Story of the Song - "Nothing but the Blood" by Matt Redman - July 31, 2011

Nothing but the Blood by Matt Redman

“Nothing but the Blood” by Matt Redman draws heavily from the standard hymn of the same name by Dr. Robert Lowry. It is off his CD, “Facedown,” a collection of intense worship songs designed to bring the listener and participant into close communion with God.  A bit of a bio of Matt Redman was featured in the July 16 post entitled, “Blessed Be Your Name.”

This week’s feature song falls squarely into the genre of modern hymns as opposed to “gospel songs” in that its focus is squarely vertical from the singer to the Father.

Matt’s website tells us:

With ''Facedown,'' Matt continues to bring to the church prolific songs for corporate worship. ''Worthy, You Are Worthy,'' with Chris Tomlin and ''Nothing but the Blood,'' a potent cross-centered proclamation of cleansing and restoration, are destined to give voice to worshippers around the globe.

Matt tells us nothing about his thoughts concerning the song, but Bill Dagle writes about the old hymn of the same name by Dr. Lowry (1826-1899). I suspect Matt had the same text in mind.

Dagle writes:

Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, would write these words, "Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God." (Romans 3:25) The emphasis of this verse is on the shed blood that satisfies or propitiates our sin debt. Another way of saying the same thing is, "What can wash away our sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus." More than likely it was this verse or one like it, dealing with the subject of blood, which caused Pastor Robert Lowry to write a hymn.

Born in Philadelphia, on March 12, 1826, young Robert accepted Christ as his personal Savior at the age of 17 and later graduated from Bucknell University with high scholastic honors. In the 73 years of his life here on earth, he pastored churches in Philadelphia, New Jersey, New York City and Brooklyn. Along with his preaching, Dr. Lowry also had the gift of music in the writing of hymns. When asked about his method for writing songs, he would answer by saying:

I have no set method. Sometimes, the music comes and the words follow. I watch my moods, and when anything strikes me, whether words or music, no matter where I am, at home or on the street, I jot it down. My brain is sort of a spinning machine, for there is music running through it all the time. The tunes of nearly all the hymns I have written have been completed on paper, before I tried them on the organ. Frequently, the words of the hymn and the music have been written at the same time.

He [Lowry] supplied the music for such familiar hymns as We’re Marching to Zion, Savior, Thy Dying Love, Where Is my Wandering Boy Tonight, I Need Thee Every Hour and Fanny Crosby’s song, All the Way my Savior Leads Me. The words and music would come together in 1864 to produce Shall We Gather at the River. Then, in the Easter season of 1874, Christ Arose would flow from his pen and his heart. Finally, in 1876, Pastor Lowry would give us the answer to our sin debt in his song, Nothing but the Blood.

Down through the ages, man has tried to work off his sin debt in good works and religion, only to fail. The Bible says, "Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness." (Hebrews 9:22) Robert Lowry understood this very well:

Oh! Precious is the flow, That makes me white as snow,

No other fount I know Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Nothing But the Blood by Matt Redman

Your blood speaks a better word, Than all the empty claims I’ve heard upon this earth
Speaks righteousness for me, And stands in my defense, Jesus it’s Your blood.

[Chorus]
What can wash away our sins? What can make us whole again?
Nothing but the blood, Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
What can wash us pure as snow? Welcomed as the friends of God
Nothing but Your blood, Nothing but Your blood King Jesus.

Your cross testifies in grace, Tells of the Father’s heart to make a way for us
Now boldly we approach, Not by earthly confidence
It’s only Your blood.

[Chorus]

[Coda]

We thank You for the blood; We thank You for the blood,

We praise You for the blood; We praise You for the blood,

Nothing but Your blood, Nothing but Your blood, King Jesus.