February 17, 2005

Jesus Loves Even Me

Words and Music by Philip Paul Bliss, 1838-1876

     As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. John 15:9.

    “I think it was in June, 1870, that ‘Jesus Loves Even Me’ was written,” writes Major Whittle. “Mr. and Mrs. Bliss were at that time members of my family in Chicago [Illinois]. One morning Mrs. Bliss came down to breakfast and said, as she entered the room: ‘Last night Mr. Bliss had a tune given to him that I think is going to live and be one of the most useful that he has written. I have been singing it all morning, and I cannot get it out of my mind.’ She then sang the notes over to us. The idea of Bliss, in writing the hymn, was to bring out the truth that the peace and comfort of a Christian are not founded so much upon his love to Christ as upon Christ’s love to him, and that to occupy the mind with Christ’s love would produce love and consecration…How much God has used this little song to lead sinners and doubting Christians to look away to Jesus, eterni­ty alone can tell.”
    Mr. Bliss said that this song was suggested to him by hearing the chorus of the hymn Oh, how I love Je­sus, repeated very frequently in a meeting which he attended. After joining in the chorus a number of times the thought came to him, “Have I not been singing enough about my poor love for Je­sus, and shall I not rather sing of his great love for me?” Under the impulse of this thought he went home and composed this, one of his most popular children’s hymns.

I am so glad that our Father in Heav’n
Tells of His love in the Book He has giv’n;
Wonderful things in the Bible I see,
This is the dearest, that Jesus loves me.

Though I forget Him, and wander away,
Still He doth love me wherever I stray;
Back to His dear loving arms I do flee,
When I remember that Jesus loves me.

Oh, if there’s only one song I can sing,
When in His beauty I see the great King,
This shall my song through eternity be,
“Oh, what a wonder that Jesus loves me!”

Jesus loves me, and I know I love Him;
Love brought Him down my poor soul to redeem;
Yes, it was love made Him die on the tree;
Oh, I am certain that Jesus loves me!

If one should ask of me, how can I tell?
Glory to Jesus, I know very well!
God’s Holy Spirit with mine doth agree,
Constantly witnessing Jesus loves me.

In this assurance I find sweetest rest,
Trusting in Jesus, I know I am blessed;
Satan, dismayed, from my soul now doth flee,
When I just tell him that Jesus loves me.

Chorus:
I am so glad that Jesus loves me,
Jesus loves me, Jesus loves me.
I am so glad that Jesus loves me,
Jesus loves even me.