__________
Avis B. Christiansen was born Oct 11, 1895 in Chicago, Illinois and died in Chicago on Jan 14, 1985. The legendary pastor and author H. A. Ironside wrote this concerning Avis, “She is the gifted author of many of our sweetest gospel songs. A modest, retiring person whom few get to know beyond the circle of her immediate family and friends. With a very keen apprehension of spiritual realities, and a clear understanding of the great truths revealed in the Word of God, her hymns and poems are eminently Scriptural and very soul-uplifting. One day while listening to a sermon on the subject of Christ's atonement entitled "Blessed Redeemer", Mr. Harry Dixon Loes was inspired to compose this tune. He then sent the melody with the suggested title to Mrs. Christiansen, a friend for many years, asking her to write the text. The completed hymn first appeared in the hymnal Songs of Redemption in 1920. Mrs. Avis Christiansen is to be ranked as one of the important gospel hymn writers of the 20th century. She has written hundreds of gospel hymn texts as well as several volumes of published poems. Throughout her long lifetime of 90 years, Mrs. Christiansen collaborated with many well-known gospel musicians to contribute several other choice hymns to our hymnals, including "Blessed Calvary"; "I Know I'll See Jesus Someday" and the below hymn entitled “Blessed Redeemer”, which is another one of my favorites. I sincerely trust you will enjoy this as much as I do!
Up Calvary’s mountain, one dreadful morn,
Walked Christ my Savior, weary and worn;
Facing for sinners death on the cross,
That He might save them from endless loss.
“Father forgive them!” thus did He pray,
E’en while His lifeblood flowed fast away;
Praying for sinners while in such woe
No one but Jesus ever loved so.
O how I love Him, Savior and Friend,
How can my praises ever find end!
Through years unnumbered on heaven’s shore,
My tongue shall praise Him forevermore.
CHORUS:
Blessed Redeemer! Precious Redeemer!
Seems I now see Him on Calvary’s tree;
Wounded and bleeding, for sinners pleading,
Blind and unheeding—dying for me!
__________
Further Thoughts:
When the Lamb of God offered Himself up as the sacrifice for our sin that Passover long ago, the Roman cross, intended to be an instrument of cruel death, instead became a symbol of new life and hope for the human race. God loved and valued each of us so highly that He was willing to pay the greatest price imaginable for our salvation. I will close with the following written by an unknown author:
A Hill with Three Crosses
One cross where a thief died IN SIN
One cross where a thief died TO SIN
A center cross where the Redeemer died FOR SIN
