Yesterday, Today, and Forever

O how sweet the glorious message simple faith may claim
Yesterday, today, forever Jesus is the same.
Still He loves to save the sinful, heal the sick and lame
Cheer the mourner, still the tempest, glory to His Name.

Chorus
Yesterday, today, forever, Jesus is the same.
All may change, but Jesus never! Glory to His Name!
Glory to His Name! Glory to His Name!
All may change, but Jesus never! Glory to His Name!

He, who was the Friend of sinners, seeks the lost one now
Sinner come, and at His footstool penitently bow
He Who said “I’ll not condemn thee, go and sin no more,”
Speaks to thee that word of pardon as in days of yore.

Oft on earth He healed the sufferer by His mighty hand
Still our sicknesses and sorrows go at His command
He who gave His healing virtue to a woman’s touch
To the faith that claims His fullness still will give as much.

As of old He walked to Emmaus, with them to abide
So through all life’s way He walketh ever near our side
Soon again we shall behold Him, Hasten Lord the day
But twill still be this same Jesus as He went away.

Based upon the passage of Scripture found in Hebrews 13:8, this particular hymn reminds us that Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  What I particularly liked about this song is it does a wonderful job of reminding us of the kinds of things Jesus did during His earthly ministry, and encourages us by letting us know that He is still doing those things today.  He is still saving, healing, comforting, and calming the storms in our lives.

Couple of comments on the lyrics with some Scriptural references about what Christ did while on earth.

• “save the sinful” – Luke 19:10 says “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”   Jesus is still in the saving business today.  But He isn’t just saving those that come from Godly homes raised by Christian parents.  No, He is in the business of saving the truly sinful, and using those people as testimonies of His great grace.
• “heal the sick and lame” – Matthew 14:14 says “When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.”  Matthew 15:30 reads “Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them.” Jesus is still healing the sick and lame.  His healing power has not diminished.  His ability to make sickness leave is not fading.  Jesus is still in the healing business.
• “still the tempest” – Mark 4:38-39 reads “And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.”  Jesus is still calming the storms of our lives.  On the sea that day, 2,000 years ago, Jesus calmed a physical storm.  I believe He can do that today too.  But I also know that He can calm the “storms of life” that toss us to and fro.  His words “Peace, be still” are still powerful today.

When I was a kid, there were two movie series that I loved to watch – Star Wars and Indiana Jones.  My favorite Indiana Jones movie was the last one with Sean Connery as Indy’s father.  There is a scene in the last part of the movie where Indy is trying to find the Holy Grail that you may be familiar with.  One soldier was already killed trying to attempt to find the grail, and Indy is forced to go down a dark passage to find the grail.  He remembers certain clues that his father had taught him to get through these potential traps.  I was reminded of that first clue when I read the lyrics to this hymn.  The first clue that Indy uses to get pass the first test is “Only the penitent man will pass.”  Both Indy and his father repeat this clue several times.  Indy translates this to mean “bow down” to avoid the danger, and it works. 

In the second verse of this song, the author describes how a sinner can come to Christ – he must penitently bow.  The dictionary describes “penitently” as “feeling or expressing sorrow for sin or wrongdoing and disposed to atonement and amendment; repentant; contrite.”  I like that word because it truly communicates how we must approach Christ and His Cross.  And I think it is true to say that “only the penitent man will pass” because God requires us to repent of our sins.  However, I am also reminded that as His sons and daughters, we are commanded to “boldly approach the throne.”  We have been grafted in the vine, and are no longer outsiders, aliens, or strangers.  But God knows us and loves us as His children, and desires that we come to His throne.

I hope today that you have already come to the Cross penitently – in repentance desiring to have your sins atoned for.  But I also hope that you realize that if you have accepted Christ, you have joined His family.  You have become a son or a daughter of God – a joint heir with Jesus.  You can now approach this same Jesus with boldness.  And yes, He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.