“My Jesus, Fair” focuses on Christ’s death as the centerpiece of our salvation and the storyline of the Scriptures. The song sets up a series of contrasts between Christ’s righteous character and the terrible nature of His crucifixion: the Fair One was pierced, the Meek One was scorned, the Kind One was torn, and the Pure One was crushed. But with beautiful irony, each of these horrors is turned to blessing, causing us to cry out in the chorus, “O love divine, O matchless grace!” Even our response to the work of Christ has contrasts: we grieve for the sins that put Him on the cross, yet we adore Him for what He did for us there (chorus).
The final verse celebrates the ultimate irony: that Christ who died rose again to kill death and will reign forever in strength and victory!
“My Jesus, Fair” is now available as a new recording (single) from Church Works Media! This is the second of 11 newly recorded songs from Church Works Media for an upcoming album titled Shout Out for Joy, which is available to preorder. SDG!
MY JESUS, FAIR
Words by Chris Anderson; Music by Greg Habegger
Tune name: TERRACE
My Jesus, fair, was pierced by thorns,
By thorns grown from the fall.
Thus He who gave the curse was torn
To end that curse for all.
Chorus:
O love divine, O matchless grace—
That God should die for men!
With joyful grief I lift my praise,
Abhorring all my sin,
Adoring only Him.
My Jesus, meek, was scorned by men,
By men in blasphemy.
“Father, forgive their senseless sin!”
He prayed, for them, for me.
My Jesus, kind, was torn by nails,
By nails of cruel men.
And to His cross, as grace prevailed,
God pinned my wretched sin.
My Jesus, pure, was crushed by God,
By God, in judgment just.
The Father grieved, yet turned His rod
On Christ, made sin for us.
My Jesus, strong, shall come to reign,
To reign in majesty—
The Lamb arose, and death is slain.
Lord, come in victory!
© 2008 Church Works Media (adm at IntegratedRights.com). All rights reserved.
Recording arrangement © 2023
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DOCTRINAL NOTES
by Chris Anderson
“My Jesus, fair”
The first verse focuses on the irony that the curse which was given by God (pictured by the thorns of Genesis 3:18) was actually borne by God at Calvary (pictured by the crown of thorns in John 19:2). Christ’s death is the centerpiece of God’s gracious plan to reverse the curse caused by mankind’s sin (Revelation 21:5), which is the storyline of the Scriptures.
“My Jesus, meek”
The second verse focuses on the scorn sinners heaped upon our Lord at His trial and death (Luke 22:63; 23:11, 36), contrasting it with His silence and prayer for their forgiveness and ours (Luke 23:34).
“O love divine”
The chorus expresses wonder at the sacrifice of the Son of God on our behalf (Romans 5:8), to which we respond with both joy and grief, abhorring our sin and adoring our Savior (1 John 4:19; Psalm 97:10).
“My Jesus, pure”
This verse is the pinnacle of the hymn, expressing wonder at the doctrine of propitiation—that God was pleased to punish His Son and satisfied by His atoning death (Isaiah 53:10-11; 1 John 4:10). Whereas we generally think in terms of the suffering of Christ, the wrath poured upon Him and the breaking of divine fellowship must have been infinitely grievous to the Father and the Spirit, as well (Matthew 27:46). The verse concludes with an allusion to 2 Corinthians 5:21, “Christ made sin for us.”
“My Jesus, strong”
This final verse rejoices in Christ’s slaying death by His resurrection (Hebrews 2:14-15) and anticipates His glorious return ( John 14:3). “Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20)
