WDTHT?

My first selection for WDTHT is hymn 606 in the Lutheran Service Book, I Lay My Sins on Jesus.

Verse 1

I lay my sins on Jesus, the spotless Lamb of God;

He bears them all, and frees us from the accursèd load;

I bring my guilt to Jesus, to wash my crimson stains

White in His blood most precious, till not a stain remains.

WDTHT? What I like about this hymn is that it teaches us what God, through Christ does with our sins, our wants, our guilt, our grief. The focus is not on what we do, how we respond, what we are doing for God. No, the focus is on what "Jesus, the spotless lamb of God" does with our broken, human existence. Christ takes our sins upon himself and frees us from the eternally accursed load. The death we deserve Christ took upon himself and washes clean our crimson sins so that we are "clean in His blood most precious, till not a spot remains." Christ is clearly identified as the Lamb of God, our Savior. That matters because the hymn writer created no uncertainty about who Christ is and what his death accomplished.

Verse 2
I lay my wants on Jesus; all fullness dwells in Him;

He heals all my diseases, He doth my soul redeem:
I lay my griefs on Jesus, my burdens and my cares;

He from them all releases, He all my sorrows shares.

WDTHT? As earthly people we have earthly wants and desires. However, our fullness, our completeness dwells in Christ because it is only there where the disease of death can be healed and our souls redeemed. Jesus can share in all our sorrows because He was true man and because he was true God he also releases us from this earth's sinful burdens that the devil uses to wear us down.

Verse 3
I rest my soul on Jesus, this weary soul of mine;

His right hand me embraces, I on His breast recline.

I love the Name of Jesus, Immanuel, Christ, the Lord;

Like fragrance on the breezes His Name abroad is poured.

WDTHT? Our earthly lives are comforted because our eternal souls rest in Christ. Christ is not described as our buddy, chum, pal, crony or chingu. The hymn clearly teaches for all who read and sing this song, that Christ is Immanuel, the Lord.

The author leaves no doubt about our grief-filled, anxiety-driven, weary human existence. He also leaves no doubt about Jesus Christ's cleansing, healing, soul restoring work. Christ's blood that was sacrificed on the cross washes us clean before God and gives us great reason to proclaim, "I love the name of Jesus, Immanuel, Christ, the Lord!"