The Old Rugged Guillotine

 

"The Old Rugged Cross" was written in 1913 by a Methodist evangelist, George Bennard. It's been recorded at least 35 times in recent history. People are familiar with the first stanza and chorus, but many will hear it or sing it without thinking of its meaning. Consider some of these lines...

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

The Old Rugged Cross wasn't gold, brass, polished stone, or wood that was sanded and varnished.
It was rough-hewn timber, full of splinters

"emblem of suff'ring and shame"
Guess: How many tattoos have you seen with the image of a cross?
Now how many tattoos of an electric chair?
Imagine a necklace with a vial of lethal injection.*
Or a church with a guillotine at the front of the sanctuary.
The cross was reserved for capital punishment by torture. 

Criminals were crucified naked; humiliation was part of the punishment.
We put a loincloth on Jesus in Sunday School pictures because we can't quite handle the full brunt of "the emblem of suff'ring and shame"

"a world of lost sinners"
Sin: means we've run in our own direction rather than letting God direct our lives.
"a world of lost sinners" means all of us.

"For a world of lost sinners was slain"
Wages are what we deserve, what we've worked for.
"When you sin, the pay you get is death. But God gives you the gift of eternal life because of what Christ Jesus our Lord has done." (Romans 6:23, New International Readers Version)

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

"Trophies" are anything that might impress people: accomplishments on our job, good deeds we've done in the community, awards we've merited. The Apostle Paul had a long list of "trophies." Compared to knowing Jesus Christ, he said all that stuff was shit**. (Philippians 3:8)

"Crown"
Near the end of his life, Paul wrote:
"And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing." (2 Timothy 4:8, New Living Translation)

The crown of righteousness is not earned.
It is given to everyone who trusts what Jesus did in the past, on the Old Rugged Cross,
and "eagerly looks forward" to Him coming back.

In the old rugged Cross, stain'd with blood so divine
A wondrous beauty I see
For ’twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died
To pardon and sanctify me

Why would someone sing about a bloody execution? What's the "wondrous beauty" in that?
Because with all this talk of sin and hell--being separated from God,
Jesus died so I don't have to. I'm pardoned from the eternal capital punishment, as it were.
"sanctify" means to set apart.
Since Jesus died so I could live, I'm set apart for Him. I.e., He has a claim on my life.

To the old rugged Cross, I will ever be true
Its shame and reproach gladly bear
Then He'll call me some day to my home far away
Where His glory forever I'll share

"Shame and reproach"
Through the centuries, people have been killed--even crucified--for identifying with Jesus.
"But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering." (Romans 8:17b, NLT)

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. Amen.

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* Actually, during the French revolution, "women wore tiny guillotine-shaped earrings and brooches"! There's a picture of these at the quoted source, https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2018/04/06/the-bloody-family-history-of-the-guillotine/ 

**The word here translated “dung” {garbage, refuse, etc.} was often used in Greek as a vulgar term for fecal matter. As such it would most likely have had a certain shock value for the readers. This may well be Paul’s meaning here, especially since the context is about what the flesh produces. [NET Bible, 2005, Emphasis added.]

σκύβαλον, ου, τό refuse, rubbish, leavings, dirt, dung (Plut. et al.; PSI 184, 7; PRyl. 149, 22; PFay. 119, 7; Sir 27:4; Philo, Sacr. Abel. 109; 139; Jos., Bell. 5, 571;Sib. Or. 7, 58.—τὰ σκύβαλα specifically of human excrement: Artem. 1, 67 p. 61, 23; 2, 14 p. 108, 21; Jos., Bell. 5, 571[cf. Epict., Fgm. Stob. 19 ἀποσκυβαλίζω].—MDibelius, Hdb. on Phil 3:8) πάντα ἡγεῖσθαι σκύβαλα consider everything rubbish or dung Phil 3:8. M-M.* [AGDB, Emphasis added.]