This jubilant hymn was written by Thomas Kelly (1769–1855), who left the Church of Ireland in 1802 to form his own evangelical sect. It first appeared in the 1809 third edition of his Hymns on Various Passages of Scripture under the heading “And he shall reign forever and ever” (Revelation 11:15). The text invites the “saints” (baptized believers whose robes are washed white in the blood of the Lamb) to behold the reigning Christ, portrayed not merely as the “man of sorrows” from Isaiah 53 but as a victorious warrior returning in triumph after destroying His enemies. The hymn draws profound parallels between Good Friday and the Ascension: Christ wore a crown of thorns (the curse of the ground resulting from sin) specifically to break that curse, and although His claim to be King was mocked, He willingly suffered so that His subjects might be His own. In Kelly’s original, “crown Him” was sung only twice per stanza; modern hymnals repeat the joyful exclamation more frequently to fit the tune.
Sung at Our Saviour
2026