Matthew 27:27-31
Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters, and they gathered the whole cohort around him. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on his head. They put a reed in his right hand and knelt before him and mocked him, saying, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’ They spat on him, and took the reed and struck him on the head. After mocking him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.

O Sacred Head, Now Wounded

1    O sacred head, now wounded, with grief and shame weighed down,
     now scornfully surrounded with thorns, thine only crown;
      O sacred head, what glory, what bliss till now was thine!
      Yet, though despised and gory, I joy to call thee mine.

2    How art thou pale with anguish, with sore abuse and scorn;
      how does that visage languish which once was bright as morn!
      Thy grief and bitter passion were all for sinners’ gain;
      mine, mine was the transgression, but thine the deadly pain.

3    What language shall I borrow to thank thee, dearest friend,
      for this thy dying sorrow, thy pity without end?
      Oh, make me thine forever, and should I fainting be,
      Lord, let me never, never outlive my love to thee.

4    Lord, be my consolation; shield me when I must die;
      remind me of thy passion when my last hour draws nigh.
      These eyes, new faith receiving, from thee shall never move;
      for he who dies believing dies safely in thy love.

Text: Paul Gerhardt, 1607-1676

Paul Gerhardt was born in a small town near Wittenberg. His parents died before he turned 15, so he entered a school known for its pious atmosphere and stern discipline. In 1626 the plague came but he graduated in 1627 and then enrolled in the University of Wittenberg. There, his teachers, staunch Lutherans all, nurtured him in the faith and guided him toward ordination. Because of the Thirty Years War he was not immediately placed as a pastor, so he moved to Berlin and began to write hymns. He received his first pastoral call in 1651, got married and had a child that died in infancy. Six years later he received a call to St. Nicholas in Berlin. There he found a city at war between the Lutheran and Reformed movements. His sermons and hymns were so powerful, however, that many Reformed attended his church, including the wife of the local prince. But her husband, a member of the Reformed Church, was not a fan and in 1664, when Gerhardt supported the Formula of Concord, removed him from his pulpit. The citizens of Berlin petitioned to have him restored, but the Prince would agree to do so only if Gerhardt repudiated the Lutheran Confessions, which he would not do. So he remained without call until 1668, when he left for a different city. Eight years later he died there.

Paul Gerhardt was a warrior for the faith who lived in difficult times and dealt with difficult losses; loss of his parents at a young age, death of his child, the plague, loss of his parish, the 30-Years-War and religious strife….but he never lost faith and he never stopped writing hymns.

This hymn, “O Sacred Head Now Wounded,” was put to a tune by Johann Sebastian Bach from his famous “Passion Chorale”. It is a poignant and powerful reminder of our Lord’s passion. It also speaks to Paul Gerhardt’s profound faith; “These eyes, new faith receiving, from thee shall never move; for he who dies believing dies safely in thy love:”

Here is a nice rendition of this hymn by guitarist Phil Keaggy.