Jesus My Great High Priest

Jesus My Great High Priest is a hymn text by Isaac Watts (1709) in L.M. meter. Found in CW21 538, CW93 359, ELH 289, lw 277. Sung to DEUS TUORUM MILITUM.

The hymn articulates the Lutheran understanding of Christ as the perfect High Priest whose single sacrifice supersedes the Levitical priesthood and grants believers direct access to God. It emphasizes Christ's ongoing intercession and the sufficiency of His work for salvation without human merit or priestly mediation.

History & Background

Written by Isaac Watts and published in his Hymns and Spiritual Songs (1709), this hymn expounds the priestly work of Christ as developed in Hebrews. It became widely adopted in evangelical Protestant hymnals throughout the 18th and 19th centuries.

Hymnal Appearances

• Christian Worship: Hymnal — 538
• Christian Worship — 359
• Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary — 289
• Lutheran Worship — 277
• Trinity Hymnal — 306
• The Lutheran Hymnal — 220

Bulletin Note

Isaac Watts (1674–1748) penned this hymn in 1709, celebrating Christ as the antitype of Israel's Levitical priesthood—a distinctly Protestant articulation of justification through Christ's finished work alone.

Preaching Connection

This hymn proclaims the gospel's heart: Christ's single, sufficient sacrifice abolishes the need for human merit or repeated works, granting believers the freedom and confidence to approach God directly through grace alone.

Stanza Arc

The narrative or theological arc traced by this tune's stanzas: Christ's forty-day fast as pattern for believer's Lenten struggle against sin, culminating in Easter resurrection hope

Overview

A cento from Isaac Watts's long hymn on the titles of Christ, focused on his priestly office. Jesus offered his own blood once; my guilty conscience seeks no other sacrifice; his blood now pleads before the throne (st. 1). To this Surety I commit my cause; he fulfilled the broken Law and paid the debt (st. 2). My Advocate appears; the Father 'lays His thunder by' and nothing can turn his love away (st. 3). Whatever hell's hosts do, I am safe in Christ's power (st. 4). Remarkably precise atonement theology for a congregational hymn.

Central theme: Christ's high-priestly work: one sacrifice that satisfies the Law and pays the debt, and ongoing advocacy before the Father

Structure

Four six-line stanzas (6.6.6.6.8.8). Sacrifice (1) — Surety (2) — Advocate (3) — Guardian (4).

Law & Gospel Shape

Law: 'guilty conscience'; 'Father's broken laws'; 'dreadful debt'; 'His thunder' (1-3). Gospel: once-for-all atonement; debt paid; thunder laid by (1-3).

Confessional Connections

Heb 9:11-12 (TLH's text): Christ entered 'once for all… by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.' St. 1: 'My guilty conscience seeks no sacrifice beside' — directly against the sacrifice of the Mass (AC XXIV.21-30; SA II.II.1: the Mass as sacrifice is 'the greatest and most horrible abomination'). St. 2: the Surety (Heb 7:22) who 'answers and fulfils His Father's broken laws' — active obedience, and 'paid the dreadful debt' — passive obedience: both are the righteousness imputed to us (FC III.15, 58). St. 3: Christ as Advocate (1 John 2:1); the Father 'lays His thunder by' — wrath turned away (Rom 5:1, 9; Ap IV).

Liturgical Use (Study Notes)

Ascension; Lent; Reformation; general (Christ's priesthood).

Historical Notes

From Watts's 'Join all the glorious names' in Hymns and Spiritual Songs (1709), which runs through Christ's titles as Prophet, Priest and King.

About the Tune

BEVAN (John Goss, 1853).

Scripture References

Heb 9:11-12 Heb 9:24-28 Heb 10:10-14 Heb 12:24 Heb 7:22 Gal 4:4-5 Rom 5:19 Col 2:14 1 John 2:1-2 Rom 8:33-34 Rom 5:1 Rom 8:38-39 John 10:28-29 Eph 6:12

Stanza by Stanza

Themes

Christ's priesthood Atonement Intercession Access to God Sacrifice

Look Further

• Search Hymnary.org for "Jesus My Great High Priest" ↗
• Search IMSLP for public-domain scores of "DEUS TUORUM MILITUM" ↗