Wounded for Me

For this year’s Good Friday...

The story goes that in the years following the First World War, William Gilbert Ovens (1870–1945) saw a wounded veteran limping past on the street and was impressed by the thought that, in a sense, the young man had taken that wound for him.

With those thoughts in mind, Ovens wrote a chorus, ‘Wounded for Me’, which provides the first stanza of the below hymn. Gladys Watkin Roberts (1888–1988) added four more stanzas to complete the picture of Jesus dying for me, risen for me, living for me, and coming for me.

Wounded for me, wounded for me,

There on the cross He was wounded for me;

Gone my transgressions, and now I am free,

All because Jesus was wounded for me.

Dying for me, dying for me,

There on the cross He was dying for me;

Now in His death my redemption I see,

All because Jesus was dying for me.

Risen for me, risen for me,

Up from the grave He has risen for me;

Now evermore from death’s sting I am free,

All because Jesus has risen for me.

Living for me, living for me,

Up in the skies He is living for me;

Daily He’s pleading and praying for me,

All because Jesus is living for me.

Coming for me, coming for me,

Soon in the air He is coming for me;

Then with what joy His dear face I shall see,

Oh, how I praise Him! He’s coming for me.

William G. Ovens (1870–1945) and Gladys W. Roberts (1888–1988)