One of the first songs we learned as children was “Jesus Loves Me.” What a wonderful truth to plant in the heart of a child from his or her earliest days. And the words still give us joy and settle our hearts in our last days when the time of our home-going draws nigh. One of the most tender moments in my ministry was leading the congregation singing this song at the funeral of a stillborn child. With the tiny white casket at the foot of the pulpit, we claimed this promise for the sorrowing parents, and for all of us as a church family.
It’s a very fitting hymn to sing on the third Sunday in January as we observe the annual “Sanctity of Human Life Sunday.” It was on January 22, 1973, that the United States Supreme Court “invented” a constitutional right for a woman to have an abortion. Since that time, over sixty million children have been slaughtered in their mothers’ womb in this country. In the year 2021, abortion was the number one cause of death in the world, with 42,600,000 children whose lives were violently ended in their mothers’ wombs.
But on the more joyful side of the subject of children in the Lord are the sweet words Jesus spoke to, and about children. “Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” (Matthew 19:14) “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 18:3-4) “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of My Father in heaven.” (Matthew 18:10) Even in the Old Testament, children are precious in the sight of the Lord. “Children are a heritage from the LORD, offspring a reward from Him.” (Psalm 127:3) And in “the great shema” in Deuteronomy 6, God told His people to instruct their children that they might know Him. “And you shall teach them diligently to your children and speak of them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”
One of the very effective ways to teach them is through song. How many of us first memorized Bible verses by learning to sing them, as in “For God so loved the world …” We knew “Jesus Loves the Little Children,” “Oh, How I Love Jesus,” “Deep and Wide,” “This Little Light of Mine,” and “I’ve Got the Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy, Down in My Heart.” But without a doubt the first one that would come to mind would be “Jesus Loves Me.” An early 20th century world-famous European theologian was asked on one occasion what was the most profound theological truth he had ever discovered in his scholarly investigations of scripture. He paused, smiled and said, “The greatest theological insight that I ever had is “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.”
Where did that simple, but profound song come from? It was written in 1860 by Anna Bartlett Warner, born on August 31, 1827 on Long Island. Her father, a wealthy lawyer, lost most of his fortune in the 1837 depression, forcing the family to move to their summer home near the Hudson River. Anna and her sister, Susan, were writers. Their father was a prosperous lawyer. After his death, the Warner sisters began writing as a means to earn a living. Anna wrote a number of novels using the pen name “Amy Lothrop,” and also published two hymn collections. One of their best-selling books was a novel titled “Say and Seal.” Little is remembered of that book, but one small poem hidden in its pages took on a life of its own. Susan wrote the novel, and in the plot needed a poem spoken by a young School teacher named Mr. Linden to a dying orphan child named Johnny Fax, whom he had taught about Jesus. It was Anna who wrote that poem, titled “Jesus Loves Me.” It was never intended to be sung, but that is how it is known today.
Anna and Susan lived in New York state, along the Hudson River near the West Point Military Academy. They were well-known for the Sunday school classes they conducted for the cadets. After both sisters died, their home, called “Good Crag,” was willed to the Military Academy and it stands today as a historical building and national shrine. The sisters were the only civilians ever buried with full military honors in the West Point Military Academy cemetery, in recognition for the years of spiritual service to the young West Point officers. You can view the Warner house by going to this link. Susan died in 1885. Anna continued the classes until she died at the age of 95 on January 22, 1915, at Highland Falls, NY. That was the same year of the death of Fanny Crosby, the “Queen of Gospel Hymnody” (whose 10,000 songs included “Blessed Assurance”).
Anna’s simple poem, “Jesis Loves Me,” is perhaps the best-loved Christian hymn ever composed. It has been translated into more languages than any other. Even after more than 160 years, it remains the number one children’s spiritual song around the world. It is more than a children’s song, though. It is that rare song that connects with all ages. It has the simple lyrics and timeless tune to reach youthful hearts, but it also has the depth to engage adult minds. One preacher went so far as to say, “Everything I ever needed to know about religion I learned from ‘Jesus Loves Me.’” He may not have exaggerated much, for the entire scheme of redemption is found within its lyrics.
The melody to “Jesus Loves Me” was written by William B. Bradbury. He was born in York, Maine, on October 6, 1816. As a young man, he attended the Academy of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. There he became acquainted with Lowell Mason, the “father of American church music.” Bradbury served as choir director and organist in various large Baptist churches and became especially well-known for his work with children. He composed the music for “Jesus Loves Me” and added the refrain in 1861. The tune is sometimes known as CHINA because of its popularity with missionaries in China. It first appeared in “The Golden Shower,” a songbook he published in 1862. Throughout his lifetime he was involved with publishing fifty-nine musical collections, both sacred and secular. He also wrote the music to “Sweet Hour of Prayer” and “Just As I Am”. The amazingly simple melody and harmony are known to everyone.
“Jesus Loves Me” with its simple, direct message, is one of the first hymns missionaries teach to new converts. It was the favorite hymn of the 20th century Christian philosopher and apologist, Francis Schaeffer, who recognized that ultimately what intellectuals and children alike need is the simple message of Jesus. Amy Carmichael, the famous Irish missionary to India, was converted after hearing this hymn at a children’s mission in Yorkshire, England. Our hymnals are filled with marvelous hymns with profound doctrinal and practical truths. But we also need simple songs like this which help children and “baby Christians” rejoice in this central truth of the gospel: “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.” And these also remind mature believers of that foundational truth that we can too easily pass over as too basic, not realizing that we need to be soaking in that gospel every day.
While a few hymnals have additional stanzas, here are the four originally written by Anna Warner.
Stanza 1 gives children the truth (“Jesus loves me”) along with the basis on which we know that (“the Bible tells me so”). That simple assertion of His love is central to the Bible’s message. Even in passages where the Lord’s Word indicts sinners, there is the gospel invitation to come to the one who is more ready to forgive us than we are to ask for forgiveness.
Where does the Bible say He loves us?
- Jesus said, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.” (John 15:9)
- “For the love of Christ compels us.” (2 Corinthians 5:14)
- “The Son of God . . . loved me, and gave Himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20)
- “To Him who loved us, and washed us from our sins.” (Revelation 1:5)
And whom does the Bible say Jesus loved?
- The rich young ruler. (Mark 10:21)
- Martha and Mary. (John 1:15)
- Lazarus. (John 11:3, 36)
- John. (John 13:23;19:26; 20:2; 21:7)
- His disciples. During His last night with His disciples ( John 13-17), Jesus said “love” thirty-one times. (e.g. 13:1, 15, 34–35; 14:15, 21, 23–24; 15:12, 17; 16:27; 17:26).
This song next points to human need: “Little ones to Him belong, they are weak, but He is strong.” We are weak because we sin, and we sin because we are weak. Jesus told Peter, “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:41)). In spite of our weaknesses, Jesus still loves us. Thankfully, He also makes us strong. (Philippians 3:12-14)
Phyllis Zeno’s life was changed the day someone brought a beautiful but troubled girl to her daycare. Born in prison after her mom had used marijuana, crack, and cocaine her entire pregnancy, she did not speak and had little emotional control. When approached, she became violent and fell to a fetal position, crying.
As months passed, Phyllis bonded with this child that no one wanted. She was captivated by one who had so little but needed so much; she was heartbroken that a four-year-old could suffer so deeply. Daily they sat in a rocking chair, swaying back and forth, with Phyllis singing “Jesus Loves Me.” This always calmed her. Though she never spoke, a peaceful look would cover her face. After one hard episode, Phyllis held her, silently rocking. The troubled girl looked through tears and spoke for the first time. She said, “Sing to me about that Man who loves me.”
Jesus loves me, this I know, For the Bible tells me so;
Little ones to Him belong, they are weak but He is strong.
Yes, Jesus loves me, the Bible tells me so.
Stanza 2 gives children the heart of the gospel: that we need to have our sins washed away, sins that have made us filthy and unacceptable in God’s sight, and that He has provided a way for us to be made clean. If we receive Jesus and trust in His death for us, He has indeed opened heaven’s gate, (Hebrews 6:19-20), an offer that is available to everyone. While it is not spelled out in this hymn, other hymns faithfully communicate more of the details our children need to hear, that it was by shedding His blood on the cross as our substitute that full payment was made for our sins.
Jesus said, “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13) Vietnam veteran and Air Force Colonel John Mansur tells about an eight-year-old orphan wounded by a mortar who needed a blood transfusion. No American had her blood type, but several of the other orphans did. In pidgin Vietnamese, with a nurse’s smattering of high-school French, the doctor explained to the frightened children that unless they could replace some of the girl’s lost blood, she would die. He asked who would be willing.
The children looked in wide-eyed silence. After several moments, a hand was raised, wavered, dropped, and then went back up. “Oh, thank you,” the nurse said. “What is your name?” “Heng.” Heng’s arm was quickly swabbed and a needle was inserted in his vein. At first, he lay stiff and silent. Then he began sobbing. He covered his face in shame with a fist in his mouth. His sobs turned to silent crying.
A Vietnamese nurse arrived. Seeing Heng’s distress, she spoke rapidly in Vietnamese, listened, and answered in a soothing voice. He stopped crying and looked questioningly at her. When she nodded, relief spread over his face. She then said to the Americans, “He misunderstood. He thought he was dying. He thought you asked him to give all his blood so she could live.” After thoughtful silence, the American nurse asked, “Why would he be willing to do that?” The translator asked him. He answered simply, “She’s my friend.”
Paul wrote, “For one will scarcely die for a righteous person – though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die – but God shows His love for us, in that, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:6-8) The cross shows how much God loved us. “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) Jesus’ love provided a way to “let His little child come in,” which involved “washing away my sin.” We need to help His little children understand this at an early age.
Jesus loves me, He who died Heaven’s gate to open wide;
He will wash away my sin, Let His little child come in.
Yes, Jesus loves me, the Bible tells me so.
Stanza 3 gives children the security to know that even when they are “weak and ill,” they have a Savior who still loves them, even from His seemingly distant heavenly throne (Hebrews 8:1), and will never leave or forsake them. (Hebrews 13:5) The Bible assures us that we have a Savior who has been tempted in every way as we have, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15-16) and who, because He was made like us, understands our sufferings (Hebrews 2:17-18), even “where I lie.” It’s at this point in the hymn, and even more so in the final stanza, that we recall the setting in the story written by Anna Warner’s sister. In her novel, as little Johnny Fax lay dying, his Sunday School teacher calmed his heart with the words of this poem that Anna wrote.
In how many ways are we confronted by our weakness and illness. Sometimes it’s literally true as disease saps our strength, or when we have to live with challenges in relationships by those who speak falsehoods about us and misrepresent our motives, spreading slander about us. We may not be lying on our deathbed, but we might feel like we are, emotionally and psychologically. We are the children who need to be reminded that even then, when all others have turned against us, or turned away from us, that we have one “who sticks closer than a brother”. (Proverbs 18:24) Though Jesus is on “His shining throne on high,” His heart is full of compassion for His children. The only place where He actually described His own character is in Matthew 11:29, where He tells us, His children, “Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
Jesus loves me, loves me still, Though I’m very weak and ill;
From His shining throne on high Comes to watch me where I lie.
Yes, Jesus loves me, the Bible tells me so.
Stanza 4 gives children the antidote to fear, even when facing death. That was the setting in the novel for which this poem was originally written in 1860. Some have objected to this stanza being included in hymnals and have insisted that it should not be sung to children, lest we frighten them by the thought of death. But that is exactly why we should teach it to them. Children sometimes do die, and how much better to prepare them with these reassuring words that even if that were to happen, they are safe in the arms of Jesus, who will take them “home on high.” And that also means that it is a good thing to teach children that there is such a place as heaven, and that they can know for sure that they will live there forever with Jesus.
Psychologists will agree that one of the things that young children need in this troubled world is “to feel safe.” What better way to make them feel safe than to know how to be safe in the arms of the Lord, who tells us in Deuteronomy 33:27, “The eternal God is your dwelling place and underneath are the everlasting arms.” How many of the Psalms speak of the Lord as our fortress, our refuge, our strong tower, and that He will shelter us. And in the New Testament, we are introduced to our Good Shepherd who promises His sheep that they will never perish, that they are held securely in the Father’s hands, and no one can pluck them out. (John 10:28)
Here are just a few New Testament passages that show Christians are “safe.”
- He causes all things to work for good (Romans 8:28)
- Nothing can separate us from Him (Romans 8:38)
- We should cast all our cares on Jesus; He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7)
- God provides a way with every temptation (1 Corinthian 10:13)
- We are commanded not to fear, but to trust Him (Matthew 10:28)
- Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8)
These would all make wonderful memory verses as children grow in their knowledge of the security of the truths given to them in this song.
Jesus loves me, He will stay Close beside me all the way;
If I love Him, when I died He will take me home on high.
Yes, Jesus loves me, the Bible tells me so.
Here is a choral anthem arrangement of the song by Renè Clausen.