Julie Swihart

Worship Song for Good Friday

This worship song tells the story of Good Friday. I had the first two lines of this song stuck in my head for several years, before I finally finished it one afternoon in the quiet of an empty sanctuary. I’ve always liked playing it around Good Friday and Easter.

Here are the lyrics:

Jesus Carried My Cross

Verse 1
With a yoke that was never easy
With a burden so heavy to bear
Jesus came for my cross

Verse 2
Like a lamb being led to the altar
Loving the one leading on
Jesus carried my cross

Chorus
You paid my debt
Now I’m free
I’ll live forever
For Your glory

Verse 3
With a love so unlike any other
With a grace reaching farther than hell
Jesus died on my cross

Chorus
You paid my debt
Now I’m free
I’ll live forever
For Your glory

Verse 4
With a strength that can move every mountain
With the power to heal and redeem
Jesus conquered, Jesus conquered, Jesus conquered my cross

Chorus
You paid my debt
Now I’m free
I’ll love forever
For Your glory

Verse 5
He said “The yoke that I give you is easy
The burden I leave you is light
So come to Me
Come to Me
Come and find your rest”

Here’s the chord chart if you’d like to learn the song: Jesus Carried My Cross

The Scriptures Behind the Song

I love these Scriptures. They were the inspiration for this song:

Isaiah 53:4-7
“Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins!

But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed.

All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all.

He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth.”

Matthew 11:28-30
“Then Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my toke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.'”

Conclusion

Thank You Jesus for coming for the cross, carrying the cross, dying on the cross, and conquering the cross! Thank You for exchanging yourself for us so we can live with hope and anticipation of heaven!