Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Browsing through a copy of The Cokesbury Worship Hymnal (copyright 1938) I found a hymn that is short and sweet and gets right to the point in just three lines.

Its title is “Everybody Must Love Jesus”, written by HD Loes. It was written in 1917 when, apparently, everything was simpler, even the presentation of the Gospel.

The full letter is:

Everybody should love Jesus, Jesus, Jesus

He died on the cross to save us from sin.

Everyone must love Jesus

Even as we Christians explore, wrangle, and argue theological questions, which often can and do lead to division, the Gospel message remains beautiful in its power and simplicity: “For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 KJV

When compared to the somewhat less “famous” verse below, the message remains simple and direct: “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but through him that the world might be saved.” John 3 :17 RVR1960

This is how I first read and heard those verses: in the old King James Version. Somehow that seems appropriate to me as this was the translation used when I first learned of this simple Gospel message.

In light of the message of John 3:16, the words of the song cannot be true. Based on what God has done for us through Jesus Christ, everyone should love jesus!

There are several uses for the word should. Among them are these: to indicate an obligation or duty, as in “You should work harder”, to communicate prudence or convenience, as in “It’s cold today. You should wear a coat”, as an expression of convenience, as in “You should have been at the party. It was so much fun” or used to show the logical consequence of an event, as in “This rain should be good for the crops”.

Too often we Christians use should in the first sense, as if holding a rule book over the heads of the lost and unsaved, or even those “backsliding” Christian brethren who “should be in church, and, before they get there, they should dress nicely!” !” (I say “rule book” because we don’t just use the Ten Commandments. No, we go way beyond those with our own self-righteous, hypocritically self-righteous, damning form of law, where even one person’s rules don’t match another’s. )

While I cannot know what was on the songwriter’s mind, it seems to me that his use of should it is different from duty or obligation. He writes: “He [Jesus] He died on the cross to save us from sin.” Even at the young age when I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior, it seemed “wise and proper” to do so, although naturally I would not have used these words. It just seemed the “smart” thing to do!

I’ve since come to see this “should” as in “You should have been at the party. It was so much fun.” I don’t see the unsaved or those Christians who are not part of a Christian community as “pagans” or “backsliders.” Instead, I want to tell them, “You don’t know what you’re missing!”

This is not meant to imply that I believe our Christian experience is always sweet and light, or that there are no ups and downs, no “trials and tribulations.” Jesus told us we would have these and I continue to experience them. However, after telling us this, Jesus continues, “…but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! Because I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]”John 16:33 Amp.

My life as a Christian has been one that I would not trade for any other. In the worst of times I can rest in John 6.

Jesus’ followers abandoned him left and right, saying his teaching was harsh and strange. Even the disciples around him (referred to as “the Twelve” in the book of John) were becoming confused and discouraged. And Jesus knew it, of course.

“Jesus said to the Twelve: Do you also want to go? [And do you too desire to leave Me?] Simon Peter replied: Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words (the message) of eternal life. And we’ve learned to believe and trust, and [more] we have come to know [surely] that Thou art the Holy One of God, the Christ (the Anointed One), the Son of the living God.” John 6:67-69 Amp

In the best of times, which come much more often than the worst, I follow Jesus’ instruction to “be of good cheer.” I have the fellowship of brothers and sisters in Christ, the opportunity to meet with them in praise and worship, to learn and grow together, to minister to them and have them minister to me.

And for fun-yes, real Fun, the kind that doesn’t have a hangover or regret or condemnation the next morning!

Above all I have the love and communion with my Lord, Savior, Brother and Intercessor with the Father, Christ Jesus. I have the Holy Spirit of God dwelling in me as Comforter and Guide. I have friendship with God-my Abba Father.

And what is the greatest gift of all? I have the promise to spend eternity in his presence.

Yes, given all of that, I would definitely say, “Everyone should love Jesus.”

Love,
brother bill