Chris Tomlin – God of Calvary

Contemporary Christian juggernaut Chris Tomlin began his career in 1993.  He released seventeen albums, including:

• Inside Your Love (1995)
• Authentic (1998)
• Too Much Free Time (1998)
• The Noise We Make (2001)
• Not to Us (2002)
• Arriving (2004)
• See the Morning (2006)
• Hello Love (2008)
• And If Our God Is for Us… (2010)
• Burning Lights (2013)
• Love Ran Red (2014)
• Adore: Christmas Songs Of Worship (2015)
• Never Lose Sight (2016)
• Holy Roar (2018)
• Chris Tomlin & Friends (2020)
• Miracle of Love: Christmas Songs of Worship (2020)
• Always (2022)

He is a 26-time award recipient, including 23 Dove Awards, 2 Billboard awards, and 1 Grammy.

Also, check out my other Chris Tomlin reviews and Christmas song Noel.

Note to new users: This is a different kind of review site!  Read About the Berean Test and Evaluation Criteria prior to reading this review.

1. What message does the song communicate?

This song recounts several events surrounding Jesus’ death and resurrection, including:

• His crucifixion at Calvary
• Darkness
• He is the slain Lamb
• He conquered death

In response, we praise Him for His sacrifice and remember what He did for us.

The song’s title, as well as the Father hiding His face amid Jesus’ sacrifice, is unsupported in Scripture and discussed in more detail later in section 2.  In addition, this song also has other statements that are not in the Bible, but are minor issues:

• The angels wept when Christ died.
• Jesus’ mother visited Jesus’ tomb.
• Jesus’ mother wept during her visit.

Score: 7/10

2. How much of the lyrics line up with Scripture?

While the majority of these song lyrics are congruent with the Bible, other things such as the crying angels, the Father looking away, that God is the God of Calvary, and that Jesus’ mother visited His tomb are absent in God’s inspired Word.

Lyrics posted with permission.*

[Verse 1]

On the hill of Calvary, the Light of all the world

Also known as Golgotha or “the skull”, Calvary is where Jesus was crucified (Matthew 27:33, Mark 15:22, and John 19:17). The English name “Calvary” derives from the Vulgate Latin “Calvariae”, which means “skullcap”.  He is also known as the “Light of the world” according to John 8:12.

With the world on His shoulders
The weight of all our shame, on Him who knew no sin
A Holy surrender

He was sinless (Isaiah 53:9, Matthew 27:24, John 19:4, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Hebrews 4:15, 1 Peter 1:18-19, 1 Peter 2:21-23, and 1 John 3:5), yet, paid the penalty for our lawbreaking (Isaiah 53:1-12, Matthew 20:28, Mark 10:45, John 1:29, John 3:16, John 19:30, Acts 4:12, Acts 20:28, Romans 5:6-10, Romans 6:23, 1 Corinthians 1:30, 1 Corinthians 6:20, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Galatians 1:3-4, Galatians 3:13, Ephesians 1:7, Colossians 2:14, 1 Timothy 2:6, Titus 2:14, Hebrews 9:12, Hebrews 9:15-26, 1 Peter 1:17-21, 1 Peter 2:24, 1 John 1:7, 1 John 2:1-2, and Revelation 5:9).

The sky went dark, the Angels wept

Though the dark sky is supported in Scripture (Matthew 27:45, Mark 15:33, and Luke 23:44), the weeping angels are not.

The Father looked away

Though some would cite Psalm 22:1-31 to support this phrase, the Psalmist is asking the Father to stay near, to deliver them, and, in Verse 24, that He has not hidden His face.

The final breath, He bowed His head

As stated in Mark 15:37 and Luke 23:46.

The lamb of God was slain

Another reference to Jesus and His sacrifice (Isaiah 53:7, John 1:29, John 1:36, Acts 8:32, 1 Peter 1:19, Revelation 5:6-8, Revelation 5:12-13, Revelation 6:1, Revelation 7:9-17, Revelation 12:11, Revelation 13:8, Revelation 14:1-10, Revelation 15:3, Revelation 17:14, Revelation 19:7-9, and Revelation 21:9).

[Chorus 1]

By His wounds I am set free
By His blood I’ve been redeemed
The great divide He crossed for me

Tomlin’s freedom (Psalm 119:45, Isaiah 58:6, Isaiah 61:1, John 3:16-21, John 8:31-36, John 10:10, Acts 13:38-39, Romans 6:1-23, Romans 8:1-4, Romans 8:20-21, 1 Corinthians 6:12, 1 Corinthians 7:21-23, 2 Corinthians 3:17, Galatians 2:4, Galatians 3:13, Galatians 3:22, Galatians 5:1, Galatians 5:13, Colossians 1:21-23, Hebrews 2:14-15, and 1 Peter 2:16) from the consequences of his lawbreaking came at a high price (see Verse 1, lines 2-4).

Oh, praise the God of Calvary

This is poorly worded.  As stated in my opening commentary on Verse 1, Calvary means “the skull”.  Christ is not the God of the skull.  He is the God who died on Calvary.  He is the God who was sacrificed on Calvary.  He is the God who created the hill known as “Calvary”.  But, He is not the “God of Calvary”.

[Verse 2]

On the hill of Calvary, into the Father’s hands

Essentially repeats Verse 1, line 1.

A Holy surrender

Repeats Verse 1, line 4.

A borrowed tomb, His mother wept
And there His body lay

Contrary to popular belief, Scripture does not say that Mary, the mother of Jesus, visited His tomb.  Maybe she did, and undoubtedly, she would have wept during the visit.  maybe she was too emotionally distraught to make the trek.  Scripture states that it was Mary Magdeline, Mary, the mother of James, and Salome were there (Matthew 28:1, Mark 16:1, and John 20:1).  While the mother of James could potentially be her (based on Matthew 13:55, Mark 6:2-3, and Galatians 1:19), it begs the question: why call her the mother of James and not the mother of Jesus?  Or, the mother of James, the brother of Jesus?

I cannot say that Mary was present at Jesus’ tomb, much less than she wept.  However, Tomlin’s statement that it was “borrowed” alludes to His resurrection, which is explicitly stated two lines later.

The stone was moved, He conquered death
And rose from the grave

Christ rose from the dead (Matthew 28:1-20, Mark 16:1-20, Luke 24:1-12, John 20:1-29, Acts 1:3, Acts 3:15, Acts 4:33, and 1 Corinthians 15:3-8) and defeated death (Isaiah 25:8, Hosea 13:14, Luke 20:35-36, 1 Corinthians 15:24-26, 1 Corinthians 15:55-57, 2 Timothy 1:10, and Hebrews 2:14).

[Bridge]

And if I never, never
Lose sight of this place
I will never, never
Lose sight of Your grace
The Cross is all, all I need to see

This points to communion, which is a time to remember what Jesus did (Matthew 26:26-28, Mark 14:22-24, Luke 22:19-20, and 1 Corinthians 11:23-26).

Oh, praise the God of Calvary

Essentially repeats Chorus 1, line 4.

And if I never, never
Lose sight of this place
I will never, never
Lose sight of Your grace
The Cross is all, all I need to see
Oh, praise the God of Calvary

Repeats lines 1-6.

[Chorus 2]

By Your wounds I am set free
By Your blood I’ve been redeemed
The great divide You crossed for me
Oh, praise the God of Calvary

Essentially repeats Chorus 1, lines 1-4 by personalizing it.

Your Cross is all, all I need to see
Oh, praise the God of Calvary

Essentially repeats Bridge, lines 5 and 6.  Much like lines 1 and 2, Tomlin makes this personal.

Score: 7/10

3. How would an outsider interpret the song?

Unbelievers will conclude that this song is about Christians praising Jesus for His death, burial, and resurrection.  Tomlin made this explicit with terms like “Calvary”, “final breath”, “Jesus”, “conquered death”, and “rose from the grave”.  They probably aren’t aware of the issues that I raised in the previous two sections.  However, the often misunderstood word “sin” is paired with “shame”, making it more than mere mistakes from their perspective.

Score: 6/10

4. What does this song glorify?

While it glorifies Jesus that Tomlin remembers His death, celebrates His resurrection, and embraces freedom in Christ, it does not glorify Him that this song states that He is the “God of the skull”, that the Father looked away amid Jesus’ sacrifice, and a few minor details that aren’t in the Bible.

Score: 7/10

Closing Comments

Chris Tomlin’s God of Calvary is a mixed bag. Although I commend Tomlin for giving us reasons to worship Jesus, namely, for His sacrifice and rising from the dead that frees us from the consequences of our sinful actions, I also found several lyrics that are unsupported in Scripture, including the Father looking away, that Christ is called the “God of Calvary” (or the God of the skull), His mother visited His tomb and wept, and the angels cried amid His crucifixion and death. Unbelievers will comprehend the basic events surrounding His death, burial, and resurrection, but will probably not know this song has problems without deeper research.

I cannot recommend this song for corporate worship.

Final Score: 7/10

Artist Info

Track: God of Calvary (listen to the song)

Artist: Chris Tomlin

Album: Never Lose Sight

Genre: Contemporary Christian Music (CCM)

Release Year: 2016

Duration: 4:44

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