ALAS! AND DID MY SAVIOUR BLEED By Isaac Watts (The Revival Theme Song of 1904 Korean Revival)

1) Alas! and did my Savior bleed?

And did my Sov-‘reign die?

Would He devote that sacred head

For such a worm as I?

2) Thine body slain, sweet Jesus, Thine —

And bathed in its own blood—

While the firm mark of wrath divine,

His soul in anguish stood.

3) Was it for crimes that I have done

He groaned upon the tree?

Amazing pity! grace unknown!

And love beyond degree!

4) Well might the sun in darkness hide

And shut his glories in

When Christ the mighty Maker died

For man the creature’s sin

5) Thus might I hide my blushing face

While His dear cross appears

Dissolves my heart in thankfulness

And melt my eyes to tear

6) But drops of grief can never repay

The debt of love I owe

Here,  Lord, I give myself

..’Tis all that I can do.

Dear Reader, please go somewhere quiet and meditate prayerfully on the deep meaning of this song.

1st Stanza)

Alas! – a word used to express grief, pity or concern!

Alas! and did my Savior bleed?

My Savior bleed? Yes! To save others men have hazarded their lives. Firemen plunge into burning buildings at the risk of their lives to save others. Frogmen dive into the sea to rescue some! All who want to save others expose themselves to risk – risk of getting hurt, bleeding or even death!

And so Jesus bled on the cross when His hands and feet were nailed. A crown of thorns pressed against His brow and blood oozed out.

“My Savior bleed” to pay a ransom for my sins. He bled that He might save me.

“And did my Sovereign died?”

Once there was a man who saved someone from drowning. But in the process the rescuer himself got drowned. The saved man later found out that his savior was no ordinary person but a prince. He was so grateful but very sorrowful that someone so worthy gave his life for him.

So my Savior who bled and died  is none other but The Prince of Life – The SOVEREIGN GOD Himself!

Would He devote that sacred head for such a worm as I?

The word “devote” means to give all or most of one’s time & resources to “something or someone”. As “I want to devote more time for my family”.

Would he devote his sacred head? For what? ”  “For such an unworthy worm as I? Wonder of wonders!  Jesus loves me!

2nd Stanza

Thine body slain, sweet Jesus, Thine —-

And bathed in its own blood—

While the firm mark of wrath divine

His soul in anguish stood

When Jesus was crucified on the cross his entire body was covered with his own blood. All the sins of the whole world was placed on him – the object of God’s wrath. And God His Father turned away from His Son – So Jesus cried, “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?”  The answer was in Psalm 22: 3 “But Thou art holy, O Thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel”

Jesus Christ, God the Father & God The Holy Spirit has always been THREE PERSONS IN ONE GODHEAD FROM ALL ETERNITY TO ALL ETERNITY!

At this point in time When All The Sins of The World were laid on Jesus – the Trinity splits – God The Father turned away from Jesus as Holy God cannot condone sin. When fallen angels sinned God cast them out of heaven. When Adam sinned God drove him out of the garden of Eden. When the world sinned in Noah’s time God sent a flood to destroy the world. And God sent fire to destroy Sodom & Gomorrah because of their iniquities. So God has to turn away even from His Only Begotten Son Jesus when ours sins were laid on Jesus.  “My God, My God why Hast Thou forsaken Me”, Jesus cried in anguish! The answer, “But Thou Art Holy”! Oh God let me hate the sins that caused My Savior so much anguish & pain!

3rd Stanza

Was it for crimes that I have done

He groaned upon the tree?

Amazing pity! Grace unknown!

And love beyond degree!

From the day we were born every sinful though that came into our mind, every sinful word that we spoke & every sinful deed that we do were All Laid on The Cross of Calvary! Repeated by all the people that lived from Adam till now for all generations of all history – All the billion & billion were put on Jesus! Jesus groaned under the immense weight of all the sins of all mankind & me in particular!

Amazing pity! His pity for me is amazing!

Grace unknown! Grace is more than mercy. We show mercy to the destitute and helpless. But Christ did more than that. He prayed for His enemies. “Father forgive them” Jesus prayed for His enemies while dying on the cross. This is Grace Unknown!

And love beyond degree!

What is the degree of love or the limits of love? For Jesus His love is far beyond degree! His love in all embracing & limitless. His love is expressed in John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Begotten Son. That whosoever believeth in Him should not perish; but have everlasting life”

And it continues, “Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature” Mark 16:15

The love that is beyond degree caused the Gospel to reach even me.

4th Stanza

Well might the sun in darkness hide.

And shut his glories in

When Christ the might Maker died

For man the creature’s sin

At noonday when the sun should be at its zenith there was Total Darkness. Darkness that lasted from 12 noon to 3pm.

On this memorial day of days the sun was in total darkness for 3 hours.  The sun shines into every nook and corner of the earth – dispelling darkness and gloom. Now the sun itself is ashamed and went into hiding. “Well might the sun in darkness hide and shut his glories in”

When Christ the mighty Maker died. The very sun created by Jesus the mighty Maker shut glories in and refuse to shine.

All because of puny sinful man like me?

Oh what a wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord!

5th Stanza

Thus might I hide my blushing face

While His dear cross appears

Dissolves my heart in thankfulness

And melt my eyes to tears.

“Thus might I hide my blushing face” The darkest  sins of my life are now placed on Jesus! The heinous sins that caused His deep anguish and sufferings!

And it was then “he groaned upon the tree”-  an impersonal tree. Now “while His dear cross appears”

Now  “His Dear Cross Appears!” Yes! A Million Times Yes!!

The impersonal “tree” is now “HIS DEAR CROSS” – very personal when it “APPEARS”

To every man and every woman the Cross of Christ Must First Be Brought To Light by The Holy Spirit Illumination! Without which there is no true salvation.

Millions of people wear a cross or crucifix – no use unless  “His Holy Spirit makes it APPEARS AS PERSONAL AND DEAR”

At the Cross. At the Cross

Where I First Saw The Light

And the burden of my heart rolled away.

It was there by Faith I Receive My Sight

And now I am happy all the day!

Dissolves my heart in thankfulness

And melt my eyes to tears.

6th Stanza

But drops of grief can never repay

The debt of love I owe

Here, Lord, I give myself away

“Tis all that I can do

Notice the phrase “The debt of love I owe”. It is a debt not in money which can be repaid. It is the”debt of love”.

What love? The love of an All Mighty Maker God Whose debt I can never repay in this life or the next.

As CT Studd says, “If Jesus Christ is God and died for me. There is nothing too hard for me give for him”.

CT Studd gave up a mansion in England and left as a missionary to heathen lands living on a hammock as his bed.