What Can Wash Away My Sin

"What Can Wash Away My Sin" (also known as "Nothing but the Blood of Jesus") was written by Robert Lowry in 1876, a Baptist pastor and professor at Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. Lowry was both a gifted preacher and a prolific composer who wrote the tunes for many well-known hymns, including the refrain for "I Need Thee Every Hour" and the music for "Shall We Gather at the River." He wrote this hymn during a period when the theology of Christ's atoning blood was central to evangelical preaching and hymnody. The simple question-and-answer format — "What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus" — makes it one of the most direct and memorable gospel songs ever written. Each verse explores a different aspect of what the blood of Christ accomplishes: forgiveness, righteousness, hope, and peace. Its repetitive structure and straightforward theology have made it a favorite for evangelistic services, baptisms, and communion services for nearly 150 years.