“Why?”
Lyrics: “Why?”
What made you leave your heaven for me?
Why were you hung for your child to be?
What love reached out so far and wide
To bring me in from the dark outside?
What name did you give me before time began?
Why for me, my God, were you made man?
What darkness hide what he endured
When your holy wrath on your Son was poured?
Why in my place were you willing to die
And be nailed to a cross til your breath expire?
Why pay my price with your body torn
As forsaken there you wept alone?
Oh why is it hard to love you as I should?
Do I try enough to be like you Lord?
So dear Shepherd help me while we’re apart
To look up to Jesus, the hope of my heart.
About the Song
Born out of a time of intense personal suffering during the COVID-19 pandemic, "Why?" is the first song I wrote, recorded on my iphone under the bedclothes, and grew from a prayer. It marks the beginning of my songwriting journey. A plaintive, deeply emotional ballad, it’s short, simple structure (four four-line verses with no bridge or chorus) carries a series of raw, reflective questions personally addressed to the Almighty God, exploring the profound mystery of Christ's sacrifice, incarnation, and enduring love. The key question and motivation for the song - “why should a depraved sinner like me receive such Grace and Mercy?” propels every line. The lyric ultimately shifts from wrestling with the agony of the crucifixion in relation to my complete underservedness - to an intimate, vulnerable prayer for help to love God more fully while navigating earthly separation from my Father. I cannot see the One who has loved me eternally…..and whom I wish to love more and more until I see Him face to face.
Scripture References & Reflections
This reflection pairs scripture with song lyrics to meditate on the profound theme of Christ's sacrificial love for humanity. It explores the themes of substitution, redemption, and the longing for a deeper connection with God.
Verse 1
"What made you leave your heaven for me?"
Psalm 144:5 / Philippians 2:6-7 — Meditates on the staggering humility of the Creator stepping down from glory into our broken world. It emphasises that Christ’s descent was a deliberate, voluntary relinquishing of His heavenly, Kingly status out of a deeply personal love for us.
"Why were you hung for your child to be?"
Deuteronomy 21:23 / Galatians 3:13 — Highlights the immense cost of our adoption into God's family, which required Christ to become a curse in our place. By hanging on the tree, Jesus bore the ultimate legal penalty of the law to transform us from condemned outsiders into beloved children.
"What love reached out so far and wide"
Psalm 103:11-12 / Ephesians 3:18-19 — Contemplates the immeasurable, cosmic dimensions of divine mercy that surpass human comprehension. It shows that God’s grace is active and relentless, spanning the greatest possible distance to bridge the chasm caused by our sin.
"To bring me in from the dark outside?"
Isaiah 9:2 / 1 Peter 2:9 — Celebrates the dramatic rescue from spiritual blindness, isolation, and death into God’s marvellous light. This line captures the transition from being hopelessly lost and estranged to being safely brought home into His kingdom of light and grace. (See also John 8:12).
Verse 2
"What name did you give me before time began?"
Isaiah 43:1 / Ephesians 1:4 — Anchors the believer’s identity in God's sovereign, eternal choice before the foundation of the world. It reminds us that we are intimately known, named, and chosen by grace long before we ever took our first breath. (See also Psalm 139:15-16).
"Why for me, my God, were you made man?"
Genesis 3:15 / Hebrews 2:14 — Focuses on the precise purpose of Christ’s incarnation—taking on fragile human flesh specifically to conquer death and defeat the devil. It highlights the mystery of an infinite God becoming finite so that He could physically suffer and die for our sake.
"What darkness hide what he endured"
Amos 8:9 / Matthew 27:45 — Considers the immense spiritual weight of the crucifixion, where cosmic darkness mirrored the agony of the cross. It indicates the totality and depth of the judgment God meted out upon Jesus on our behalf, completely obscuring the horrific scene from human eyes.
"When your holy wrath on your Son was poured?"
Isaiah 53:10 / Romans 3:25-26 — Explores the intense reality of substitutionary atonement, where the full weight of divine justice against sin was directed at the perfect Lamb of God. Jesus absorbed the righteous anger of God so that we could receive absolute, unmerited justification.
Verse 3
"Why in my place were you willing to die"
Isaiah 53:5 / Romans 5:8 — Marvels at the voluntary and selfless nature of Christ's substitutionary death while we were still helpless sinners. It stresses that His sacrifice was not coerced; his obedience to the Father not grudging; it was the ultimate, concrete demonstration of His eternal love for us. (See also John 15:12-13).
"And be nailed to a cross til your breath expire?"
Psalm 22:16 / John 19:30 — Details the precise, agonising fulfilment of Old Testament prophecy through the physical reality of crucifixion. The finality of Jesus’ expired breath marks the absolute completion of the work required to purchase our salvation.
"Why pay my price with your body torn"
Zechariah 12:10 / 1 Corinthians 11:24 — Focuses on the devastating physical and spiritual price paid to redeem us from the bondage of sin. Christ’s broken body stands as the eternal, visible proof of the costly new covenant established on our behalf. (See also Isaiah 53:5, Psalm 22:14-17).
"As forsaken there you wept alone?"
Psalm 22:1 / Matthew 27:46 — Ponders the agonising isolation and crushing grief of Christ as He bore the sins of the world completely alone. In that horrific moment, the perfect fellowship within the Trinity was fractured by judgment, leaving the Son truly forsaken for our sake.
Verse 4
"Oh why is it hard to love you as I should?"
Deuteronomy 30:6 / Romans 7:21-23 — Expresses the raw, painful frustration of the believer wrestling with the lingering presence of the flesh. It acknowledges that even when our spirits long to love God perfectly, our broken human nature constantly wages war against our desires.
"Do I try enough to be like you Lord?"
Psalm 119:5-6 / Philippians 3:12-14 — Examines the human struggle within sanctification and the constant desire to mirror Christ’s character. It reflects a heart that, while acknowledging its own shortcomings and weaknesses, deeply longs to press forward toward holiness.
"So dear Shepherd help me while we’re apart"
Psalm 23:1-3 / John 10:11 — Invokes the tender, protective care of the Good Shepherd to guide and sustain us through the wilderness of this earthly life. It acknowledges our current state of exile and separation, leaning entirely on His faithfulness to keep us from wandering.
"To look up to Jesus, the hope of my heart."
Isaiah 45:22 / Hebrews 12:2 — Concludes with a resolute, deliberate shift of focus away from our own failures and onto the author and perfecter of our faith. It affirms that our ultimate hope and security rest entirely outside of ourselves, anchored securely in the person of Jesus.
