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John 3:16-18 16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
Romans 8:38-39 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Jesus Loves Me—This I Know
This Sunday is the start of a new church year. Traditionally it’s when Children’s Sunday School classes begin after the summer break. I will soon begin Bible Time with the Learning Center children. This is a time when I teach the children some simple lessons about God and Jesus and we sing songs. The first song we always begin with is, “Jesus Loves Me”. Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so. Simple words but they hold the basic truth of Christianity, the very heart of the gospel.
This morning I will tell you the story behind this hymn and two stories that go with it. We will go deeper into this hymn and look at what makes these words powerful not just for children, but for every follower of Christ.
The lyrics first appeared in 1860 as a poem written by Anna Bartlett Warner within her sister Susan’s book, “Say and Seal” which was a best-selling book in its day. In this now-forgotten novel a dying boy, Johnny Fax, is comforted by his church school teacher, who sings to him the four original verses of this hymn. In 1862 William Bradbury wrote the tune for this hymn and added the chorus. He published it in his church school hymnal, Bradbury’s Golden Shower of S.S. Melodies. The tune is titled Jesus Loves Me the same as the hymn.
In doing research for this hymn I came across a story I’d never heard before. It dates back to World War II and then PT Boat Commander John F. Kennedy, Jr. I read a book long ago about how his PT boat was sunk and he was rescued but this week I discovered a part of the story I never knew or at least I didn’t remember it. On August 2, 1943 near the Solomon Islands in the Pacific Ocean Kennedy’s PT boat was rammed by a Japanese destroyer and cut in half. Kennedy and several of the men were in the half that remained afloat. They could see several islands from where they were but most had large amounts of Japanese soldiers on them. Kennedy made the decision for them to swim towards an island that was further away but hopefully had the least amount of Japanese soldiers on it. They spent a number of days swimming to various islands to both avoid Japanese soldiers and to find food and water. Eventually they swam to Olasana Island. Kennedy was separated from the others while looking for food and water. Two islanders on their way to church found him. Long story short, Kennedy and his men were rescued due to the efforts of these two men. So what does this story have to do with our hymn? Well, the islanders didn’t know any English so communication was difficult but at the end of the day they found something they had in common. Kennedy put his arms around the two men and together they sang a hymn they all knew, you guessed it, Jesus Loves Me. The two natives who had rescued Kennedy were 7th Day Adventists and had been taught the song by missionaries! Now there is no great theological meaning behind this story but it is a wonderful example of shared culture and shared faith that can happen any time Christians come together.
Our hymn begins with three simple words, “Jesus loves me”. They are simple and direct, easily spoken and understood by children. They are three simple words but at the same time they contain the very heart of the gospel, the deep truth of God’s love in Christ. Actually it is a very profound statement: Jesus loves me. Jesus loves me speaks to the very heart of our being. We are known. We are loved. We are seen.
This love is not based on what we’ve done or haven’t done. It’s not earned, and it cannot be lost. It’s a love proven on the cross. There are no conditions on Jesus’ love. There is no if at the end of the sentence. It isn’t Jesus loves you if… No matter our past, our doubts, or our weaknesses—Jesus loves you. This is not just theology; it’s personal reality. Jesus loves you. Present tense. Personal. Unconditional.
Jesus’ love came first. Before we ever reached for God, He reached for us. This love was proven at the cross. God sent his only Son to die for us, for our sins.
We often find ourselves searching for assurance in a world that can be unpredictable and turbulent. The assurance of God’s love reminds us that we are never truly alone. His love is steadfast and constant, offering us comfort and peace. It encourages us to trust Him more deeply, knowing that whatever challenges we face, we have God’s love surrounding us. Let’s look at some verses that assure us of God’s love.
Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” This verse beautifully highlights God’s incredible love for us. Even before we turned to Him, He demonstrated His love through the sacrifice of His Son. It reassures us that our mistakes do not prevent us from being loved. God’s love is unconditional and preemptive, extending even to those who have strayed from His path.
Perhaps the most famous verse is John 3:16 16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” This powerful verse encapsulates the essence of God’s love. His willingness to give His Son for our salvation shows just how deeply He cares for us. It’s a reminder that believing in Him connects us directly to His love, granting us eternal life and hope.
1 John 4:9 says, “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. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” Here, we see a further revelation of God’s love. By sending Jesus, He made a significant move in showing us what love truly looks like. It’s through Jesus that we find purpose and life, solidifying the notion that God’s love desires our wellbeing and connection to Him.
Why do we say with confidence that Jesus loves us? In a world of confusion, opinions, and shifting morals, we ask: How do I know God loves me? The answer is in the song: for the Bible tells me so.
We have the assurance of God’s Word. Our assurance is not based on emotion or circumstance—it is grounded in the unchanging written Word of God. Last week I said that Jesus was present at creation, He is seen there as the spoken Word of God, whenever God speaks during Creation we see Jesus as His voice. Thus we say that Jesus is the living Word of God.
We also have scripture which is the written Word of God. From Genesis to Revelation, Scripture is a love story from God to His people. Our faith is rooted in the truth of scripture.
The next line in the hymn is, “little ones to him belong, they are weak but he is strong.” In one sense we are all “little ones” for we are all children of God. Our truest identity is found in Christ. We are chosen, we are adopted into the family of God, we are His children.
How do we know we are God’s children? The disciple John writes in his first letter, “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1)
Let’s look at how Jesus treated children. In Mark 10 there is the following incident. “13 People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. 14 When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.”
The kingdom of God belongs to God’s children. We are God’s children. We belong to Him. And just like children, we come to Him with humility, trust, and dependence. Think of what it means to belong. To “belong” to Jesus is to be chosen, accepted, protected and loved. We belong to the King of Kings.
The hymn tells us that God’s little ones are weak. It doesn’t shy away from our weakness. It says it plainly—we are weak. But it also reminds us of a greater truth: He is strong. Our strength comes not from trying harder, but from trusting deeper. Christ is strong when we are not. His strength upholds us, protects us, and carries us through. God doesn’t expect us to be strong enough. He asks us to trust His strength.
Jesus said in Matthew 18:3,“Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” When Jesus says we need to become like little children what does he mean? He wants us to be humble and trusting, he wants us to have the openness of a child to his teachings. The world may value strength, independence, and self-reliance—but in God’s kingdom, childlike faith is the path to belonging. Jesus calls for a willingness to embrace faith with a sense of wonder and curiosity with openness, honesty, and unbridled joy.
In 2 Corinthians 12(9) Paul said he was given a thorn in the flesh. He pleaded three times with Jesus to take it away from him but Jesus told him, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
When we are weak in faith, tired in spirit or struggling in life Jesus steps in with His strength, power, and grace.
The hymn “Jesus Loves Me” may be sung by children, but it speaks the deepest truths of the gospel: Christ’s love is real and personal. God’s Word is our foundation. We are His—secure in His care. Our strength is in Him, not ourselves.
It was William Bradbury who wrote the tune who also added the refrain. “Yes, Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus loves me… Yes, Jesus loves me…the bible tells me so” It’s more than a lyric — it’s a declaration of faith. In doubt, in failure, in fear — we declare: “Yes, Jesus loves me.”
At the beginning I said I had two stories about this hymn. I think this final story shows that this simple song is far wiser and deeper than we might think. The greatest Protestant theologian of the twentieth century was the Swiss Reformed theologian Karl Barth. He lived and taught in both Switzerland and Germany and he influenced many other well-known theologians of his day. Barth actively opposed Adolf Hitler. He wrote the Barmen Declaration which opposed a state church under Hitler and it is one of our Presbyterian confessions. He was a prolific writer and is well-known for his massive 13-volume work Church Dogmatics which is one of the largest and most profound works of systematic theology ever written totaling over 6 million words on over 9,000 pages. Barth only visited the United States once in 1962 for a lecture tour through a variety of cities. At the end of his lecture at Rockefeller Chapel on the campus of the University of Chicago, during the Q & A time, a student asked Barth if he could summarize his whole life’s work in theology in a sentence. Remember, he was being asked to summarize over 6 million words. Barth answered, “Yes, I can. In the words of a song I learned at my mother’s knee: ‘Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.”
So next time you hear or sing this hymn, don’t dismiss it as only a song for children. Let it remind you of the childlike faith we’re called to embrace—and the Savior who loves us with an everlasting love.
No matter your age, background, or struggle, this hymn tells you everything you need to know: You are loved. You are not alone. You belong to Jesus. He is strong enough for you.
Let us pray: Lord Jesus, thank You for loving us with a love that never fails. Help us to receive that love, to rest in that love, and to reflect that love to others. May we never outgrow the simple truth: Jesus loves me—this I know. Amen.