The Power of a Rugged Cross
Hebrews 12:2 – “Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”
The church was packed, but, on that stage, George Bennard stood alone.
They hadn’t come to hear the gospel. They’d come to laugh at it.
He left that revival early, the mocking still ringing in his ears. That night, holed up in a small Michigan room with nothing but his Bible and a broken spirit, George begged God for clarity. Not success. Not comfort. This hurt, and he just needed something true to stand on.
What came was a vision—not with his eyes, but with his soul. He saw Jesus on the cross.
Not shining. Bleeding.
“On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
The emblem of suff’ring and shame…”
And George wept. The world called it shame. But for him, it was love. Love that bled for mockers and missionaries alike.
“And I love that old cross where the dearest and best
For a world of lost sinners was slain.”
He stopped asking God to change the crowd. He asked to be changed instead. He set down his need for recognition and picked up the weight of a message the world might always reject.
“So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down…”
The lyrics came fast after that. He scribbled them on torn paper with trembling hands. Weeks later, the hymn began to spread like fire. But George never pointed to himself—only to the old rugged cross.
It’s easy to forget what the cross really means. We polish it, display it, wear it. But for George, it was the turning point. The reason he kept going when everything in him wanted to quit.
Maybe today you feel tired of doing the right thing. Maybe you’re discouraged, mocked, or just wondering if any of this still matters. Let George’s story remind you:
Jesus is worth it. His love is worth your time, your trust, and your whole life.
So, cling to the cross. Lay your trophies down. Hold fast to what matters most because the world may never understand…
But someday, you’ll exchange it for a crown.
Lyrics
On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
The emblem of suff’ring and shame,
And I love that old cross where the Dearest and Best
For a world of lost sinners was slain.
CHORUS
So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it some day for a crown.
Oh, that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,
Has a wondrous attraction for me;
For the dear Lamb of God left His glory above,
To bear it to dark Calvary.
In the 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.
Lyrics and Music: George Bennard
