Jesus Shepherd in Your Arms
Jesus, Shepherd in Your arms
The hymn emphasizes Christ's tender care for believers, particularly the vulnerable, reflecting Matthew 18:2's teaching on childlike faith and Christ's protective shepherding. It embodies Lutheran comfort theology and the assurance of salvation through Christ's loving care.
History & Background
This hymn appears in The Lutheran Hymnal (1941) as hymn 595. Its authorship and exact origin remain uncertain, though it reflects 19th-century Lutheran hymnological traditions.
Hymnal Appearances
- Lutheran Worship — 269
- The Lutheran Hymnal — 595
Bulletin Note
This 19th-century hymn embodies Lutheran comfort theology, drawing on Psalm 23 and Christ's shepherd imagery to assure believers of salvation through tender, protective grace rather than moral performance.
Preaching Connection
This hymn amplifies the Gospel by translating Matthew 18's call to childlike faith into the comfort of Christ's active shepherding—transforming the Law's demand for humility into the Gospel's gift of secure belonging.
Themes
Christ as Shepherd Protection and care Childhood innocence Divine comfort