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On the cross, Christ reaches out to draw all humankind to himself (John 12:32). Because he was executed, though innocent and fully faithful to God, and lives forever, risen from the dead, Christ's boundless love can do this. Hence the completion of the stanza:
The second stanza introduces a less familiar image:
Because this image is less familiar, and perhaps questionable to some, my commentary on the hymn observes that it reflects the centrality of healing in Jesus' ministry, and his evident power, in the culture of his time, both to cure illness and disability, and to expel the destructive habits that captivate and consume us. For the importance of healing in Jesus' ministry, see, for example, Mark 1:29-2:12; 3:1-12; 5:1-43; 6:7-13 (the disciples spread his healing power); 6:53-56; 7:24-37; 8:22-26; 9:14-29; and 10:46-52. As God's Healer, Christ treats—and can heal—all our wounds, with the humility of a slave (John 13:1-17):
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