I Lay My Sins on Jesus

But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed. Isaiah 53:5

I Lay My Sins on Jesus
Words by Horatius Bonar

I lay my sins on Jesus, the spotless Lamb of God;
He bears them all, and frees us from the accursed load;
I bring my guilt to Jesus, to wash my crimson stains
White in His blood most precious, till not a stain remains.

I lay my wants on Jesus; all fullness dwells in Him;
He heals all my diseases, He doth my soul redeem:
I lay my griefs on Jesus, my burdens and my cares;
He from them all releases, He all my sorrows shares.

I rest my soul on Jesus, this weary soul of mine;
His right hand me embraces, I on His breast recline.
I love the Name of Jesus, Immanuel, Christ, the Lord;
Like fragrance on the breezes His Name abroad is poured.

I long to be like Jesus, strong, loving, lowly, mild;
I long to be like Jesus, the Father’s holy Child:
I long to be with Jesus, amid the heavenly throng,
To sing with saints His praises, to learn the angels’ song.

I know I write about this a lot, and I will keep on writing about it, because I still find it incomprehensible: Jesus died a criminal’s death for me, so that I could be reconciled to God. As this hymn so aptly states, He bears our sins and frees us from the accursed load. He bore our sins on the cross and through His death paid the ransom for us, buying our freedom from the curse of sin. Sin no longer has power over us. But that doesn’t mean we don’t sin: God is the only one free from sin. We can continue to lay our sins on Jesus, and He will wash us clean; our crimson stains of sin will be made white like snow.

Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Psalm 51:7

Jesus wants us to do more than lay our sins on Him; He wants all of us: our wants, our fears, our burdens, our griefs. He can share in our sorrow because He has been there – He has experienced everything we have (Hebrews 2:17) and He has the power to release us from our burdens.

Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken. Psalm 55:22

Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burden, the God who is our salvation. Psalm 68:19

It’s such a great comfort to know that we can come to Jesus, even when we are tired and weary. I can relate to King David and His longing for God in Psalm 63. Sometimes I feel like I’m in a dry and weary land, and I need the Lord like I need water.

God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; my soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. Psalm 63:1

Does your soul thirst for God, your flesh yearn for Him? Come to Jesus, He is waiting for you. He will take your sins, your burdens, your cares and your weariness. And He will give you rest, peace and strength.

"Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." Matt. 11:29

The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, because he trusts in You. Trust in the LORD forever, for in GOD the LORD, we have an everlasting Rock. Isaiah 26:3-4

He gives strength to the weary, and to him who lacks might He increases power. Isaiah 40:29