Two prominent German musicians walked along a country road in the summer of 1836. They heard people working in the fields singing a beautiful hymn they had never heard and became curious. This group of Silesians who lived in the eastern section of Germany called the song “Most Beautiful Lord Jesus.” You may know it as “Fairest Lord Jesus.” The tune originated from an old Silesian folk song. The musicians were so taken with the hymn that one wrote down the tune while the other copied the text. They added it to their hymnbook, and it surged in popularity. The tune is evocative, and its exquisite words stir the heart. No one knows who wrote it; neither are we certain of its age. Most musicologists estimate it to be three hundred years old.
Most modern hymn books print three verses of this original six-verse hymn. In verse 1, Jesus’ dual nature as divine and human is celebrated, thereby establishing his supremacy over creation. Verse 2 extols the beauty of creation–the meadows and the woodlands, yet even nature pales in comparison to Jesus, who is fairer and purer. I love the closing line that he can even “make the woeful heart to sing.” Verse 3 lifts our gaze to heaven, to the sun, moon, and stars. What can compare to dancing sunbeams, twinkling stars, and a full moon? Only Jesus, Lord and Savior of the world, to whom we give our highest praise and supreme allegiance.
We join with believers past and present in singing this prayer: