Jesus Remember Me
Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.
Theologically, "Jesus, Remember Me" is a prayer of pure petition drawn from one of the most theologically charged moments in the Gospel narrative: the crucifixion. The penitent thief's cry is remarkable in its economy — it contains no confession of elaborate doctrine, no penitential formula, no act of contrition beyond implicit acknowledgment of need. It is simply a cry toward Jesus from the margins of death, and Jesus' response ("Today you will be with me in paradise," Luke 23:43) is one of the most unambiguous Gospel promises in the New Testament. For Lutheran theology, this exchange is a paradigmatic illustration of justification by grace through faith alone: the thief brings nothing but his need and his trust, and receives everything. In ecumenical Lutheran use, this chant functions as a deeply Lenten and penitential text that simultaneously carries within it the seed of the Gospel promise. The act of repetition in Taizé prayer is not vain repetition but a form of meditative internalization — the worshipper is, through repeated singing, learning to inhabit the posture of the penitent thief, which is to say, the posture of every believer before God. This resonates strongly with Lutheran anthropology: the Christian is simultaneously saint and sinner (simul justus et peccator), always in need of the divine remembrance that the chant implores. The prayer also has an eschatological dimension — "when you come into your kingdom" — that points beyond the immediate moment of suffering toward the promised consummation. For Catholic worshippers, the chant fits naturally into Lenten and Holy Week penitential spirituality, including Stations of the Cross, Tenebrae, and Good Friday liturgy. For Lutheran worshippers, it connects to the theology of the cross (theologia crucis) that is central to Lutheran identity: God is found not in glory but in the suffering of the cross, and it is precisely at the cross — in the company of thieves — that the most radical Gospel promise in the Passion narrative is spoken. The chant thus serves as both Law (we are those who need to be remembered, who cannot save ourselves) and Gospel (Jesus does remember, and his remembrance is salvific).
History & Background
"Jesus, Remember Me" is one of the most widely recognized ostinato chants from the Taizé Community in Burgundy, France, composed by Jacques Berthier in 1981. The text is a nearly verbatim quotation from Luke 23:42, the words of the penitent thief crucified alongside Jesus, and as such represents one of the most scripturally direct chants in the Taizé repertoire. Berthier composed it as part of his long collaboration with Brother Roger Schutz, the founder of the Taizé Community, in developing a body of accessible, meditative chant for international ecumenical gatherings. The brevity and repetitive nature of the text allow worshippers of all languages and traditions to enter the prayer without doctrinal or linguistic barriers. The chant became part of the broader Taizé repertoire published by GIA Publications in North America and Les Presses de Taizé in Europe, ensuring its wide dissemination across Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican, Reformed, and Methodist communities. Its use spread rapidly through the international Taizé youth pilgrimages of the 1980s and 1990s, and it became a standard in ecumenical prayer services, particularly during Lent and Holy Week. The simplicity of its melodic line in the Dorian mode gives it an ancient, modal quality that evokes both penitence and trust simultaneously. By the late twentieth century, "Jesus, Remember Me" had transcended its Taizé origins to become a fixture of ecumenical worship broadly, appearing in major hymnals of the Lutheran, Catholic, Methodist, Presbyterian, and Episcopal traditions. Its use in Holden Village (an ecumenical Lutheran retreat center) and in seminary chapels across North America helped to cement its place in the broader ecumenical canon, making it arguably the single most universally recognized Taizé chant in English-language worship.
One of the robbers crucified with the Savior cried out, ‘Jesus, Scripture References remember me when you come into your kingdom” (Luke 23:42). st. = Luke 23:42 Jesus responded, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise” (v. 43). This humble plea of a sinner for divine mercy is all the more poignant today as our Savior in heaven continues to pray for his people. ‘Jesus, Remember Me” comes from the Taize community, an ecumenical communi ty in France with Reformed roots. In the Taize tradition, short songs are often sung repeatedly with various descants (as here and at 312); others are canons (see 622). The Taize and many other Christian communities and churches use this song as a medita tive chant in communal prayers. The text and tune are from Musicfrom Taize (vol. 1, 1981), published by G.I.A. Publications, Inc.
Hymnal Appearances
- Evangelical Lutheran Worship — 616
- Gather 3rd Edition — 317
- Gather 4th Edition — 317
- Glory to God — 227
- Psalter Hymnal — 217
- Voices Together — 243
- Worship IV — 317
Liturgical Use
Good Friday; as a prayer song in a meditative service.
Bulletin Note
Text: Luke 23:42. Music: Jacques Berthier (1923–1994), Taizé Community, 1981. © Les Presses de Taizé (admin. GIA Publications). Sung as a meditative ostinato; the assembly is invited to enter the prayer through repetition.
Preaching Connection
The penitent thief's cry — "Jesus, remember me" — is the entire Gospel in five words: a human being with nothing to offer but need, and a Savior whose remembrance is already salvation. Preachers may explore how divine "remembrance" in biblical theology is never merely cognitive but always active, always redemptive — to be remembered by God is to be rescued by God.
Catechism & Confessional Connections
- Of Justification Augsburg Confession
Themes
penitence mercy the cross Holy Week Lent eschatology prayer justification by grace theologia crucis divine remembrance meditative prayer ecumenical worship simplicity trust