Tell Me the Story of Jesus

Some hymns teach doctrine. Some stir emotion. But Tell Me the Story of Jesus does something deeper. It invites the believer to return to the center of the faith with childlike wonder. Written by Fanny Crosby, this hymn is a gentle, earnest request: Tell me again. Tell me slowly. Tell me like it’s the first time.

Crosby understood something profound: the gospel is not a story we outgrow. It is the story that shapes every other story. Her words carry the simplicity of a child and the depth of a saint. She doesn’t ask for theological complexity or poetic flourish. She asks for Jesus — His birth, His life, His suffering, His love. The hymn is a reminder that the heart never tires of hearing the truth that saves it.

The anchor comes from Luke 2:10:

“I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.”

Crosby takes that angelic announcement and turns it into a lifelong prayer: Tell me the good news again. Let it steady me. Let it shape me. Let it fill me with joy.

As you listen to the meditation, you will hear the Irish flute, the accordion, and the acoustic guitar. You will also hear the shaker and the piano. Let it carry you like a traveling song. Let it feel like walking the dusty roads of Galilee. It feels like hearing the story of Jesus told around a fire. The story is passed from heart to heart.

This hymn is not about performance. It’s about remembrance.

Hymn and Lyrics: Tell Me the Story of Jesus

(Public Domain)

1
Tell me the story of Jesus,
Write on my heart every word;
Tell me the story most precious,
Sweetest that ever was heard.
Tell how the angels in chorus
Sang as they welcomed His birth,
“Glory to God in the highest!
Peace and good tidings to earth.”

Refrain
Tell me the story of Jesus,
Write on my heart every word;
Tell me the story most precious,
Sweetest that ever was heard.

2
Fasting alone in the desert,
Tell of the days that are past;
How for our sins He was tempted,
Yet was triumphant at last.
Tell of the years of His labor,
Tell of the sorrow He bore;
He was despised and afflicted,
Homeless, rejected, and poor.

3
Tell of the cross where they nailed Him,
Writhing in anguish and pain;
Tell of the grave where they laid Him,
Tell how He liveth again.
Love in that story so tender,
Clearer than ever I see;
Stay, let me weep while you whisper,
Love paid the ransom for me.

About the Hymnwriter

Fanny J. Crosby (1820–1915) was more than a hymnwriter. She was a messenger of Christ’s love to people most of society overlooked. Though blind from infancy, she walked with confidence. She stepped into New York’s rescue missions, tenement halls, and shelters. These were places where the poor, the addicted, and the forgotten gathered. She didn’t go to change systems; she went to tell people about Jesus. Her ministry was personal, face‑to‑face, heart‑to‑heart.

Her hymns were born from that same posture. Crosby never wrote by force or routine. She prayed until the Lord gave her the theme, the tone, and the words. Only then would she begin dictating the lyrics. Tell Me the Story of Jesus reflects both sides of her calling. She was the evangelist who longed for every soul to hear the gospel. She was also the prayer-soaked believer who wanted the story of Christ written on her own heart again and again.

Benediction Prayer

May the story of Jesus rest fresh on your heart today.
May His birth bring you joy, His life give you strength,
His suffering draw you near, and His resurrection fill you with hope.
And may the sweetest story ever told become the anchor of your soul.
Amen.