Charles Wesley - Let All Who Truly Bear Lyrics
Lyrics
1 LET all who truly bear
The bleeding Saviour's name
Their faithful hearts with us prepare,
And eat the Paschal Lamb.
2 This eucharistic feast
Our every want supplies;
And still we by his death are blessed,
And share his sacrifice.
3 Who thus our faith employ,
His sufferings to record,
Even now we mournfully enjoy
Communion with our Lord.
4 We too with him are dead,
And shall with him arise;
The cross on which he bows his head
Shall lift us to the skies.
Video
"Jesus Was A (Disappointment) Let-Down!" Dr. Charles Wesley Knight
Meaning & Inspiration
"Let All Who Truly Bear" by Dr. Charles Wesley Knight, released on December 2, 2014, is a profound invitation to the Christian fellowship, centering on the transformative power of communion. While the title might suggest a singular artist and a contemporary release, the song's roots delve into the rich theological soil of Charles Wesley, a prolific hymn writer of the Methodist tradition. This hymn, drawing directly from Wesley's enduring words, isn't just a musical piece; it's a theological statement, a call to remembrance and participation in the sacrifice of Christ. The central theme revolves around those who identify with Christ, symbolized by "bearing the bleeding Saviour's name," being urged to partake in the Eucharist, referred to here as the "Paschal Lamb." This imagery directly echoes the Passover meal in Exodus 12, where the blood of the lamb protected the Israelites and signified their deliverance. Wesley connects this ancient deliverance to the new covenant established through Jesus, our ultimate Passover sacrifice.
The hymn emphasizes the abundant provision found in this "eucharistic feast," stating it "Our every want supplies." This speaks to the spiritual nourishment and sufficiency that believers find in Christ's atoning death, a concept deeply rooted in John 6:35, where Jesus declares, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty." The repeated assertion that "still we by his death are blessed, And share his sacrifice" underscores the ongoing efficacy of Christ's work, not as a singular past event but as a present reality that continues to bless and redeem. This sharing in his sacrifice is a core tenet of Christian life, as described in Philippians 3:10, where Paul expresses a desire "to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death."
Furthermore, the hymn articulates the profound spiritual intimacy experienced through this act of remembrance. When believers "thus our faith employ, His sufferings to record," they enter into "Communion with our Lord." This is not merely an intellectual recollection but a deeply felt spiritual connection. Romans 8:17 speaks of us being "heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with him, so that we may also be glorified with him." This shared experience, even in mourning, leads to a joyful realization of presence. The powerful imagery of being "with him are dead, And shall with him arise" directly reflects the baptismal symbolism of dying and rising with Christ, as taught in Romans 6:3-4: "Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may walk in newness of life." The final lines, "The cross on which he bows his head Shall lift us to the skies," encapsulate the redemptive paradox of the cross – an instrument of suffering that becomes the pathway to ultimate glory and ascension, fulfilling the promise of John 12:32, where Jesus states, "And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself." This hymn, therefore, serves as a potent reminder of the communal, sacrificial, and salvific nature of Christian worship, rooted firmly in the enduring truths of Scripture.