn more from their failures than their successes at times, for we may be more like them in failure at times in life than in their greatness.

The youthful John here is not the mature John whom the Lord kept alive long after all the other Apostles had been martyred to write that amazing Evangelistic Gospel, three powerful epistles, and the Revelation. The self-centered, ambitious John here is not the same man as the Elder John who never uses his own name in the book that is identified by his name. He only calls himself the disciple Jesus loved. What was the difference? For one thing, he had seen the risen Lord.

C. John Was Called on to Take up His Cross and Follow Jesus, Matthew 10:37-39.

The disciples did not yet understand the purpose of the Cross or what Jesus meant with references to His resurrection. It would not be long before he would be standing with Mary at the foot of the cross on which Jesus had been nailed. Though he did not really appreciate the words at the time, John would come to understand them and obey them after he had seen the risen Lord and after the coming of the Holy Spirit to fill and empower believers at Pentecost. Jesus taught His disciples:

The person who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; the person who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And whoever doesn’t take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me. Anyone finding his life will lose it, and anyone losing his life because of Me will find it (Matt 10:37-39).

II. JOHN’S CROSS WAS UNIQUE AMONG THE APOSTLES.

A. In Many Ways John, the Disciple the Lord Loved, Was Closest to Jesus.

He was always in the first group mentioned. It was either Peter and Andrew, and James and John or Peter, James and John. Who was it whom Jesus gave responsibility for his mother at the food of the cross? It was John. Who was it who was in the position of honor at the Last Supper? It was John. Who is called the Beloved Disciple? Again, it was John. Who was it who was inspired to write the Fourth Gospel, three epistles and Revelation? Again, it was John.

B. He Was Closest to the Actual Cross.

It was John who gained access to the courtyard of the high priest for Simon Peter, which may lead us to wonder if John might have been close enough to have heard Peter deny Christ. It was John who stood with Mary at the foot of the cross, watching Him suffer in agony, pain in sorrow for your sins and mine.

Standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother, His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw His mother and the disciple He loved standing there, He said to His mother, " Woman, here is your son." Then He said to the disciple, "Here is your mother." And from that hour the disciple took her into his home (John 19:25-27).

No, I have no proof that this disciple was John, but it would take some strong evidence to convince me otherwise. Why would he not look to His own brothers to take care for His mother? They were not believers at this point. Mary loved her sons, but they did not share her faith.

C. He Was the First to Believe in the Resurrection,.

In his account in the Gospel that bears his name, John explains how he came to be the first person to believe Jesus had risen from the dead:

On the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark. She saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. Simon Peter and to the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put Him!"

At that, Peter and the other disciple went out, heading for the tomb. The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and got to the tomb first. Stooping down, he saw the linen cloths lying there, yet he did not go in. Then, following him, Simon Peter came also. He entered the tomb and saw the linen cloths lying there. The wrapping that had been on His head was not lying with the linen cloths but was folded up in a separate place by itself. The other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, then entered the tomb, saw, and believed (John 20:1-9).

D. The Cross Meant Something Different to Peter and John, John 21.

Jesus appeared to seven of His disciples in Galilee when He told them to cast the net on the right side of the boat and they caught 153 fish. This was the time when He asked Peter three times, "Do you love Me? Sadly, a lot of people have misrepresented what happened when Peter responded to Jesus. I have even heard some say that Jesus asked Peter, "Do you love Me" (using the agape’ kind of love), and Peter answered hesitantly, "Lord, I like you" (based on the fact that he used the Phileo type of love). Nothing could have been further from the truth. Agape’ is a mental attitude kind of love that can be commanded. Phleo denotes a deep personal affection that must be cultivated and nourished. God commands agape, the only kind of love that can be commanded. But I don’t want to dwell on that here.

1) The Lord foretold Peter’s death. After asking Peter, "Do you love me," one might expect Jesus to assure Peter that someday he would be the pastor of a great mega-church and be elected president of the convention. He would write books and be interviewed on TV. Maybe he would have his own TV show - excuse me, ministry. After Peter’s declaration of his love for Jesus it must have been a sobering revelation when Jesus spoke again:

I assure you: When you were young, you would tie your belt and walk wherever you wanted. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will tie you and carry you where you don’t want to go." 19 He said this to signify by what kind of death he would glorify God. After saying this, He told him, "Follow Me!" (John 21:18-19).

2) John’s future was the Lord’s business. With the shocking news that he would someday be bound and led to a place of execution, he did what we all have a tendency to do; we say, "But what about him?!!"

So Peter turned around and saw the disciple Jesus loved following them. [That disciple] was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and asked, "Lord, who is the one that’s going to betray You?" 21 When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, "Lord—what about him?"

"If I want him to remain until I come," Jesus answered, "what is that to you? As for you, follow Me."

So this report spread to the brothers that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not tell him that he would not die, but (John 21:20-23).

Was Peter simply interested in John’s welfare, or was he entertaining the thought, "That’s not fair!"

All we know was that they were in His hands and He would use them as He saw fit. Each would have a unique ministry. Only Paul would be used so mightily in all the history of the church.

It was an honor for Becky and me to attend the Retirement Banquet for Dr. Jimmy Draper, who had served so faithfully and effectively for 15 years as President of LifeWay Christian Resources. As a member of the board of trustees, I was invited to the worship service that morning in the Rhyman Auditorium, and to the reception at LifeWay. The trustees gave our distinguished retiring president and his wife Carol Ann special gifts and saw them off with honors. At the banquet, I visited with three seminary presidents, sat with a godly layman who works for LifeWay, spoke with most of the LifeWay vice-presidents, and many others who have taken up their cross to follow Jesus.

Three weeks later, I was back in Nashville for the Inauguration of Dr. Thom Rainer. I have served with many outstanding people in our convention. As a member of the executive board of the Louisiana Baptist Convention, I served with three executive directors. My votes for David Hankins as Executive Director of the LBC, my vote for Thom Rainer, and the votes on the Holman Christian Standard Bible to have made all the travel and long meetings worth it all.

God, on the other hand, did not call Tony Forehand to be president of a great Christian body. He called him to plant a church in Las Vegas! He did not call Milton Kornegay to be president of a seminary. He called my friend to pastor a Southern Baptist church in New York. He did not call Steve Saint to be president of a mission board. He sent him back to the jungles to work with the people who had killed his father. He calls pastors, missionaries, and evangelists and send they wherever He chooses. He had plans for both Peter and John.

E. John Took Up the Cross and Followed Jesus Down a Special Road.

1) He had a unique ministry in Jerusalem. In Acts 15, Luke records the Jerusalem Conference, called by Paul and Barnabas to deal with claims by certain Judaizers that Gentiles had to be circumcised, or embrace Judaism before they could be come Christians. Peter’s testimony helped win the victory and it was agreed that both Jews and Gentiles are saved by the grace of God alone. Paul tells us that James (the half-brother of Jesus), Peter and John seemed to be pillars of the church at Jerusalem at the time (Gal 2:9).

2) The Elder John served many years in Ephesus. The lone surviving Apostle served with apostolic authority in the city where Paul planted a work and served for months. Paul wrote a powerful epistle to the church at Ephesus and The Lord addressed one of the seven letters in Revelation to the church there. John was so influential there that he was exiled to the Isle of Patmos to try to silence him.

F. John Was Inspired to Write the Fourth Gospel

1) In the prologue to the Gospel of John, the Holy Spirit gave John the answer to the ancient Gnostic heresy some were bringing into the church, and it is the answer to the New Age Movements of our day. New Age religious beliefs can be traced back through Easter Mysticism to ancient Gnosticism. Today, those views are hidden and disguised as postmodernism, a term that covers both New Age religious beliefs and humanistic philosophies. Non-Christians and misguided Christians may simply refer to those who are spiritual to distinguish them from those who identify themselves as secular, but New Age religious beliefs are as anti-Christian today as they were in 1980 or 1990. The Prologue to John’s Gospel also sets the record straight on creation. God is the one who said, "let there be," and Jesus was the Agent of Creation (John 1:1f).

2) Then, there is John 3:16. The Little Gospel. The Gospel in a Nutshell. If you could only use one verse to try to lead lost people to faith in Jesus Christ, take John 3:16: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (NKJV).

3) I love the signs in John. There are miracle accounts in all the Gospels, but in John they are called signs. The changing of the water to wine signifies that Jesus had come to fulfill all the hopes of Judaism, all the promises of the Law and the Prophets. The feeding of the multitudes taught that He is the Bread of Life. The raising of Lazarus teaches that He is the Resurrection and the Life.

4) I also love the I AM sayings of Jesus in John. You know them: I Am the Bread of Life, I Am the Resurrection and Life, I am the Door, I am the Good Shepherd.

5) John was the first to believe that Jesus had risen from the dead. He gives his testimony to the Resurrection in chapter 20. When he and Peter heard that the tomb was open and the body of Jesus was missing, they both ran to the tomb. John, probably because he was younger, reached the tomb first but did not enter. Peter arrived and rushed in, and then John followed him inside. John wrote, "The wrapping that had been on His head was not lying with the linen cloths but was folded up in a separate place by itself. The other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, then entered the tomb, saw, and believed (John 20:7-8).

6) He also wrote three epistles. We should thank the Lord for all the books of the Bible, but we especially need 1 John because it helps us to know that we know Him. John states the purpose in the Gospel in these words: "But these are written so that you may believe Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and by believing you may have life in His name" (John 20:31).

Now, do you know why the Holy Spirit inspired John to write the First Epistle? He does not leave us guessing:

This is how we are sure that we have come to know Him: by keeping His commands. The one who says, "I have come to know Him," without keeping His commands, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly in him the love of God is perfected. This is how we know we are in Him: the one who says he remains in Him should walk just as He walked (1 John 2:3-6).

The Gospel of John was written to reveal Jesus as the Son of God and to convince us to trust Him for our salvation. The First Epistle of John was written to give us assurance of salvation. We have a great definition of Sanctification here: "the one who says he remains in Him should walk just as He walked." Sanctification doesn’t have as much to do with how high you jump as how strait you walk when you come down! In Romans 8:29, Sanctification is being conformed to the image of Jesus Christ.

III. THERE IS A CROSS CUSTOM MADE FOR YOUR LIFE, MARK 16:24.

A. It Was So With the Early Christians.

In one message on the Cross we saw what, according to tradition, happened to all the apostles. For example, Philip of Bethsaida served faithfully in Upper Asia and suffered martyrdom at Heliopolis in Phrygia. He was scourged, thrown into prison, and then crucified in A. D. 54. Matthew worked in Parthia and Ethiopia until he was slain with a halberd in Nadabah in A. D. 60. James the Less, at the age of 94 he was beaten and stoned by the Jews. Finally, he had his brains bashed out with a fuller’s club. Matthais was stoned at Jerusalem and beheaded. Andrew was crucified at Edessa on and X-shaped cross. Mark was dragged to pieces in Alexandria before a pagan idol. Peter was crucified up-side down in Rome. John was exiled to Patmos before being dropped into a pot of boiling oil.

Stephen, one of the first seven men elected to the office corresponding to that of deacon today, was the first martyr in Jerusalem. Philip was another layman who served faithfully at a time when it was dangerous to take a strong stand for Christ. We have already seen the incredible suffering and the persecution to which Paul was subjected. What was his attitude toward his suffering? "For me, living is Christ and dying is gain" (Phil 1:21). Compare that attitude to that of the Islamic suicide murderers. And murderers they are. People who blow themselves up to kill others are murderers and should be identified as such. Paul also wrote:

Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has actually resulted in the advancement of the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard, and to everyone else, that my imprisonment is for Christ. Most of the brothers in the Lord have gained confidence from my imprisonment and dare even more to speak the message fearlessly (Phil 1:12-14).

B. So It Has Been With Countless Martyrs and Faithful Witnesses Through the Centuries.

1) For many early church leaders, taking up their cross and following Jesus meant death. Polycarp was tied to the stake and the wood was piled around him, but before it was set on fire he was given an opportunity to deny Christ and live. He declared, "Eighty and six years have I served my Lord and He has never done me wrong. How can I deny my Christ who loved me so?" Every vile torture the cruel pagan Roman mind could devise was used against early believers.

When you drive up behind a car and see the sign of the fish, please remember that it did not cost that driver very much to buy that bumper sticker. In the early church, one who took the toe of his sandal and drew that symbol in the dust could have paid with his life. He could have been thrown to half starved lions or slain by a blood thirsty gladiator.

2) John Wycliff was one of many who gave his life to get the Scripture into the language of the people. William Tyndale poured his life into his translation of the New Testament. Dr. Bill Cooper risked his health in his monumental effort to translate the 1525 NT into modern English, but in 2000 that translation outsold the Harry Potter books in England. Dr. Gene Jeffries showed me the first copy of that translation ever to be sent to America. I have never met Bill Cooper personally but both of us serve on the faculty of Cambridge Graduate School, thanks to the gracious invitation extended by President Gene Jeffries.

Jim Elliot, Nate Saint, and their fellow missionaries took up their cross and followed Jesus to Ecuador where they were slain by very primitive, murderous savages. Jim Elliot, before dying a martyr’s death at age 26, made statements men twice his age have been quoting ever since. He said, "Be sure when the time comes to die, all you have to do is die." He also said, "He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep for what he cannot lose." That is a powerful statement.

Countless saints have understood what it meant to take up their cross and follow Jesus. I might add that countless others do not have a clue. My son Mark talked with a man who apparently tried to recruit him to one of those mega-churches. The church is without a pastor and the man said, "This is the church to go to now because we have a different preacher every Sunday. When they have the same preacher every Sunday I can’t keep my eyes off my _____ _______ watch (and he did use God’s name in vain).

Pioneer worshipers at Cole’s Creek, near what is now Fayette Mississippi, had to travel for some distance to reach their church and the men had to take turns standing guard with guns to protect worshipers. Christians in Nazi Germany were slain. We know about the 6 million Jews who were killed, but Hitler killed thousands, if not millions of Christians among the 22 million slain by that satanic monster. It is ironic that the liberal media in America condemns Nazis so vehemently but give the Communists a pass. Communists have slaughtered many times as many people as the Nazis.

Muslims have slaughtered tens of thousands in Africa, including 180,000 in the Sudan in two years. If a Muslim converts to Christ in some places in the world, Muslims will kill that person and sell his children into slavery.

The Voice of Martyrs chronicles the martyrdom of saints around the world. The keep up with widow of pastor David Rathnama who was killed by Hindus in 2004. Satyaveni Raju’s husband, Isaac Raju was leading many Hindus to Christ before he disappeared. She was later called to claim his body. She could not identify his body because acid had been poured all over his face.

C. God Calls Us to Take Up the Cross and Follow Him.

He not only calls pastors, evangelists, and missionaries to take up their cross and follow Him, he calls all believers. We saw an example of how they might do that after Hurricane Katrina hit south Mississippi and south east Louisiana. Disaster Relief Units from Southern Baptist churches, conventions, associations, and other entities were the rank third in disaster relief. Pastors and lay persons alike have been giving sacrificially to help meet the needs of those who lost their homes and businesses. Many other Christian groups also helped meet the needs of the people in the area.

D. He Has Commissioned You to Take Up Your Cross and Follow Him.

"If anyone wants to come with Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.

Do you remember what Dietrich Bonhoeffer said? "When Christ calls a man, he bids him to come and die." May I ask you a question? How are you doin’? Have you come to Christ with any intention of dying? Or, are you still more focused on all the things you have to live for?

I talk with a lot of Christians who are concerned about America’s spiritual decline. Dr. Thom Rainer, based on serious research, has declared that we are losing America. Irma Dark is convinced that we are witnessing the "falling away" (apostasy) that may signal that the end of this age is drawing near. Incredibly, polls show that 68% of Americans consider themselves Christians. At the same time, more and more church members want less and less from the pulpit. And guess what? In some case they are getting just that. There are mega-churches that have watered down the Gospel to the point that no one is offended, no one is convicted of sin, and no one wants to hear anything about repentance or the judgment to come. Why do you think we are losing America?

Let’s say you are building a new house. You have someone to draw the plans, hire a contractor, and the work begins. You choose the floor covering, Window treatment, kitchen appliances, paint for the walls, the material for the exterior, and plan the landscaping. You watch as the plumbing, and wiring, are installed. Everything is finished, so now you can buy new furniture. Everything is finished, all that makes a house a home. Then someone reminds you that you may need a security system. You sign a contract and the security system is installed. Then you learn the code, but after the police responds a few times when you set it off and forget the code, you begin leaving it off except for those times when you get a little nervous. Someone breaks into a house down the street, so you decide to set the security system until the police catch the criminal. Then when the scare is over, you go back to the same old habits. You enjoy every aspect of the house, the whole house. But the security system is there just in case you need it. I believe that is what a lot of Christians do today. We want God for a security system but we do not want Him to become an inconvenience, and we certainly do not want Him to embarrass us.

E. If Jesus Has First Place in Your Life You Will Take Up Your Cross and Follow Him.

1) This is serious business. "The person who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; the person who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And whoever doesn’t take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me. Anyone finding his life will lose it, and anyone losing his life because of Me will find it (Matt 10:37-39).

Bob Moore was the director of a large youth department. He invited Kay to share her testimony with a large assembly of high school students. He was so moved that he asked me if he could bring her to my study to share her testimony with me. Kay was a devout Catholic who was moving to Nederland, Texas. A friend told her, "I know your neighbors. Bill and Joyce Henson are the biggest Baptists in Nederland. They are going to drive you crazy trying to convert you." Kay and Luther were moving into their new house when the Hensons came over and introduced themselves and asked if there was anything they could do. Kay just wanted them to leave.

Over the next few years she watched Bill and Joyce for proof that they were hypocrites. She never saw anything that justified her suspicions, but they when their daughter began dating, Kay started watching her. She decided that a teenager girl who was dating would face temptations and she would find something to justify her attitude toward them. Just give her time. After watching Billie for months, Kay said, "One morning I went into my kitchen and got down on my knees and told the Lord that those people have something I don’t have and I want it. Whatever it is, I want it." Her testimony took a lot more time and I was as impressed as Bob. Kay was following Jesus. She had good examples living next door.

Bill and Joyce moved to another town and he took a new job driving a bread truck. Customers loved and respected him, but after several years the company told him he was going to have to start working on Sunday. Bill tried to explain to the how much his church meant to him and that he had convictions against working on Sunday. They refused to change their plans, so Bill quit that company and went to work for a competitor. Within a few months his old company had to cancel that route. All customers wanted to buy from Bill and they put his bread in the best location and the other bread out of the way. They were not just buying bread, they were buying bread from Bill.

Bill and Joyce took up their cross and followed Jesus without compromise and The Lord blessed them with a godly daughter, a good job, and customers who wanted to buy from a Christian.

CONCLUSION

If you have never placed your faith and trust in Jesus, let me urge you to believe in Jesus Christ and receive eternal life. A Jewish friend and I were talking about how he felt when he went to his Baptist daughter’s home for Christmas and everyone kept talking about Jesus. He resented it. Art walked in and my Jewish friend said, "There’s a sinner!" Art, a Lutheran, said, "I am a sinner, but I am a forgiven sinner. I have been saved by the grace of God." He then said, "I have been saved by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8).

If you are a born again believer, Jesus commands you to take up your cross and follow Him. Cross bearing will take you beyond the call of duty. You have not taken up your cross and followed Jesus as long as there is anything in your life more important that Jesus. And I do mean anything. This demands your best, your all. The hymn writer has it right:

All to Jesus I surrender,

All to Him I freely give;

I will ever love and trust Him,

In His presence daily live.

All to Jesus I surrender,

Make me Savior wholly thine;

Let me feel Thy Holy Spirit,

Truly know that Thou art mind.

All to Jesus I surrender,

I give myself to Thee;

Fill me with Thy love and power,

Let Thy blessings fall on me.

I surrender all, I surrender all;

All to Thee, my blessed Savior,

I surrender all.