Our First Hymn — "Jesus Loves Me"

"O sing unto the LORD a new song: sing unto the LORD, all the earth." — Psalm 96:1

What Is a Hymn?

This week we have learned so much about music! We learned about our singing voice, the steady beat, tempo (fast and slow), and dynamics (loud and soft). Today we are going to put it all together and learn a very special song called a hymn.

A hymn is a song that praises God. Hymns are special because they teach us true things about God, and they have been sung by Christians for many, many years. Some hymns are hundreds of years old! When you sing a hymn, you are singing the same words that children and adults have sung for generations.

The Story of "Jesus Loves Me"

"Jesus Loves Me" is one of the most famous hymns in the whole world. It was written in 1860 — that is more than 160 years ago! A woman named Anna Bartlett Warner wrote the words. She wrote them as part of a story about a little girl who was very sick. In the story, someone sings "Jesus Loves Me" to comfort the little girl.

A man named William Bradbury later wrote the melody — the tune that we sing. He also added the chorus: "Yes, Jesus loves me!"

Since then, "Jesus Loves Me" has been sung in almost every language on earth. Children in Africa, Asia, Europe, South America, and all over the world sing this song. It is one of the first songs many children ever learn.

The Words

Let us learn the words together:

Verse 1:

Jesus loves me, this I know, For the Bible tells me so; Little ones to Him belong, They are weak, but He is strong.

Chorus:

Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me! The Bible tells me so.

Verse 2:

Jesus loves me, He who died, Heaven's gate to open wide; He will wash away my sin, Let His little child come in.

Chorus:

Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me! The Bible tells me so.

What Do the Words Mean?

Let us talk about what these beautiful words mean:

• "Jesus loves me, this I know" — We can be certain that Jesus loves us. It is not a guess or a maybe — we KNOW it!
• "For the Bible tells me so" — How do we know Jesus loves us? Because God's Word, the Bible, tells us! John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son."
• "Little ones to Him belong" — You are a "little one," and you belong to Jesus! He cares about children.
• "They are weak, but He is strong" — We are small and not very powerful, but Jesus is the strongest of all. He protects us.

Singing with Everything We Learned

Now let us sing "Jesus Loves Me" using all the music skills we learned this week:

1. Singing voice: Use your best singing voice, not your speaking voice
2. Steady beat: Clap or pat the beat while you sing
3. Tempo: Sing at a medium tempo — not too fast, not too slow
4. Dynamics: Sing the verses at a medium volume, and sing the chorus a little louder (forte) because it is the joyful response: "YES, Jesus loves me!"

Singing for God

Remember, when we sing hymns, we are singing to God. It is like a prayer set to music. You do not need a perfect voice. You do not need to know all the words right away. God loves to hear your voice because He loves YOU.

The great missionary Karl Barth was once asked to sum up everything he knew about God in one sentence. Do you know what he said? "Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so." This simple song holds one of the deepest truths in all the world.

A Thought to Carry

"Jesus Loves Me" is a song that Christians have sung for over 160 years, in almost every language on earth. Its message is simple but powerful: Jesus loves you, and the Bible tells you so. Carry this song in your heart always!