This past fall semester I taught a seminary extension course titled Introduction to Lutheran Thought which was hosted by Maple Park Church, Lynnwood, Washington. We explored the major themes of Lutheran Thought through the study of the Scriptures, the writings of Martin Luther, and the Lutheran Confessions. The members of the class were given a variety of ways to express what they were discovering and how this applies to life and ministry. Micah Nordtvedt, the Director of Worship at Hope Church, Everett, WA, chose to put into song the word that God was delivering through the Scriptures. Micah submitted the following lyrics and commentary as partial fulfillment for the course and we share it with his permission.

You See Jesus

VERSE 1
God of Justice, look upon us
See the shackles that bind our soul
God of Wrath and Fury
We cannot stand in your glory
We bear the trespasses of new and old

PRECHORUS
God of Favor, look upon us
And instead of our sins that condemn us
You see the perfect Lamb
Surrendered for humanity

CHORUS
You see Jesus
You see the precious blood of Christ
You see Jesus
And His final sacrifice for all our sin
You see the Lamb that was slain for us
You see Jesus

VERSE 2
God of Favor, look upon us
See the burdens that weigh us down
God of Grace and Mercy
You know we are not worthy
You can see our guilt is all around
(to Prechorus)

BRIDGE
And one day at the end of time
We'll stand in glory of the divine
Sin and death will pass away
And on that day-

We'll see Jesus
By the precious blood of Christ
We'll see Jesus
Through His final sacrifice for all our sin
We'll praise the Lamb that was slain for us
We'll see Jesus

download this song >>>

Commentary on You See Jesus
We don't like to think of God as a wrathful God. We prefer Him to remain a happy father giving gifts to his beloved children. And yet the Bible tells of a holy and righteous God who hates sin. "It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God" (Hebrews 10:31). Only through the eyes of Favor do we not face His wrath and anger, for we are "a people of unclean lips" (Isaiah 6:5). Only when our sins are atoned for by the sacrifice of Jesus can we stand. Jesus "entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God's presence" (Hebrews 9:24). And, "he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself" for our sins (Hebrews 9:26). Not only did he take the place for our sins, but he also lived a perfect life and we are credited with His righteousness.

I wanted to write a song that would carry the two notes of Law and Gospel and convey the idea that when God looks at us, he sees us through the blood of Jesus. The word "favor" used to be confusing to me, probably because of assumptions that I made as a child while hearing the Christmas story. I heard that Mary found favor with God. Since it's not a common phrase, I assumed it meant that Mary actually did something ("finding") to get God to notice her. Later in life, I understood what the phrase actually meant, and it really shed light on the idea of how God, even in the Old Testament, sees people through the lens of Jesus. At the point of the song where I use "God of Favor," the tone changes from Law to Gospel, and hope begins to shine. The second verse returns to Law, but the Gospel still remains as we cling to the hope of receiving favor despite our sins. The final chorus changes to reflect our hope in the final and on-going celebration in which we will participate when we can actually stand in the glory of God-all because of Jesus.

Three more songs that were not available in the printed magazine here >>>

Below is a link to Micah Nordtvedt's website where you will be able to download the songs and sheet music, as well. You are free to use and distribute these songs without Micah Nordtvedt's permission. Thank you to Micah for sharing these gifts with us.

You can download the lead sheets at www.nordtvedt.net/worship