He was born in 1856 on a farm in Iowa and spent his early
years there. His father was actually a travelling music teacher, so he became
quite musical at a young age. When his father died, he initially carried on his
music teaching practice, but even before that he'd developed such a natural
talent that during the day he would be busy on the farm doing his chores and he
would be writing melodies in his head. He would come back in and write songs
based on them.
He announced to his family that he wanted to be a songwriter
and everyone was very pleased. He said how he wanted to write a famous song,
and his mother said this to him: "My boy, I would rather have you write a
song that will help somebody than see you the President of the United
States."
Though self-trained, he started leading singing school
educational events as a teenager. He worked with Grace Episcopal Methodist
Church in San Francisco from 1890-1892 and then moved to Chicago where he
worked for Homer Rodeheaver’s Publishing Firm.
Gabriel became known as the “Master of Missionary Music.”
Gabriel led worship for Billy Sunday encouraging listeners to hear the “Macedonian
Call” (a call by the apostle Paul in Acts encouraging a Macedonian to join him
in preaching the gospel). One common thread throughout many of Gabriel‘s lyrics
is the high-honor and sense of indebtedness to spread the good news of the
gospel.
During the 1890s he and his family moved to Chicago and
became very involved in the music there. He wrote countless songs, published
countless hymnals, and was well known in the field for his prolific work.
He edited gospel song books and contributed numerous hymns
to various publications. He is credited with writing between 7,000-8,000
hymns and songs in his life.
Biblerepository.com: In Luke 9:43, we see a beautiful picture of amazement and wonder surrounding the ministry of Jesus Christ. The people witnessing His miracles are struck with awe at the display of God’s might and power . . . What this verse truly offers us is a glimpse into the heart of our faith and the essence of the message Jesus is conveying to His disciples during this moment . . . The crowd’s wonder symbolizes the natural human response to the divine. In our lives, we might encounter moments of amazement as we see God at work . . . We can relate to this universal feeling of awe. There is a sense of simplicity in taking a step back and reflecting on what God has done for us . . . One of the most profound lessons in this verse is how we respond to wonder in our lives. God often reveals His presence most powerfully in our moments of amazement, but those moments should spur us to further our understanding and relationship with Him. We should dive into His Word, seek to know Him more deeply, and challenge ourselves to share our experiences with others.
Godsbless.ing: This verse portrays an incredibly poignant
moment in Jesus’ life, demonstrating His humanity and the immense emotional and
physical toll He was enduring . . . Can you imagine the depth of Jesus’ agony,
knowing the sacrifice He was about to make for all of us? This verse serves as
a powerful reminder of Jesus’ sacrifice and His willingness to endure
unimaginable suffering out of love for each of us. It invites us to reflect on
the depth of His love and the magnitude of His sacrifice, inspiring us to
appreciate the profound mercy and grace extended to us through His selfless act
on the cross.
Enduringword.com: The agony of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane proved He struggled with the difficulty of obedience, yet He obeyed perfectly . . . These prayers were “Most ardent requests, uttered with deep sighs, hands lifted up, and manifold moans, in a most submissive manner.” (Trapp) . . . This answers the question, “How can this glorious, enthroned Jesus know what I am going through down here?” He knows..
Biblehub.com, Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary: The sin of
our souls was the troubled of Christ's soul, when He undertook to redeem and
save us, and to make His soul an offering for our sin. Christ was willing to
suffer, yet prayed to be saved from suffering . . . The soul that was at a
distance from Christ, is brought to love Him and trust Him. Jesus was now going
to heaven, and He would draw men's hearts to Him thither. There is power in the
death of Christ to draw souls to Him.
“We know the story that Jesus went to the cross bearing our sins, carrying the weight of our sins on His shoulders, becoming sin for us, taking on our curse and doing it all alone . . . This is an amazing thought: that we who are sinners, condemned and unclean, have those sins nailed to the cross with Jesus so that when we place our faith in Him they're washed away. They're taken away from us; they're placed on Him so that we can be free. This is the most wonderful act of love God could have done, taking on our sins Himself so that we could go free. How marvelous! How wonderful!” Lukepowellministries.com
Enduringword.com: This is one of the great claims Jesus made
about Himself and His ministry. He is the one who stands in the place of guilty
sinners and offers Himself as a substitute for them . . . The ransom metaphor
sums up the purpose for which Jesus gave His life and defines the complete
expression of His service.
Studylight.org, Contending for the Faith: Jesus says, "Greater
love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends"
(John 15:13). This is the greatest service, and Jesus comes for the purpose of
giving it . . . Jesus gives His life in the stead of many. He gives His life in
their place. His punishment and death are a substitute for the many . . . The giving
of one life rescues many. The glad tidings of salvation through the ransom paid
by Christ is for all who believe in and obey Him. It is not
restricted to the few--His friends or His enemies--but it must be proclaimed to
all.
Godsbless.ing: Jesus is compared to the cornerstone of a building in this verse. Just like a cornerstone holds a building together, Jesus is the crucial element that holds our faith and salvation together. He is the foundation on which we build our lives, our beliefs, and our relationship with God . . . Our faith cannot be complete without Jesus, just as a building cannot stand without a cornerstone. He is the key to salvation, the beginning and the end of our faith journey. Embracing Jesus as the cornerstone of our faith ensures that our spiritual foundation is strong and secure . . . The phrase “And it is marvelous in our eyes” reflects the awe and wonder that accompany the recognition of God’s miraculous deeds. It invites us to marvel at the divine wisdom that transforms rejection into exaltation.
This hymn says that one day I'm going to actually see Jesus face to face up there in glory, and then it's going to be the greatest joy to sing His praise and to thank Him for His love. “How marvelous! How wonderful!”
