When looking at the third chapter of Acts, we see Peter reminding the crowd of Jesus’ love for them, even when they were not aware of his love. With this theme, Samuel Crossman’s hymn “My Song Is Love Unknown” comes to mind. It is a beautiful picture of Jesus choosing to sacrifice himself for people who were shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”

The Author

There is little known about Samuel Crossman, but we do know that he was born in the town of Bradfield St. George in Suffolk, England in 1623, was a minister of the Church of England in Sudbury while simultaneously preaching to a Puritan congregation, and was eventually expelled from the Church of England due to his Puritan affiliations. This was due to the mistake he made of attending the 1661 Savoy Conference, which attempted to update the Book of Common Prayer so that both Puritans and Anglicans could use it. Shortly after his expulsion, he decided to renounce his Puritan connections and was re-ordained by the Church of England in 1665 and was assigned to a church in Bristol, where he remained until his death in 1683. During Crossman’s lifetime, he published 9 hymns in the Young Man’s Meditation and one in the Anglican Hymn Book.

The Hymn

“My Song Is Love Unknown” is a beautifully written hymn that goes through the Passion story. This particular version is from the Christian Worship Hymnal and is set to music composed by John N. Ireland.

My song is love unknown,
my Savior’s love to me,
love to the loveless shown
that they might lovely be.
Oh, who am I,
that for my sake
my Lord should take
frail flesh and die?

Stanza 1: “My Song Is Love Unknown”

In the first stanza, we see our separation from God due to our sin and lovelessness. Fortunately, we have a savior who wants to make us lovely. Our punishment for our sins is death, but Jesus chooses to take this punishment for us.

He came from his blest throne
salvation to bestow,
but such disdain! So few
the longed-for Christ would know!
But oh, my friend,
my friend indeed,
who at my need
his life did spend!

Stanza 2: “My Song Is Love Unknown”

In the second stanza, we see that Jesus did not have to make this sacrifice. He was comfortable sitting on his throne, but he decided to join us even though we express so much disdain for him. He chose to make us his friend and give the best possible gift a friend could give: his life for ours.

Sometimes they crowd his way
and his sweet praises sing,
resounding all the day
hosannas to their King.
Then “Crucify!”
is all their breath,
and for his death
they thirst and cry.

Stanza 3: “My Song Is Love Unknown”

During Jesus’ lifetime, some people recognized his worth and sang his praises. This was particularly true in John 12:12-19 during Palm Sunday when Jesus made his triumphant entry into Jerusalem. The people acknowledged him as being sent from God and as their king, but then when his trial came, they changed their tune and shouted for his crucifixion in John 19:1-16. Stanza 3 highlights these themes.

Why? What has my Lord done?
What makes this rage and spite?
He made the lame to run,
he gave the blind their sight.
Sweet injuries!
Yet they at these
themselves displease
and ‘gainst him rise.

Stanza 4: “My Song Is Love Unknown”

In Stanza 4, Jesus innocence is acknowledged and his unjust punishment lamented. Even Pontius Pilate saw his innocence in John 19:1-16, but he was too afraid of the crowd to stand his ground. There are countess examples of Jesus healing various people. John 5:1-15 describes Jesus’ healing of a lame man, and Mark 8:22-26 describes his healing of a blind man. In many of Jesus’ cases of healing, the Pharisees were incredibly displeased. In Mark 3:1-6, Jesus heals a man with a shriveled hand, and instead of praise, the Pharisees begin to plot against him.

They rise and needs will have
my dear Lord made away.
A murderer they save,
the Prince of life they slay.
Yet cheerful he
to suff’ring goes
that he his foes
from death might free.

Stanza 5: “My Song Is Love Unknown”

In Matthew’s version of the trial before Pilate, Pilate tries to sway the crowd by offering to release either Jesus, or the murderer Barabbus. Rather than doing the right thing and asking for the release of an innocent man, the crowd asks for a murderer to be released! All throughout the trial, Jesus could have given evidence so that he could have been released, but instead he stayed silent. In this hymn, “cheerful” may be a slight exaggeration, but after his resurrection, it could certainly be said that Jesus was glad that his death and resurrection had saved all of his followers from the wrath of God as described in 1 Peter 3:18-22.

In life, no house, no home
my Lord on earth might have;
in death, no friendly tomb,
but what a stranger gave.
What may I say?
Heav’n was his home
but mine the tomb
wherein he lay.

Stanza 6: “My Song Is Love Unknown”

Stanza 6 continues to lament Jesus’ treatment on Earth. In Luke 4:14-30, Jesus was chased from his hometown of Nazareth, then throughout his ministry he wandered from town to town with people continuing to reject his miracles and chase him onto the next town. In Luke 23:50-56, we see that in Jesus’ death, he did not have a tomb provided from a close friend, but instead one provided by a council member who disagreed with his sentence. In the end, we were the ones who belonged in that tomb; it was our sin that deserved death, but fortunately Jesus loved us enough to come down from heaven and take our place.

Here might I stay and sing;
no story so divine,
never was love, dear King,
never was grief like thine.
This is my friend,
in whose sweet praise
I all my days
could gladly spend!

Stanza 7: “My Song Is Love Unknown”

In Stanza 7, we see the author trying to reconcile the horror of Jesus’ crucifixion with the joy of the result. The idea of God choosing to die for disobedient and sinful people is horrible, but the manner of his death was even worse. The pain and sorrow that Jesus went through is unimaginable. Try watching the Passion of the Christ if you want to get a taste of his grief and torment. Before watching this movie, I thought I understood Jesus’ love, but afterwards I had a completely new understanding. Jesus deserves our continued praise and worship. Seeing the type of death I deserved, and seeing our savior taking our place on that cross brings a whole new appreciation of Jesus, our King!

Related Resources

Visit the Joyful Moments in Christ homepage for all posts, or scroll through other blog posts related to various hymns and songs: