Hymn: a song of praise to God. It seems simple, but have you ever read the stories behind the beloved lyrics of your favorite classic hymns?
Each month in 2022 we are sharing the story behind one of our favorite classic hymns. We hope these stories will encourage you and help you worship, just like the hymnist, amid hurt, hope, fear, thanksgiving, joy, or loss.
This month we’re sharing the story behind Jesus Loves Me.
The words of this hymn first appeared to a book entitled Say and Seal, written by Anna B. Warner, in collaboration with her sister, Susan, and published in 1860. In the novel is a scene in which Johnny Fax, a young boy who is ill, is comforted by his Sunday School teacher, John Linden. When Linden was asked by the child to sing, he begins a new song-the four stanzas of the hymn written by Anna B. Warner. Kingdom Songs was the first Southern Baptist Hymnal to include this text and its familiar tune.
China was composed in 1861 by William B. Bradbury for this text. To the four stanzas of Warner’s hymn, Bradbury added the words of the refrain. Text and tune were published in his Golden Shower, a Sunday School songbook. The tune name was assigned because of the popularity of the tune among the children in China as the result of missionary work there. Such popularity might be attributed to the pentatonic structure of the melody.
Jesus loves me, this I know,
for the Bible tells me so.
Little ones to him belong;
they are weak, but he is strong.
Refrain:
Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me! The Bible tells me so.
Jesus loves me he who died
heaven’s gate to open wide.
He will wash away my sin,
let his little child come in. [Refrain]
Jesus loves me, this I know,
as he loved so long ago,
taking children on his knee,
saying, “Let them come to me.” [Refrain]
Psalter Hymnal, 1987
This story was included in Handbook to The Baptist Hymnal.
