S2_EP19 - Look, Ye Saints, the Sight Is Glorious

Our host, Andy Peavyhouse, recalls how, since starting this podcast, it has been a constant reminder of the power hymns have played in his journey of faith. He remembers how each hymn paints another picture of his walk with Christ and how hymns can be the cornerstone of our faith journey. One hymn that paints quite a vivid picture of Christ's triumphant victory through his finished work on the cross is Thomas Kelly's "Look Ye Saints, the Sight is Glorious." It unfolds in a symphony of poetic majesty. Each verse is a brushstroke of truth, painting the ultimate victory of Christ. We'll explore the richness of this hymn, as we dive into its authorship, history, and theology.

This episode is a heartfelt tribute to hymnody's ability to capture the soul's deepest cries and loftiest praises, to strike that tender chord within us that resonates with God's truth.  We'll see how this hymn echoes Scripture, inviting us all to acknowledge Jesus as the Lamb who was slain and now reigns victorious. Join us, as we honor the Lenten and Easter seasons by amplifying the joyous acclamation of Christ's triumph, encouraging listeners to reclaim the hymns that have shaped our faith, and to carry their powerful messages of truth to a lost and dying world.

SHOW CREDITS AND LINKS:

Andrew Peterson’s “Is He Worthy?”

Red Mountain Church Music

Red Mountain Hymn Collective
 
"Crown Him"
Taken from This Breaks My Heart of Stone: A Collection of Hymns from Red Mountain Church

 Download the entire Red Mountain Music catalogue of songs in one PDF Songbook (does not include hymns from Silent Night, Demos & B-sides).
The PDF download includes everything Red Mountain Music has available.

THIS BREAKS MY HEART OF STONE ALBUM CREDITS:
 
Jon Black - acoustic guitar, vocals
Chris Campbell - mandolin
Tim Carroll - double bass
Karl Digerness - vocals
Tripp Ethridge - drums
Dan Hames - bgvs
Drew Holcomb - vocals, bgvs
Ellie Holcomb - vocals, bgvs
Jeff Irwin - bass
Jeremy Meyer - bgvs
Evan Munger - bgvs, hand claps
Brian T. Murphy - pads, piano, vocals, bgvs, hand claps, loops
Brooke Murphy - hand claps
Pete Nice - pedal steel
Benj Pocta - acoustic guitar, banjo, vocals, bgvs, hand claps
Stokes Skellie - vocals
Tom Slinger - bgvs
Ashley Spurling - vocals, bgvs
Matt Terrell - vocals
Clint Wells - acoustic and electric guitars, slide guitar, bgvs, hand claps, loops

Produced by Brian T. Murphy and Clint Wells
 Mixed and mastered by Paul Scodova
 Project management by Bradley N. Cordell
 Graphic design and layout by Justin Pocta
 Recording and engineering by Brian T. Murphy at Red Mountain Studios - Birmingham, AL
 Additional recording on Track 7 by Luke Brodine - Pendleton, SC
 Additional recording and engineering on track 9 by Karl Digerness - San Francisco, CA
 Additional recording and engineering during post production by Paul Scodova - Birmingham, AL
 
 

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Life is wasted if we do not grasp the glory of the cross, cherish it for the treasure that it is and cleave to it as the highest price of every pleasure and the deepest comfort in every pain. What was once foolishness to us, a crucified God, must become our wisdom and our power and our only boast in this world. John Piper, this is the Bright Forever. Hello and welcome to the Bright Forever where each week, we rediscover the power and richness found in some of the greatest hymns of the faith. My name is Andy Peavyhouse and I am your host and guide on this, our adventure through hymnody. In our last episode, we dove into the profound theological depth of. There is a Fountain Filled with Blood and reflected on the redemption it proclaims through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and his miraculous resurrection, and we declared we are a resurrection people are a resurrection people. It was a great week and I hope and pray that each of you had a wonderful and very happy Eastertide. I can't think of a better follow-up to Easter than our hymn for today, and I know some of you are already out there going. I don't know if I've ever heard of this hymn before. It's okay, it's okay, don't worry, just follow me here. With its stirring imagery, profound lyrical symphony, our hymn today paints a beautiful picture of a savior that has completed his mission and we have crowned him King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Today we are going to be discussing Look Ye Saints, the sight is glorious, by Thomas Kelly.

Speaker 1: 2:42

Let's take a minute to just reflect on the significance of hymns in worship. I know a lot of you are probably out there and you're like man. I miss the hymns in worship and I would agree with you. Hymns have a unique ability to capture profound theological truth in a very poetic and melodic way. It allows us to express our deepest beliefs and emotions in song and they serve as a vehicle for conveying timeless truth and the message of the gospel from one generation to the next, reminding us of God's faithfulness and grace throughout history. Hymns are so important and if you have a church and if you have the ability to talk to your worship pastor not in a mean way please don't go up and be like, oh, we need to do more hymns and you're ruining church. That's not what I'm talking about, because there are some amazing choruses out there. There are some amazing songs that are being written even today, so I'm not saying just throw everything out except old hymns, but don't neglect them, because I just in the past couple of years doing this podcast, I have been overwhelmed and I have been reminded of how much and how deeply to talk to the one person who, I believe, kind of inspired all of this, and that is my aunt, faye Peavyhouse, who taught me in Young Musicians Choir when I was in elementary school, and so I just wanted to throw that out there.

Speaker 1: 5:15

I I I don't usually talk about it, but I'm I just have this feeling that we need to remember these hymns. We need to remember the power that these hymns have in the words that they convey. So with that, let's journey through the history of this amazing hymn, the theology that we will uncover, the story behind its creation and the truths that it proclaims. So grab your favorite hymnal, grab your Bible, settle into a comfortable spot and let's journey together as we explore this hymn. Look ye saints, the sight is glorious, this hymn Look ye saints, the sight is glorious. But before we dive in, don't forget to hit that subscribe button and follow us so you never miss an episode. Now that we've set the stage, let's dive into the authorship and the history behind. Look, ye Saints, the sight is glorious. This hymn, written by Thomas Kelly, holds a powerful story of conversion and the author's deep faith and enduring hope in the promises of God.

Speaker 1: 6:42

Thomas Kelly was born in Ireland in 1769. As a child, kelly was brought up in the Anglican tradition In the early 19th century. As an adult, kelly underwent a spiritual transformation. He experienced a profound encounter with God that led to his conversion to evangelical Christianity. This spiritual awakening profoundly influenced his life and ministry. Inspired by the evangelical revival that was sweeping across Europe at the time, he felt compelled to share the message of salvation through Christ and Christ alone. Despite facing opposition from his family, who continued to follow in the Anglican tradition, he became deeply involved in the evangelical movement, embracing its emphasis on personal faith, biblical authority and the need for spiritual renewal. Kelly's newfound faith compelled him to abandon his legal career and pursue ministry as a preacher and hymn writer. It was during this time of fervent devotion that Kelly penned the words to our hymn for today.

Speaker 1: 8:08

Throughout his life, thomas Kelly composed numerous hymns that reflected his evangelical convictions and desire to proclaim the gospel message. His hymns often emphasized themes of redemption, grace and the supremacy of Christ. But probably one of his most well-known hymns Look Ye Saints, the Site is Glorious captured each of these themes and serves as a testament to Kelly's commitment to sharing the message of salvation with others. And it continues to impact worshipers still today. The hymn first published in 1806, exudes a sense of triumphant anticipation and joyful exaltation in the victory of Christ over sin and death. Its stirring imagery and vibrant language paint a vivid picture of the glorious return of the Savior, filling believers with hope and assurance in the promises of God. As we reflect on the history of Look Ye Saints, the site is glorious, the sight is glorious we're reminded of the enduring power of hymns to inspire and uplift the hearts of believers across generations. Thomas Kelly's legacy lives on through this timeless hymn and continues to resonate with worshipers around the world.

Speaker 1: 9:51

As we explore the theological depth of Look Ye Saints, the Sight is Glorious, we see that each verse of this hymn offers a rich portrayal of Christ's exaltation and the response it evokes from believers. Look ye saints, the sight is glorious. See the man of sorrows, now From the fight returned victorious. Every knee to him shall bow. Crown him. Crown him. Crowns become the victor's brow. Crown the savior angels. Crown him rich the trophies. Jesus brings in the seat of power. Enthrone him while the vault of heaven rings. Crown him, crown him. Crown the Savior, king of Kings. Sinners in derision crowned him, mocking thus the Savior's claim. Saints and angels crowd around him. Own his title, praise his name, crown him, crown him. Spread abroad the victor's fame. Hark those bursts of acclamation, hark those loud triumphant chords. Jesus takes the highest station. Oh, what joy the sight affords. Crown Him, crown Him, crown him. King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Speaker 1: 12:00

In the first stanza we're invited to behold the glorious sight of the victorious man of sorrows. Some versions change man of sorrows to the exalted savior, I assume in an effort to focus the song more on the exaltation of Christ and less on the actual picture of crucifixion. For more on the imagery drawn through man of Sorrows, you can check out episode 16 from a few weeks back, called man of Sorrows what a Name. The term is from the Suffering Servant passage in Isaiah 53, which portrays Christ's agony and subsequent triumph over sin and death. It tells that Jesus was indeed acquainted with our sorrows and our grief, but through his victory, according to Philippians 2, every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that he is Lord. Moreover, revelation, chapter 19, verses 11 and 12, depict Jesus as the one crowned with many crowns there's another song for you We'll probably do that song soon Signifying his authority and sovereignty. In the second stanza, we're called to crown the Savior with rich trophies as he takes his seat of power and authority. This picture echoes Daniel's vision in the book of Daniel, chapter seven, verses 13 through 14, where the son of man receives dominion and glory from the ancient of days. It says and behold, with the clouds of heaven. There came one like a son of man, and he came to the ancient of days and was presented before him, and to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom that all peoples, nations and languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed. Then we see in Ephesians 1, verses 19-23, it says and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power towards us who believe, according to the working of his great might, that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at the right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. Paul reveals that Jesus was enthroned in the heavenly places after his resurrection, signifying his reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, as described in Revelation 11.15. Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet and there were loud voices in heaven saying the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.

Speaker 1: 15:58

The third stanza highlights the contrasting responses of Christ's kinship. While sinners mock him at his crucifixion, saints and angels now gather to praise his name. Man. I feel this verse. I feel this verse so painfully. I put myself in that place.

Speaker 1: 16:28

I was once one of those sinners who mockingly put a crown of thorns on his head. My sin, through my sin, I mocked and laughed at God and just kept on sinning, not caring what it did to him, not caring what he'd done for me. But now my life has been turned around and because of grace, because of what he did on the cross, now I stand with the saints and angels and exalt my God for his son and for the grace that I do not deserve. The mocking crown of thorns has become a regal crown of glory as I bow down and worship the victorious king. Worship the victorious King. The transformation depicted in the song so vividly reflects that of scripture, where, in Mark 15, we see Jesus endure ridicule and scorn, and then, in revelation, chapter seven, verses nine through 15, a multitude of saints and angels worship and bow down before him. It closes the verse with the reason for this praise. It lies in the victor, jesus's victory over death, over sin, over hell, over the grave, through his resurrection, and his victory is affirmed in Romans 1 3-6. Concerning his son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the son of God in power according to the spirit of holiness, by his resurrection from the dead. Jesus Christ, our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith, for the sake of his name, among the nations, including you, who are called to belong to Jesus Christ. What's interesting about this third verse is I didn't even hear it until I started looking at this for the podcast.

Speaker 1: 19:27

I've always loved this song done by Red Mountain Church Crown Him. I couldn't even find it. It took me like weeks to find the actual hymn. I didn't know it wasn't called Crown Him. And I type in Crown Him into all these different searches, google and all these other places, and all I find is Crown Him. And I type in Crown Him into all these different searches, google and all these other places, and all I find is Crown Him with many crowns. I'm going. Okay, maybe I'm just making this up, maybe this hymn doesn't actually exist, and so I start going. Okay, well, let me just type in the lyrics of the song and see what pops up. And I type in the very first lyric of the song Look ye, saints, the sight is glorious. And boom, I find all of this. Well, this third verse I didn't even know existed In the Red Mountain Church version there's only verses one, two and four and they don't do three.

Speaker 1: 20:22

And so I didn't know this even existed. And I'm looking at it, going man, I see myself in this verse. So much I see myself. I see my sin and my mocking. And sinners in derision crowned him mocking. Thus the Savior's claim. Saints and angels crowd around him. Own his title, praise his name, crown him. Crown him, spread abroad the victor's fame. My sin, my mocking is what put him on that cross. But saints and angels crowd around him to see what he has done, to see the grace that he has purchased, own his title and praise his name, own that title of the man of sorrows, own that title the son of man, own that title as savior and king of kings and Lord of lords, and spread abroad the victor's fame. Ah, love it. And it sets up verse four so perfectly because, finally, the fourth stanza comes along and resounds with bursts of acclamation as Jesus takes his highest station, seated at the right hand of God. Ah, I love the phrase bursts of acclamation. I love that this scene points us to so many different scriptures, but Hebrews, chapter two, verse nine, that he is crowned with glory and honor.

Speaker 1: 22:20

Acts, chapter two, verses 29 to 36, confirm that Jesus has been exalted to the highest position. He is seated at the right hand of the father and fulfills the prophecy of Psalm 110, verse one sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool. This is Jesus. Make your enemies your footstool. This is Jesus. He is at the right hand of the Father and the enemy is defeated under his feet.

Speaker 1: 22:58

I remember this song that I used to sing. It became like an inside joke when I was on staff at First Baptist Brandon that it's like the only song that I ever sang with the choir. It's called we Are United. It says we are united in Jesus Christ. We are the soldiers of the light. We don't wrestle flesh and blood, but principalities of the dark. We do our marching to one beat, crushing the enemy under our feet. We are mighty in our stand, with God's word in our hand.

Speaker 1: 23:28

And this idea that God is at his highest station. Jesus has been placed at his highest station, just like the verse says. Hark those bursts of acclamation, hark those loud, triumphant chords. Jesus takes the highest station. Oh, what joy the sight affords. Crown him, crown him, king of Kings and Lord of Lords. But even more so than any of these scriptures, it mirrors the heavenly worship depicted in Revelation, chapter five, verses eight through 12, where Jesus receives honor and glory from all of creation. You want to hear a burst of acclamation? Check this out.

Speaker 1: 24:20

And when he had taken the scroll, and when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the 24 elders fell down before the lamb, each holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And check this out. And they sang a new song. And they sang a new song saying worthy are you to take the scroll, to open its seals, for you were slain and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth. Then I looked and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders, the voice of many angels numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice Worthy is the lamb who was slain, lamb who was slain to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.

Speaker 1: 26:00

You know I've done this a couple of times lately, but as I'm reading this I am reminded of another Andrew Peterson song. I think this is like the third time this season, if you haven't grasped it quite yet. He is one of my probably my most favorite singer songwriters. But I digress. I'm reminded of his song Is he worthy, which, if it weren't for copyright, I'd play it for you right now because it is an amazing song. But instead I'm going to read it to you, or at least I'm going to pick up at verse three.

Speaker 1: 26:34

It says does the Father truly love us? He does. Does the Spirit move among us? He does. Does the Spirit move among us? He does. And does Jesus, our Messiah, hold forever those he loves? He does. Does our God intend to dwell again with us? He does. Is anyone worthy? Is anyone whole? Is anyone able to break the seal and open the scroll.

Speaker 1: 27:08

The lion of Judah who conquered the grave. He is David's root and the lamb who died to ransom the slave From every people and tribe, every nation and tongue. He has made us a kingdom and priests to God to reign with the Son. Is he worthy? Is he worthy of all blessing and honor and glory? Is he worthy? Is he worthy? Is he worthy of this? He is. If any of you out there are friends of, or no friends of, andrew Peterson, I'd love to talk to him on the podcast. So if you want to make that happen, please feel free. But seriously, hark those bursts of acclamation, hark those loud triumphant chords. Jesus takes the highest station. Oh, what joy the sight affords. Crown him, crown him, king of Kings and Lord of Lords. As we reflect on the theology woven into each verse of this hymn, may we be reminded to acknowledge Jesus as King and Lord, as our King and our Lord. May we be reminded that he is worthy of all blessing and honor and glory, and may we join the saints and angels in exalting his name now and for all eternity.

Speaker 1: 29:20

I know that with Easter and Good Friday and the season of Lent, it's a lot of from the depths of woe. Man of sorrows, were you there when they crucified my Lord? There's a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel's veins, and it's hard to think about, sometimes hard to think about. Sometimes these are some pretty heady type songs, but then you get a reminder like this one Look ye, saints, the sight is glorious, the sight is glorious From the depths of my woe. Look ye, saints, the sight is glorious. Man of sorrows hanging on the cross. Look ye, saints, the sight is glorious. Were you there when they crucified my Lord? Look ye, saints, the sight is glorious. Look you, saints, the sight is glorious. There's a fountain filled with blood. Look you, saints, the sight is glorious. That man of sorrows on the cross, look, look and see what he's done. Look you, saints, the sight is glorious and it causes us to burst with acclamation as we crown him King of Kings and Lord of.

Speaker 1: 31:08

Lords.

Speaker 3: 31:20

Look ye, saints, the sight is glorious. See the exalted Savior. Now, from the fight, return victorious. Every knee To him shall bow. Crown him, crown him, crowns, become the victor's crown. Become the victor's crown. Crown the Savior. Saints adore Him, rich the trophies Jesus brings. Saints and angels bow before Him While the vault of heaven rings. Crown him, crown him. Crown the Savior, king of kings. Hark those bursts of acclamation, hark those loud triumphant chords. Jesus takes the highest station. Oh, what joy the sight affords. Crown Him. Crown Him King of kings and Lord of Lords. Crown Him. Crown Him King of Kings and Lord of Lords of love.

Speaker 1: 33:33

That was Crown Hymn performed by Red Mountain Church from their 2007 album this Breaks my Heart of Stone. For more information about this song and all of the amazing resources available from Red Mountain Church, check out the links in the show notes for this episode. Before we wrap up today's episode, I want to leave you with this Look, ye, saints, the sight is glorious, reminds us of the hope we have in what Christ has done, his triumphant return and the assurance we have in his victory over sin and death. It calls us to fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, and to live with eager expectation of the day when we will see him face to face. As we listen to this beautiful hymn, let it stir our hearts to worship and praise and let it spur us on to live boldly for the kingdom of God. May we, like the saints of old, proclaim the glorious truth of Christ's resurrection and eagerly await his coming again. Thank you for joining me this week on the Bright Forever, and I hope you've been encouraged and inspired by this amazing him and the timeless truths it contains. Remember the hope we have in Christ is our anchor in the storms of life. Is our anchor in the storms of life, and it is our privilege to share this hope with a lost and dying world around us. You can also share with people about an amazing podcast that you listen to, called the Bright Forever. So please remember to follow us, review us and, of course, subscribe and check us out on our website at thebrightforevercom. Post a comment on our Facebook or a review on our website or any of the other myriad of platforms you can find us on. I'd love to hear from you. Consider sending us an email at podcast at the bright forevercom Again, that's podcast at the bright forevercom or send us a message through our contact form on our website. You can even tell us what you think by clicking the radio microphone in the bottom right corner of our website and recording a message of up to two minutes, and let us know what you think of the show.

Speaker 1: 36:31

I have been blown away over the last couple of weeks by your financial support. We received multiple one-time gifts this past week and I I really don't know what to say other than thank you. These gifts come at just the right time when we need them most and I I just want to say thank you. Thank you for believing in what we're doing. If you feel a call to help us reach a greater audience with these amazing hymns, take a moment. Go to thebrightforevercom. Click on the Support the podcast tab in the menu. You can subscribe and give three, five, eight or $10 a month to help support us by joining the Bright Forever Plus. Or if you're not ready to commit to something every single month, you can click the yellow coffee icon at the bottom left of our page and give a $5 or greater one-time gift through our buymeacoffeecom supporters account. You can also click on donate on the website and it will take you to a link for both the buymeac Coffee app and also to PayPal if you would rather go through PayPal. Thank you again and thank you for listening, and I hope you all have an amazing week.

Speaker 1: 38:19

Before we go, let me close this out in prayer. Lord, as we close today's episode, we are so grateful for songs like today's, as it reminds us that even the agony and pain we see brings the most glorious acclamation to your son for all he has done for us. Continue to remind us of the deep truths of our faith and the hope we have in Christ's finished work on the cross. We pray that the music and words we've heard today would continue to resonate in our hearts throughout the days and weeks ahead. May we be inspired to live boldly for your kingdom and to eagerly await the day of Christ's return. We ask all of these things in the precious name of your son, Jesus Christ. Amen, Amen. God bless you all. Have a great week and we'll see you back here next week. We're out. Thank you.