What a wonderful Savior!
We are redeemed, the price is paid–
What a wonderful Savior!
Refrain:
What a wonderful Savior is Jesus, my Jesus!
What a wonderful Savior is Jesus, my Lord!
2. I praise Him for the cleansing blood–
What a wonderful Savior!
That reconciled my soul to God–
What a wonderful Savior! [Refrain]
3. He cleansed my heart from all its sin–
What a wonderful Savior!
And now He reigns and rules therein–
What a wonderful Savior! [Refrain]
4. He gives me overcoming pow'r–
What a wonderful Savior!
And triumph in each trying hour–
What a wonderful Savior! [Refrain]
Story Behind the Hymn: “What a Wonderful Saviour!”
Written by Elisha A. Hoffman, 1891
“What a Wonderful Saviour!” is a triumphant hymn of praise that proclaims the power of Christ's redemptive work in a deeply personal way. The words were penned by Elisha Albright Hoffman, a prolific American hymn writer and pastor whose name is associated with over 2,000 gospel songs, including favorites like "Leaning on the Everlasting Arms" and "I Must Tell Jesus."
Born in 1839 in Orwigsburg, Pennsylvania, Hoffman was the son of a minister and grew up surrounded by the Scriptures and church music. His hymns were not academic in tone but instead flowed from his pastoral heart and daily experiences in ministry. He often wrote his hymns while visiting the sick, praying with the grieving, or preaching to struggling congregations.
“What a Wonderful Saviour!” was written in 1891, during Hoffman’s time of ministry in Ohio. Like many of his compositions, this hymn was crafted to express the joy and assurance found in Christ’s saving grace. Each stanza focuses on a specific aspect of Jesus’ work—atonement, cleansing, keeping, guiding—and ends with the emphatic refrain, “What a wonderful Saviour is Jesus, my Jesus!”
The hymn reflects Hoffman’s own theological convictions. He believed that salvation wasn’t just a doctrine to affirm but a living relationship with a Savior who walks with His people daily. That sense of intimacy and celebration comes through powerfully in the hymn.
The hymn was soon embraced in revival meetings, Sunday schools, and gospel services, where its simple structure and rousing melody made it easy to sing and hard to forget. It gave voice to countless testimonies of deliverance and joy in Christ.
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