The Royal Banners Forward Go
LSB #455
v. 4: On whose hard arms, so widely flung,
The price of humankind to pay
And spoil the spoiler of his prey.
v. 5: O tree of beauty, tree most fair,
Ordained those holy limbs to bear:
Gone is thy shame, each crimsoned bough
Proclaims the King of Glory now.
Some find it quite odd that an instrument of Roman torture and death - the cross - should adorn the sanctuaries of so many churches and the walls of so many Christian homes. The early church and early Christians, which lived through that time or very close to it, understandably did not do so. It took some time until the church realized that gone is the shame of the cross when the Son of God hangs on it! Then it becomes a tree of beauty which proclaims the King of Glory. For there we see the ransom paid for our sin. There you see how much God loves you. And through this sacrifice, the spoiler is spoiled of his prey! Jesus turns satan’s tool against him and uses what he used to destroy to destory him. So while the empty tomb proclaims Jesus’ victory, the cross proclaims His love and forgiveness. So yes! What a beautiful tree when it is Jesus’ tree. The sixth century hymnwriter Venantius Fortunatus was teaching the church this valuable truth with this hymn.
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