6 Beautiful Hymns to Prepare Your Heart for Easter
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There’s something about lifting our voice to the Lord in praise and adoration that just feels right. On Easter morning especially, as the full meaning of Jesus’s sacrifice washes over us anew and we stand with other believers in worship, we often sing hymns to express the depths of our appreciation.
As we approach Easter Sunday, we can also sing hymns as a way of preparing our hearts for Easter.
The season of Lent, which is the 40 days leading up to Easter, is an important time when Christians have the opportunity to remember and honor the events surrounding the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, whose life and teachings are the foundation of our faith. While not all Christians take part in an observance of Lent, most agree that preparing our hearts for Easter is a good thing, for it allows us to reflect on what it means to be a follower of Jesus and what His sacrifice did for us personally.
Below are six beautiful hymns to prepare your heart for Easter.
What Makes Something a Hymn, and Why Are Hymns Significant?
A hymn is a song of praise that Christians sing to God. People often sings hymns during church services, gathered with other believers, or on their own. The word “hymn” comes from the Greek hymnos, meaning “song of praise.” Most hymns begin as poetry, such as the reflections penned by King David and others in the psalms. They are then paired with music.
Hymns are significant because they take our minds and hearts out of the earthly realm and the concerns that can prevent us from worshipping God. They enable us to focus on our Lord and the spiritual realm.
Also, God wants us to sing songs of praise to Him. In Colossians 3:16 we’re encouraged, “Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.” In Ephesians 5:18-19 we’re told to “be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord.”
1. The Old Rugged Cross
Written by George Bennard in 1913 as a response to ridicule he received after a spiritual gathering, this hymn has been a country gospel favorite for many decades and performed by a host of popular country artists, from Johnny Cash to Patsy Cline to Alan Jackson.
Not only is it a beautiful example of a praise and adoration song that extols the mercy and powerful sacrifice of Jesus Christ, but the hymn also does a great job of explaining what Jesus did by dying on the cross.
As one line proclaims, “In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine, a wondrous beauty I see, for 'twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died, to pardon and sanctify me.”
As we sing this hymn, we can meditate on that suffering and appreciate the purpose of Jesus’s sacrifice: to pay our sin-debt and make a place for us beside Him in heaven.
2. How Great Thou Art
Originally a poem by Swedish Christian Carl Gustav Boberg, the British missionary Stuart K. Hine translated it to English and added a few lines, finalizing this powerful hymn in 1949.
Boberg reportedly penned the poem, which he titled “O Store Gud” (Oh, Mighty God), after he encountered a severe midday storm that very quickly dissipated to calm sunshine.
Singing this hymn is a wonderful way to prepare our hearts for Easter because it focuses on the mighty, powerful nature of the God of the universe, creator of all things, who in His great mercy chose to allow His son to redeem our sin and create an opportunity for salvation (John 3:16).
One line powerfully reflects on that sacrificial redemption: “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.”
3. When I Survey the Wondrous Cross
“When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” was written in 1707 by English minister and theologian Isaac Watts, known for writing about 750 other hymns including the Christmas carol “Joy to the World.”
Watts reportedly wrote the hymn while preparing for a communion service. It is an excellent hymn to prepare our hearts for Easter because it is about a personal, intimate experience as one considers the glory and wonder of the cross.
One line calls us to reflect on the vast love Jesus displayed in His willing crucifixion: “See, from his head, his hands, his feet, sorrow and love flow mingled down. Did e'er such love and sorrow meet, or thorns compose so rich a crown?”
4. In Christ Alone
This hymn is more current, written in 2001 by Keith Getty and Stuart Townend. Upon its release it quickly skyrocketed in popularity, largely because its central message seems to encapsulate the core component of Christian faith: the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. As we approach Easter, it is so important for people of faith to ponder the meaning of the holiday and understand afresh what it means to follow Christ today.
This line in particular captures the heart of the Easter message: “'Til on that cross, as Jesus died, the wrath of God was satisfied. For every sin, on him, was laid. Here, in the death of Christ, I live.”
5. Forever (We Sing Hallelujah)
Another more current hymn is “Forever (We Sing Hallelujah),” by Brian Johnson, Christa Black Gofford, Gabriel Wilson, Jenn Johnson, Joel Taylor, and Kari Jobe that was released on Jobe’s Majestic album in 2014.
The song is a shattering look at the savior of the world, His blood poured upon the ground, taking His last breath and then dying on the cross for our sins. But as the chorus proclaims, He has overcome death. “Forever, he is glorified. Forever, he is lifted high. Forever, he is risen. He is alive.”
As we approach Easter, it’s important to understand the salvation we have rests in an almighty God who lives and reigns forever.
6. Christ the Lord Is Risen Today
Many of us will be singing this wildly popular hymn by Charles Wesley on Easter Sunday. Penned in 1739, “Christ the Lord is Risen Today” is a triumphant look at how Jesus rose from the dead. Because of this, the song declares, “Soar we now where Christ has led, Alleluia! Following our exalted Head, Alleluia!”
Indeed, because our Savior made this sacrifice, we who follow Him can join Him in paradise.
There are many more hymns we can sing, read, and otherwise reflect on as we approach Easter. These are a good start. Whether you prefer old hymns or new, whether you count these among your favorites or others, we hope you’ll take a look at these above and use them to draw closer to the Lord as you consider the meaning and perfect gift of His sacrifice and salvation.
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