Hymn of the Day

1 Jesus sinners doth receive; Oh, may all this saying ponder

Who in sin’s delusions live and from God and heaven wander!

Here is hope for all who grieve: Jesus sinners doth receive.

2 We deserve but grief and shame, yet His words, rich grace revealing,

Pardon, peace, and life proclaim; Here our ills have perfect healing.

Firmly in these words believe: Jesus sinners doth receive.

3 Sheep that from the fold did stray no true shepherd e’er forsaketh;

Weary souls that lost their way Christ, the Shepherd, gently taketh

In His arms that they may live: Jesus sinners doth receive.

4 I, a sinner, come to Thee with a penitent confession.

Savior, mercy show to me; Grant for all my sins remission.

Let these words my soul relieve: Jesus sinners doth receive.

5 Oh, how blest it is to know: Were as scarlet my transgression,

It shall be as white as snow by Thy blood and bitter passion;

For these words I now believe: Jesus sinners doth receive.

6 Now my conscience is at peace; From the Law I stand acquitted.

Christ hath purchased my release and my ev’ry sin remitted.

Naught remains my soul to grieve: Jesus sinners doth receive.

7 Jesus sinners doth receive; Also I have been forgiven;

And when I this earth must leave, I shall find an open heaven.

Dying, still to Him I cleave: Jesus sinners doth receive.

This wonderful hymn was the Hymn of the Day at our Sunday services this past weekend. The text was written by a Lutheran pastor named Erdmann Neumeister over 300 years ago. The text is based on the Gospel reading we heard from Luke 15:1-10 – the parable of the lost sheep and the lost coin. Neumeister was looking for a way to enable the message of Luke 15 to be sown in people’s hearts and minds, so he decided to write this hymn – one that we still sing to this day!

The depth of God’s amazing love is a great, wonderful mystery. It is a truth we, as penitent and troubled sinners, should ponder about each day. Jesus receives us sinners, no matter how great our sin, or how much we have fallen away from Him. There is no gap or lost connection that he cannot bridge. This is such good news and gives us comfort beyond our human understanding!

In looking at hymn text itself, what is particularly interesting about it is the way it shifts from third person to first person in the middle – moving from the collective to the personal. The first 3 stanzas are in the third person – “Here is hope for all who grieve…” and “In His arms that they may live…”. In stanzas 4-7, it moves to the first person – “I, a sinner, come to Thee…” and “Now my conscience is at peace…”. There are 15 first person pronouns in stanzas 4-7, but not a single one in stanzas 1-3. As wonderful as the news is that God’s love extends to all, even more unbelievable is that this love is also for me! Christ Jesus came into the world to save us. Continue to ponder that, live in confident hope, and give thanks to the Lord for all His goodness.