“When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” was written by Isaac Watts in 1707, in preparation for a communion service. The hymn was originally titled “Crucifixion to the World by the Cross of Christ,” but the title was later changed to “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross.”

Watts was a prolific hymn writer, and his hymns are still sung in churches today. He was known for his ability to write hymns that were both theologically sound and musically beautiful. “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” is a prime example of Watts’s skill as a hymn writer.

The hymn is a meditation on the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. It begins by describing the cross as a place of suffering and death, but also as a place of victory and redemption. The second verse expresses Watts’s willingness to give up all his worldly possessions in order to follow Christ. The third verse contemplates the love and sorrow that were present at the cross. The fourth verse compares the cross to the entire natural world, and declares that the love of Christ is worth more than anything else in the universe.

“When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” is a powerful and moving hymn that has inspired Christians for centuries. It is a reminder of the great love that Christ showed for us by dying on the cross, and it calls us to follow him in his sacrifice.

Here is the story behind the hymn:

• Watts wrote the hymn in 1707, in preparation for a communion service.
• The hymn was originally titled “Crucifixion to the World by the Cross of Christ.”
• The hymn was published in Watts’s collection of hymns, “Hymns and Spiritual Songs,” in 1707.
• The hymn has been translated into many languages.
• The hymn is still sung in churches today.

The hymn is a powerful and moving meditation on the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. It is a reminder of the great love that Christ showed for us by dying on the cross, and it calls us to follow him in his sacrifice.

The hymn is divided into four verses, each of which explores a different aspect of the cross. The first verse describes the cross as a place of suffering and death, but also as a place of victory and redemption. The second verse expresses Watts’s willingness to give up all his worldly possessions in order to follow Christ. The third verse contemplates the love and sorrow that were present at the cross. The fourth verse compares the cross to the entire natural world, and declares that the love of Christ is worth more than anything else in the universe.

“When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” is a powerful and moving hymn that has inspired Christians for centuries. It is a reminder of the great love that Christ showed for us by dying on the cross, and it calls us to follow him in his sacrifice.