As a devoted enthusiast of Southern rock, I have long reveled in the musical offerings of Collective Soul, Third Day, and NEEDTOBREATHE. It was only natural that I found myself irresistibly drawn to the captivating melodies of artist Rhett Walker.
His debut album, Come to the River, boasts the chart-topping title track and the soul-stirring “When Mercy Found Me,” both serve as profound expressions of faith, illuminating what God has wrought in our lives. These songs stand as irrefutable evidence of our belief in Christ, compelling us to share our testimonies.
Rhett's sophomore endeavor, Here’s to the Ones, made a resounding entrance with “Broken Man” and continued to captivate with tracks like “Clone,” “Here’s to the Ones,” and the emotionally charged and infectious single, “Love Like Jesus.”
Rhett has returned triumphantly with his recent releases, Good to Me, featuring “Believer” and Gospel Song, which includes the soulful “All Joy No Stress.” His recent signing with BEC Recordings led to the release of “Man on the Middle Cross.” I had the privilege of conversing with Rhett, delving into the nuances of his catchy new song.
Please tell me the personal story behind this song.
I co-wrote the song with songwriters Matthew West, AJ Pruis, and Matt Jenkins. I came across a clip of pastor Alistair Begg’s sermon on social media, and he was speaking about the two men on both sides of Jesus on the cross. The man on the right ends up in heaven. Stunned, the angels in heaven ask, “How are you here? You weren’t a follower of Jesus. You didn’t live a life worth gaining heaven.” And the man said, “I don’t know how I’m here or where I am, but the man on the middle cross said I could be here.”
Which Bible verses connect to the message of the song?
Mark 16:15-16(NKJV): "And He said to them, 'Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved, but he who does not believe will be condemned.'"
Romans 1:16(NKJV): "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek."
1 Peter 2:24(NIV): "He himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; By His wounds, you have been healed."
John 15:13(NKJV): "Greater love has no one than this than to lay down one's life for his friends."
Philippians 2:10-11(NIV): "That at the name of Jesus, every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
John 6:53-54(NKJV): Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day."
John 14:6(NIV): Jesus answered, "I am the way, truth, and life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."
Ephesians 2:1(NKJV): "And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins."
Ephesians 2:6(NIV): "And God raised us with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus."
Romans 8:37(NLT): "No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us."
What is the takeaway message?
This message reminds us that grace and mercy have nothing to do with us. There’s nothing we could do to earn it and nothing we could do to deserve it. It’s only and has always been about Jesus, who He is, what He did, and the grace that he continues to pour out, which is why I thank God for the Man on the middle cross.
Lyrics
Heard the preacher talking about three wood crosses Up on a hill, everyone to see Two sinners on the outside couldn't save themselves if they tried All I could think is man, that sounds like me
I’ve been the one on the left, full of guilt and regret long gone on the wrong side of living I've been the one on the right, always looking for a fight, thinking I could never be forgiven I'm standing here today Overwhelmed by grace cause, I know who paid my cost Thank God for the man on the middle cross
He didn't have to do it But for me, He went through it A love like that I'll never understand Lord knows I don't deserve it And I know I couldn't earn it Mercy rained down on this desperate man
The cross is where he went But that ain’t where he stayed He brought me back to life when He rose up out of that grave Someday, I’ll stand before him And I’ll See Jesus face to face I’ll worship and adore him For a life forever changed
Closing Thoughts
This song is about having a strong faith. Without faith, it is impossible to please God. Sometimes, we can try to know everything. God tells us in the Bible that we can do anything in Christ with faith. One lesson I've learned about life is that we should immediately fix ourselves before we step out in faith. We need to trust God fully. Look for ways to obey Him. Offer your faith to Him by sharing what He has done in your life with a non-believer.
The core of our faith as Christians is in John 14:6: Jesus is the only way. Despite what a secular culture tells us, all roads don't lead to heaven. This is a significant and uplifting song. We all need to be bold as followers of Jesus and express that truth, celebrating His death on the Cross and victory over sin.
This empowering song reflects the joy we receive when we don't rely on our own understanding but wholly trust in the ability of Jesus to lift us, no matter our circumstances.
Jesus invites us to rely on His resurrection power and conquer death and fear. One truth that we can rally behind together as followers of Christ is that God is our Father. God sent his son, Jesus, to die for our sins, and He rose again, defeating death.
We can all say hallelujah and celebrate those truths together while singing along with this song. 1 Corinthians 1:18 (NKJV) tells us, “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness, but unto us which are saved it is the power of God."
This song is a salvation message and moves me to reflect on how much Jesus endured for His bride to purchase us from the grave.
You can decide to admit you’re a sinner, believe that Jesus is the Son of God and came to die as a sinless Savior on our behalf, and choose to make Him the Lord of your life. It's about submitting ourselves to Him and His goodness and allowing His blood to cover us and run through our veins.
This is a great song to express our commitment to run the race well as a believer and not be ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Sing along and proclaim these words as a prayer for salvation for our hurting world: "The cross is where He went/But that ain’t where He stayed/He brought me back to life when He rose up out of that grave/Someday I’ll stand before Him/And I’ll See Jesus face to face/I’ll worship and adore Him/For a life forever changed.” Amen to that.
NRT lead contributor Kevin Davis is a long-time Christian music fan and an avid collector. He credits the message of Christian music for leading him to Christ. He lives in Pennsylvania with his wife and three daughters.
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