One cannot help but be amazed at the love of God and the awesome power of Jesus as reflected in this classic hymn and in the account of His miracles in the book of John.
Charles Hutchinson Gabriel was born in Wilton, Iowa in 1856. He spent his first 17 years on a farm in Iowa. He taught himself to play the organ and by the age of 16, he was teaching singing in schools. Gabriel moved to California in 1887 and served as Music Director at Grace Methodist Episcopal Church in San Francisco from 1890 until 1902. He was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 1982, 50 years after he died in Hollywood, California.
While working at Grace Church, he wrote his first commercial song, “Send the Light.” Later, he worked with Homer Rodeheaver’s publishing company in Chicago. Many of his gospel songs became popular through the Billy Sunday-Homer Rodeheaver urban revivals.
In total, it is estimated that he wrote/composed approximately 7000 songs.
A few of Gabriel’s most famous hymns are
Send the Light
Will the Circle be Unbroken
Higher Ground
Awakening Chorus
The Way of the Cross Leads Home
Crown Him with Many Crowns
Since Jesus Came Into My Heart
More Like the Master
I Stand Amazed
Our hymn for this meditation is I Stand Amazed in the Presence. The hymn first appeared in 1905 in Excell’s Praises. The inspiration for this hymn is not known but the gospel message and a passion for Christ are clearly present in the lyrics given below. This great hymn appears in a number of hymnals including The United Methodist Hymnal number 371.
1. I stand amazed in the presence
of Jesus the Nazarene,
and wonder how he could love me,
a sinner, condemned, unclean.
Refrain:
How marvelous! How wonderful!
And my song shall ever be:
How marvelous! How wonderful
is my Savior’s love for me!
2. For me it was in the garden
he prayed: “Not my will, but thine.”
He had no tears for his own griefs,
but sweat-drops of blood for mine.
(Refrain)
3. In pity angels beheld him,
and came from the world of light
to comfort him in the sorrows
he bore for my soul that night.
(Refrain)
4. He took my sins and my sorrows,
he made them his very own;
he bore the burden to Calvary,
and suffered and died alone.
(Refrain)
5. When with the ransomed in glory
his face I at last shall see,
’twill be my joy through the ages
to sing of his love for me.
(Refrain)
We could choose many different paths for mediation based on these lyrics. However, I am struck by the title and first line of the first verse: “I stand amazed in the presence of Jesus the Nazarene.”
My question for our meditation is as follows.
Why would someone stand amazed in the presence of Jesus?
This is a wide open question with many possible answers. In the book of John, Jesus had continuing conversations with the Pharisees and Jewish rulers about who He was and His message. In chapter 10 we find this passage as a part of that continuing conversation.
Do not believe me unless I do the works of my Father. But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.” Again they tried to seize him, but he escaped their grasp.
John 10: 37-38
In effect Jesus is saying, “If you don’t believe what I am telling you based on my words, believe who I say I am based on what you can see that I have done (miracles).” So one answer, from Jesus, regarding why anyone should stand amazed in His presence is because of the miracles He did.
For this meditation, I would like to use the gospel of John as the basis of our approach. Actually Gabriel provides a good answer to the question with the words he penned for the fourth verse. That verse is a one sentence description of the gospel. Nevertheless let’s see what we find in John’s gospel regarding the works of Jesus.
In chapter 20 John tells us that he is writing his gospel that we “may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name” (John 20:31). Our approach will be to briefly look at 10 miracles of Jesus which taken collectively provide a compelling reason to “stand amazed in the presence of Jesus the Nazarene.”
The miracles of Jesus
The virgin birth
First, in a stable in Bethlehem, He was born to a virgin . . . Mary. Never in recorded history has a woman given birth without having sexual relations with a man. But, God ordained this miracle birth by the Holy Spirit coming upon Mary so that she would give birth to the Son of God. Jesus did not have an earthly biological father. His father is God. So, His very birth is a miracle and our first reason to be amazed! Luke describes this event in chapter 1 of his gospel. Now we will look at 8 additional miracles recorded in John.
Water into wine
Second, in John 2 verses 1 – 11 we find the record of Jesus turning water into wine. He was reluctant to do this because His “time has not come yet.” But, He accommodated His mother. She was distraught because they had run out of wine at the wedding. He told the servants to fill six stone jars with 20 to 30 gallons of water each. Then, He told them to take some to the master of the wedding banquet. They did so and the master of the banquet was amazed at the quality of the wine. This was His first miracle in Galilee and His disciples put their faith in Him as a result.
Healing in Capernaum
Third, in John 4 verses 46 – 54 Jesus was approached by a royal official whose son was very sick in Capernaum. The official begged Jesus to heal his son. Jesus told him he could return to his home because He had healed his son. While the official was returning home, some of his servants came to meet him. They told him that his son was well. The official determined that his son’s fever left him at just the time Jesus told him He had healed his son. The official and his entire household believed because of this miraculous healing.
Making the lame walk
Fourth, in John 5 verses 1 – 9, Jesus saw a paralyzed man who had been in that condition for 38 years. Jesus asked the man if he wanted to get well. The man told Jesus that he could get no one to help him into the pool which he thought would provide healing for his body. Jesus told him to “get up and walk.” The man was immediately healed. This took place on the Sabbath!
Feeding the 5,000
Fifth, in John 6 verses 1 – 14, Jesus had crossed over the Sea of Galilee (Tiberias) and a large crowd followed Him. Jesus asked His disciples how they were going to feed such a large crowd. The disciples had no idea…but Jesus did. He turned two small fish and five small barley loaves into “an all-you-can-eat buffet.” When people saw this miracle they began exclaiming that He must be the Prophet who was to come into the world.
Walking on water
Sixth, in verses 16 – 21 of that same chapter, His disciples had set out to cross the lake to go to Capernaum. Jesus was not with them and as they were crossing the lake a storm ensued with strong winds. They saw someone approaching the boat walking on water and they were terrified. But Jesus identified himself to them and they took Him into the boat. Immediately the storm subsided and they were at the other shore. They were amazed and in Matthew’s account (chapter 14) it is recorded that they proclaimed that Jesus was truly the Son of God based on this experience.
Giving sight to the blind
Seven, in John 9 as Jesus was going along (in Jerusalem), He saw a man who had been blind since birth. His disciples asked Him a significant question regarding the man’s infirmity. Jesus’ answer is one of the significant supports for the sovereignty of God . . . but that’s another meditation! Jesus made some mud and put it on the man’s eyes. He told the blind man to go and wash in the pool of Siloam which was southwest of the city. The man obeyed and was healed.
This miracle took place on the Sabbath and sparked quite a discussion between the healed blind man, his parents and the Pharisees. Not only was the blind man physically healed but he was spiritually healed and ended up worshipping Jesus as his Lord!
Raising the dead
Eight, in John 11, Jesus went through a very emotional experience. He got word that Lazarus (brother of Mary and Martha) was deathly ill. He loved them all and was very distraught. But, to their dismay, Jesus did not come to Lazarus immediately. Mary and Martha wanted Jesus to come quickly and heal Lazarus before he died. Jesus deliberately waited two more days. When He arrived, Lazarus had been dead for four days. He went to the tomb and told them to remove the stone. They were reluctant because of the odor of decomposition. But they obeyed. Jesus prayed thanking God that He had heard Him (Jesus).
Then Jesus said (to His Father), “I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me” (John 11:42). So, Jesus waited until Lazarus was “stone dead” to come so that He could perform such a miracle that it would result in these folks believing that He was truly the Son of God!
Filling the fishermen’s nets
Nine, in John 21 verses 1 – 6, Jesus exercises His miraculous powers over the fish of the sea. This actually happened twice…once at the beginning of His ministry and on this occasion. The disciples had returned to their familiar trade after Jesus’ death . . . perhaps in disbelief. Jesus appeared to them after the resurrection and on this occasion He instructed them on where to catch fish. They followed His instruction and they were barely able to haul in this huge catch . . . 153 large fish.
Jesus revealed himself to them in this encounter and they joined Him for breakfast. When they finished breakfast, Jesus restored Peter, their leader and gave Peter his charge. Restoring their leader was also symbolic that He had restored them as His disciples to carry on His work after He was gone.
Resurection
Ten, He is risen! In all four gospels, we find the record of the resurrection of Jesus. He appeared to the women, to the disciples on the road to Emmaus, to those who were fishing, to Peter, to more than 500 (1 Corinthians 15) and then to Paul. So, we have this incredible miracle.
Jesus was scourged and His body was severely wounded. After three days, He emerged from the tomb . . . raised from the dead by God through the working of the Holy Spirit. His body was healed and He appeared to numerous eye witnesses. What a miracle!
John concludes his gospel with these words.
Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.
John 21: 25
These 10 real miracles are only a sample of all He did. If anyone struggles in believing the words and claims of Jesus, He says simply look at the miracles I performed. Given those miracles and the Old Testament prophecies concerning Him (which came true), how can anyone not . . .
“Stand Amazed in the Presence of Jesus the Nazarene.”
Closing prayer
God, I believe. Help my unbelief!
Amen.
Hymns for Him 