I Must Tell Jesus

I love this hymn by Elisha A. Hoffman; I would like to focus on the third verse and chorus.

Tempted and tried, I need a great Savior,

One who can help my burdens to bear;
I must tell Jesus, I must tell Jesus;
He all my cares and sorrows will share.

I must tell Jesus! I must tell Jesus!

I cannot bear my burdens alone;
I must tell Jesus! I must tell Jesus!
Jesus can help me, Jesus alone.

There are many reasons why I need a Savior. This stanza focuses on trials and temptations. Life is filled with trials that stretch me beyond what seems bearable, and with temptations to which my weak humanity wants to yield. I need someone to help me bear those kinds of burdens, and, as the hymn states, Jesus is available to help with each of those cares and sorrows.

Depending on the circumstances of life, some people understand more than others how difficult it is to bear anything alone. “Alone” is a tough position to be in when the trials and temptations of life descend. Thankfully, the unfailing presence of Jesus means that no Christian is ever truly alone. Of all the possible help available, Jesus is the only one who fits the description of “great Savior.”

Anything short of a great Savior is insufficient. With the extent of my need, I cannot help myself. There is no other person that can adequately help me. Even a weak or mediocre savior would leave me short and needy. No, I need a great Savior.

How great is Jesus? Hebrews 1:2-3 presents His divine excellence as the creator, owner, and sustainer of the world, someone who is exactly like God in His magnificence (because He is God). The remainder of chapter one proves His superiority over the angels. Chapter two opens by expressing how outstanding Jesus is compared to the Old Testament messengers who gave God’s Word. In 2:5-8, we see God exalting man to a level of control and authority, but then there is clarification. Man was promoted to that level undeservedly and holds the position incompletely. Jesus is worthy of that authority and exercises it completely.

This wonderful and amazing Jesus is our Savior (2:10). He is the one who redeems us and provides salvation. Then the verse says something interesting; God chose “to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings.” Wasn’t Jesus already perfect? How could He possibly be made any better? How could anything be lacking in Him? Verses 14-18 explain. It’s not that there was anything lacking in Him as God. No one could help but to be amazed at His perfection. Somehow, this radiantly divine and superior Savior, who was already perfect, found a way to be even more perfect. He added another layer or dimension to His perfection.

He did this by taking flesh and blood and by becoming a man. Verse 17 says that “He had to be made like His brethren in all things.” He had to live in a human body and know what that was like. He was able to experience the weakness, limitations, and struggles of the flesh. He faced those challenges perfectly (4:15 “yet without sin”), but because He faced them, He understands them. Because of His understanding, we are told that He sympathizes with our weaknesses and is ready to give us mercy and grace to help us in our time of need.

Jesus was tempted, too. He successfully met every temptation, so He knows how to help us. He understands the struggle of the temptation, so He is ready to help us compassionately. This is what makes Jesus such a great Savior! His experience as a human made Him more perfect than perfect, as He added to His divine nature the ability to understand the weak humans to whom He would minister.

I had occasionally heard people talk about Jesus as being not just my Savior from sin (through salvation), but as my Savior every day. Until I studied these chapters of Hebrews, I wasn’t sure what those people meant. I realized that my friends understood something that I did not yet understand. I’m sure that I still haven’t fully grasped the concept, but Hebrews 2 provided some illumination. It is through Jesus’ role as my Savior, through His suffering and death, that He is prepared to be my Savior every day. His experience on earth is what helped to make Him who He is, someone who understands my weakness and compassionately comes to my aid in the trials and temptations of everyday life. There is no doubt that I need a great Savior, and praise God, I have one!

“For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.” Hebrews 2:18 (NASB)