All For Jesus

I discovered an old recording yesterday of John Stainer’s oratorio, The Crucifixion. The recording was on a mono LP record, but fortunately, we still have a turntable for my husband’s collection of old classics on vinyl. Although it has fallen into obscurity today, The Crucifixion was widely appreciated in its day. I found the music deeply moving. The clarity of the text as it was sung out drew my attention to the dying Christ on Calvary. “God So Loved the World” might be familiar to some today. My Dad remembers singing that with 1500 other public school students at a choir concert in Minneapolis as a high school student. The work ends with a triumphant hymn of hope, “All for Jesus.” Here is the text below. These words affected me deeply today.

All for Jesus, all for Jesus!
All my being’s ransomed pow’rs:
All my tho’ts and words and doings,
All my days and all my hours.
All for Jesus! all for Jesus!
All my days and all my hours

Let my hands perform his bidding,
Let my feet run in His ways;
Let my eyes see Jesus only,
Let my lips speak forth His praise.
All for Jesus! all for Jesus!
Let my lips speak forth His praise

Since my eyes were fixed on Jesus,
I’ve lost sight of all beside;
So enchained my spirit’s vision,
Looking at the Crucified.
All for Jesus! all for Jesus!
Looking at the Crucified

Oh, what wonder! how amazing!
Jesus, glorious King of kings,
Deigns to call me His beloved,
Lets me rest beneath His wings.
All for Jesus! all for Jesus!
Resting now beneath His wings.

–Sir John Stainer