Tell it to Jesus He is a Friend that’s Well Known – Lyrics

Tell It to Jesus He is a Friend That’s Well Known

Introduction

This beautiful hymn, “Tell It to Jesus” by J. E. Rankin and E. S. Lorenz, speaks directly to every heart that carries burdens, tears, and hidden sorrows. The words remind us that Jesus is a friend who is well known to millions who have trusted Him through the ages.

He invites us to tell Him everything: our weariness, our grief, our fears, and even our secret sins. No other friend or brother can compare to Him, because He alone understands completely and loves perfectly. Let us meditate together on these deep truths and learn to bring everything to Jesus alone.

Tell it to Jesus He is a Friend that’s Well Known

Are you weary, are you heavy-hearted?
Tell it to Jesus, tell it to Jesus
Are you grieving over joys departed?
Tell it to Jesus alone

Refrain:
Tell it to Jesus, tell it to Jesus
He is a Friend that’s well known
You’ve no other such a friend or brother
Tell it to Jesus alone

Do the tears flow down your cheeks unbidden?
Tell it to Jesus, tell it to Jesus
Have you sins that to men’s eyes are hidden?
Tell it to Jesus alone

Do you fear the gathering clouds of sorrow?
Tell it to Jesus He is a Friend
Are you anxious what shall be tomorrow?
Tell it to Jesus alone

Are you troubled at the thought of dying?
Tell it to Jesus, tell it to Jesus
For Christ’s coming Kingdom are you sighing?
Tell it to Jesus alone

Refrain:
Tell it to Jesus, tell it to Jesus
He is a Friend that’s well known
You’ve no other such a friend or brother
Tell it to Jesus alone

Do you fear the gathering clouds of sorrow?

‘Tell it to Jesus He is a Friend
Are you anxious what shall be tomorrow?
Tell′ it to Jesus‘ alone

Are you troubled at the thought of dying?
Tel′l it to Jesus‘, tell′ it to Jesus′
For Christ’s coming Kingdom are you sighing?
‘Tell it to Jesus alone by J. E. Rankin and E. S. Lorenz

1. Tell It to Jesus When You Are Weary and Heavy Hearted

The hymn opens with a tender question that reaches deep into the hidden places of every human soul. Are you weary, are you heavy-hearted? These words describe the condition of so many people who are tired of carrying their burdens alone. Weary means exhausted from trying, struggling, and failing to fix your own problems by your own strength.

Heavy-hearted means crushed by grief, disappointment, or the weight of responsibilities that never seem to end. The answer to this condition is not to try harder or pretend to be strong, but simply tell it to Jesus. He does not ask you to clean yourself up before you come to Him with your weariness and heavy heart.

2. Tell It to Jesus When Grieving Over Joys Departed

The hymn continues with another common human experience that touches every person sooner or later in life. Are you grieving over joys departed? This refers to the pain of losing something beautiful that you once had and treasured deeply. It could be the loss of a loved one, the end of a marriage, the failure of a dream, or the passing of youthful energy.

Grief over departed joys is real and painful, and pretending it does not hurt only makes the wound deeper and slower to heal. The hymn does not tell you to ignore your grief or pretend to be happy when you are not. It simply says tell it to Jesus, because He knows grief better than anyone, and He will sit with you in your sorrow.

3. Tell It to Jesus Alone: Why Only He Can Handle Your Pain

The refrain repeats this phrase, telling it to Jesus alone, which emphasizes that no human friend can fully bear your deepest burdens. People who love you may try to help, but they have their own limits, their own weaknesses, and their own problems to carry. Friends may get tired of listening, may give bad advice, or may unintentionally hurt you with their words and reactions.

Jesus alone never gets tired of hearing you, never runs out of patience, and never betrays your trust or shares your secrets. Telling it to Jesus alone does not mean you should not talk to trusted friends at all. It means your ultimate dependence and your deepest confessions should be directed to Him first and most of all.

4. He Is a Friend That’s Well Known Through the Ages

The refrain makes a powerful statement about Jesus that sets Him apart from every other friend or helper in the world. He is a Friend that’s well known, which means millions of people across thousands of years have tested His friendship and found Him faithful. Unlike human friends who may disappoint you after a while, Jesus has a proven track record with generation after generation of believers.

He is well known to the poor, the sick, the dying, the grieving, the persecuted, and the lonely throughout all of history. Every person who has ever told it to Jesus has found that He listens, He cares, and He acts on their behalf in His perfect time. You are not the first to bring your tears to Him, and you will not be the last to find Him faithful.

5. You’ve No Other Such a Friend or Brother Anywhere

The refrain continues with a bold declaration that leaves no room for doubt or comparison with anyone else in your life. You’ve no other such friend or brother, which means no human being, no matter how loving or loyal, can match the friendship of Jesus. Human friends may love you deeply, but they cannot be with you everywhere or at every moment of the day and night.

Human brothers may support you financially or emotionally, but they cannot forgive your sins or give you eternal life or guarantee your future. Jesus is the friend who sticks closer than a brother, who never leaves you, and who has the power to help you in ways no human ever could. Once you discover this friendship, you will stop expecting from people what only Jesus can give you completely.

6. Tell It to Jesus When Tears Flow Down Your Cheeks Unbidden

The second verse of the hymn addresses the experience of unexpected tears that come without warning or permission. Do the tears flow down your cheeks unbidden? This happens when grief is so deep that it breaks through all your defenses and pours out when you least expect it. Unbidden tears are the most honest tears because they come from the heart without your mind controlling them or holding them back.

Some people are ashamed of crying and try to hide their tears from others and even from themselves. The hymn says you do not need to hide your tears or apologize for them, because Jesus sees everyone and understands exactly why they are falling. Tell it to Jesus even through your tears, and let Him wipe them away with His gentle love and comfort.

7. Tell It to Jesus About Sins Hidden from Human Eyes

The hymn continues with one of the hardest things for any person to admit, even to themselves or to God. Have you sins that to men’s eyes are hidden? These are the secret sins that no one knows about, the private failures that live in the darkness of your hidden thoughts. Hidden sins are the heaviest burden because you cannot confess them to anyone without shame, and carrying them alone is crushing your soul.

The enemy whispers that if you tell Jesus about these hidden sins, He will reject you, punish you, or expose you to others. The truth is exactly the opposite. Jesus already knows every hidden sin, and He is waiting for you to tell Him so He can forgive you. Bringing hidden sins into the light of His presence is the only way to be free from their weight and shame forever.

8. Tell It to Jesus When You Fear Gathering Clouds of Sorrow

The third verse of this beautiful hymn addresses the unique pain of anticipating future trouble before it even arrives. Do you fear the gathering clouds of sorrow? This is when you see problems coming toward you like dark storm clouds on the horizon of your life. The fear of what might happen tomorrow often causes more suffering than the actual trouble when it finally comes.

You lie awake at night imagining worst-case scenarios, playing out disasters in your mind, and feeling the pain before anything has even happened. The hymn does not promise that the clouds will not come or that the sorrow will not happen at all. But it commands you to tell it to Jesus before the storm arrives, so you can face it with His strength instead of your own fear.

9. He Is a Friend: The Simple Title That Changes Everything

In the middle of the third verse, the hymn pauses to remind you of the most comforting truth about the One you are telling your fears to. Tell it to Jesus. He is a Friend, not a judge, not a policeman, not a harsh taskmaster waiting for you to fail. The title Friend is the simplest and most powerful word in the entire hymn, because it opens the door to intimacy and trust.

A friend does not condemn you for being afraid, does not mock you for your weaknesses, and does not abandon you when things get hard. Jesus is the friend who sticks closer than a brother, who understands your fears because He became human and felt fear Himself. When you remember that you are telling your fears to a friend, not a stranger, it becomes much easier to open your heart completely without holding anything back.

10. Tell It to Jesus When Anxious About Tomorrow’s Unknown

The hymn continues with another common source of human anxiety that steals peace from millions of people every single day. Are you anxious about what shall be tomorrow? This question touches the universal human struggle with uncertainty about the future and what it may bring. You worry about your health, your finances, your children, your job, your relationships, and a thousand other things that you cannot control.

Anxiety about tomorrow robs you of the peace that God wants you to have today, because you are living in a future that may never come. The remedy for this anxiety is not more planning or more control, but simply telling your worries to Jesus and leaving them in His hands. He already knows what tomorrow holds, and He will be there with you when it comes, so why carry the weight of it today?

11. Tell It to Jesus When Troubled at the Thought of Dying

The final verse of the hymn addresses the deepest fear that every human being must eventually face at the end of their earthly life. Are you troubled at the thought of dying? This is the fear that lurks in the background of every mind, often unspoken but always present in quiet moments. The thought of leaving everything you know, everyone you love, and stepping into the unknown can be terrifying for anyone.

Even believers who trust in heaven may still feel troubled when they think about the process of dying and leaving loved ones behind. The hymn does not pretend that dying is easy or that there is no reason to feel troubled about it at all. But it gives you the same answer for this fear as for every other. Tell it to Jesus alone, because He has already been through death and come out the other side.

12. Tell It to Jesus When Sighing for Christ’s Coming Kingdom

The hymn ends on a note of hope that lifts your eyes from the troubles of today to the glory that is coming very soon. For Christ’s coming Kingdom, are you sighing? This question addresses the longing every believer feels for the day when Jesus will return and make all things new. Sighing for the Kingdom means you are tired of this world’s sin, sorrow, pain, and death, and you long for the perfect world that is coming.

This sigh is not a sign of weakness or a lack of faith, but it is the Holy Spirit within you groaning for the redemption of your body and all creation. Telling this longing to Jesus connects your heart with His own desire to return and complete the work He began on the cross. Until that day comes, keep telling Him everything your weariness, your tears, your fears, and your hidden sins. He is a friend who’s well known, and He will never turn you away or fail you.

Recommendations

• First, practice telling everything to Jesus immediately, the moment you feel weary, heavy-hearted, or anxious about tomorrow.

• Second, stop expecting any human friend to be perfect, and learn to depend on Jesus as your ultimate friend and brother.

• Third, do not hide your tears or your hidden sins from Him, because He already knows them and loves you anyway.

• Fourth, when you fear future sorrows or gathering clouds, tell Him before the storm arrives, not just during it.

• Fifth, be honest about your fear of dying, and let Jesus walk with you through that valley when the time comes.

• Sixth, sigh for His coming Kingdom daily, and let that longing shape how you live and what you prioritize in this world.

Conclusion

At the end of this spiritual journey through the hymn “Tell It to Jesus” by J. E. Rankin and E. S. Lorenz, we return to the simple but profound truth that Jesus is a friend like no other. You do not need to hide your weariness, your tears, your hidden sins, your fears, or your longing for His Kingdom.

He already knows everything, and He invites you to tell Him anyway because talking to Him heals your soul. No other friend or brother can do for you what Jesus can do, because no one else died for your sins or rose again for your eternal life. So tell it to Jesus today, tell it to Him alone, and keep telling Him every day until you see Him face to face. Amen.

More Hymns

• Throw Out the Life Line
• Trust and Obey
• Break Every Chain
• Fairuz – Give Me The Flute and Sing
• Fairuz – You’re Still on My Mind
• Holy Holy Holy Lord God Almighty
• In The Garden – I Come to the Garden Alone

• Take the Name of Jesus

Tell it to Jesus He is a Friend that’s Well Known

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