Fairest Lord Jesus, Ruler of all nature, Son of God and Son of Man! You will I cherish. You will I honor. You’re my soul’s glory, joy, and crown.
Note: The above is the first stanza of a famous Christian hymn. It was translated from German to English in 1873, and at that time, fair meant excellent or handsome. In this post, I write about Christ’s perfections and His encouragement to troubled Christians. In a later post, I will discuss Psalm 45, which says: “Jesus the Messiah is more handsome and excellent than the sons of men. Grace is poured upon His lips. Therefore, God has blessed Him forever.”
A Hymn About Christ
The song reminds me of Jesus the Creator:
In the beginning was the Word (Jesus), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made. Without Christ, nothing was made that has been made. In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind… Though the world was made through Jesus, the world did not recognize Him… In Christ all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities. All things have been created through Christ and for Him… In these last days God has spoken to us by His Son (Jesus), whom He appointed heir of all things, and through whom also He made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word.1
The whole Bible describes Jesus as our Creator, Sustainer, and Savior. Historian Philip Schaff said, “Christ is the beginning, the middle, and the end of everything. In the Gospels, He walks in human form upon Earth and accomplishes His work of our redemption and transformation.” Jesus, Son of the living God, rules everything for His own glory and honor and for our eternal enjoyment. Remembering Christ’s supremacy sustains our gladness, hope, and resilience, day to day, and especially in tough times.
You are my hiding place. You always fill my heart with songs of deliverance.
Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You. I will trust in You.
Let the weak say I am strong in the strength of my Lord.2
The Lord Is Better
Fair are the meadows. Fair are the woodlands, Robed in the blooming garb of spring. Jesus is fairer. Jesus is purer. He makes the woeful heart to sing.
The song says that Christ is more excellent, handsome, and pure than everything down here on this planet. That’s what the Bible teaches:
This world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But whoever does what pleases God will live forever… Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift of Jesus! Christ is precious beyond all telling, too wonderful for words!.. This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him.3
Jesus the Creator is also the sacrificial Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world by His life, death, and resurrection. Christ saves to the uttermost (completely, perfectly, forever) those who come to God through Him. God the Father gives Jesus’ followers forgiveness, acceptance, adoption, and eternal security in Christ. God sets us apart for Himself as holy because of our faith-attachment to Jesus.
In contrast with a fallen world that is so often broken and wrong, Jesus is perfect, flawless, spotless in His ways and works. Christ is completely good and right, and He will make all things come out good and right in the end.
A Hymn for Troubled Christians
We do not know much about the origin of this well-loved hymn, but it says that Jesus makes the woeful heart to sing. Woeful means sad, miserable, and depressed, and Jesus-followers can feel that way sometimes. Christ warned:
In this world, you will have trouble (tribulation, distress, suffering). But take heart! I have overcome the world… You will be hated by everyone because of Me, but whoever stands firm to the end will be saved…. You will be persecuted and put to death, and hated by all nations because of Me.4
Early Christians were persecuted by the Jews, and the Romans who controlled the early centers of Christianity. From A.D. 30 to A.D. 311, 54 emperors ruled the Roman Empire, and about a dozen harassed Christians. Decius (249–251) attempted an Empire-wide persecution. Before that, most oppression came under local rulers, with Rome’s approval.5
The hymn, “Fairest Lord Jesus,” calls us to look up to Christ, especially when we are downcast. Thank God, the Lord upholds all who fall and lifts up those who are bent beneath their loads.6
You, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory and the One who lifts my head high… The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer. My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, my salvation, my stronghold… Every word of God is flawless. He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him.
To be continued
Notes (various Bible translations): 1 John 1:1-4,10; Col 1:16; Heb 1:2-3. 2 Words and Music by Michael Ledner (1981), drawing on Psa 32:7; 2 Cor 12:10. 3 1 John 2:17; 2 Cor 9:15; 1 John 4:9. 4 John 16:33; Matt 10:22, 24:9. 5 christianhistoryinstitute.org/persecution. 6 Psa 145:12. 7 Psa 3:3, 18:2; Prov 30:5.