Gloria Gaither (b. March 4, 1942) is a songwriter for gospel music, along with her husband, Bill Gaither. She also sang in the Bill Gaither Trio, one of the most influential groups in recent Christian music.
I've Just Seen Jesus
Bill & Gloria Gaither Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It is finished, he said
We had watched as his life ebbed away
Then we all stood around
Till the guards took him down
Joseph begged for his body that day
It was late afternoon
Wrapped his body and sealed up the grave
So I know how you feel
His death was so real
But please listen and hear what I say
I've just seen Jesus
I tell you he's alive
I've just seen Jesus
Our precious Lord alive
And I knew, he really saw me too
As if till now, I'd never lived
All that I'd done before
Won't matter anymore
I've just seen Jesus
And I'll never be the same again
It was his voice she first heard
Those kind gentle words
Asking what was her reason for tears
And I sobbed in despair
My Lord is not there
He said, child! it is I, I am here!
I've just seen Jesus
I tell you he's alive
I've just seen Jesus
Our precious lord alive
And I knew, he really saw me too
As if till now, I'd never lived
All that I'd done before
Won't matter anymore
I've just seen Jesus
I've just seen Jesus
I've just seen Jesus
All that I'd done before
Won't matter anymore
I've just seen Jesus
And I'll never be the same again
I've just seen Jesus!
The song I've Just Seen Jesus by Bill & Gloria Gaither tells the story of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the perspective of Mary Magdalene and one of his disciples. The first stanza describes their despair upon witnessing Jesus' death and how they had to relinquish his body to Joseph. The following stanza describes their visit to Jesus' tomb and how they witnessed his resurrection, with him appearing to Mary and revealing himself to her through his voice.
The chorus of the song expresses their overwhelming joy at the sight of the risen Lord, and how this encounter has transformed their lives forever. They declare that nothing they had done before would matter anymore, for they had now seen Jesus and experienced the transformative power of his resurrection.
Line by Line Meaning
We knew he was dead
We were aware of his death.
It is finished, he said
He declared that his mission was accomplished.
We had watched as his life ebbed away
We had seen him gradually lose consciousness and then pass away.
Then we all stood around
We remained near the crucifixion site.
Till the guards took him down
We stayed until the Roman soldiers removed his body from the cross.
Joseph begged for his body that day
Joseph of Arimathea requested and received permission to bury Jesus' body.
It was late afternoon
The sun was setting when we arrived at the tomb.
When we got to the tomb
Upon arriving at the tomb.
Wrapped his body and sealed up the grave
We covered his body with linen and sealed the entrance to the tomb.
So I know how you feel
I understand your emotions.
His death was so real
His passing was undeniably genuine.
But please listen and hear what I say
Give me the chance to share my experience with you.
I've just seen Jesus
I have had a profound encounter with the risen Lord.
I tell you he's alive
I assure you that he is alive.
Our precious Lord alive
Our Lord and Savior is alive and well.
And I knew, he really saw me too
I was assured that he recognized me during our encounter.
As if till now, I'd never lived
My previous life experience pales in comparison to my encounter with Jesus.
All that I'd done before
My past actions and accomplishments.
Won't matter anymore
They are no longer a significant part of my identity.
It was his voice she first heard
Mary Magdalene was the first to hear the voice of the risen Lord.
Those kind gentle words
His voice conveyed comfort and compassion.
Asking what was her reason for tears
He inquired into the source of Mary Magdalene's distress.
And I sobbed in despair
I cried uncontrollably in my pain.
My Lord is not there
I was convinced that Jesus' body had been moved elsewhere.
He said, child! it is I, I am here!
Jesus revealed himself to Mary Magdalene and comforted her with his presence.
All that I'd done before
My past actions and accomplishments.
Won't matter anymore
They are no longer a significant part of my identity.
And I'll never be the same again
My encounter with Jesus has fundamentally changed me.
Lyrics © CAPITOL CHRISTIAN MUSIC GROUP, Capitol CMG Publishing, Integrity Music
Written by: Danny Daniels, Gloria Gaither, William J. Gaither
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@tomshehidmusic4227
Sandi & Larnelle are simply outstanding.
It's not hard to fathom why they both received the ovation they more than deserved here.
It really is true - Take care of your voice, your voice will take care of you!
Something that REALLY stuck out/further impressed me here is Larnelles' breath support, precision in pitch, ease, clarity, resonance, power, perfect placement, use of vibrato and straight tone all within the final two notes of this performance on "Je - sus".
Notice how Larnelle sings "Je -" with an instant onset of vibrato and power (difficult vowel to execute when using upper chest voice or mixed voice, especially when sustaining a note WITH vibrato!!), then takes NO breath at all, sustains the final note ("sus") using straight tone allowing resonance to cut through beautifully, maintaining support and power, an open throat placement with no pitch issues AFTER a difficult transition from the previous "E" vowel, onsets vibrato again at the perfect time to punctuate that last note with class - Utter ear candy! This man is in complete command of his instrument and he gives all his thanks to his faith and doesn't idolise himself which is so refreshing and inspiring. Take care of your voice, your voice will take care of you!
Whether you follow a religion or not, you can't deny the feeling of faith/spirit that this testimony brings and the passion and complete devotion both Sandi and Larnelle have for theirs!
@TheTewjr
To call this a classic is an understatement. What a marvelous combination, and it has aged well. Beautiful!!!
@Angelbee1959
Who is listening to this during COVID 19? HALLELUJAH!
@teresaoquin1807
Me!!
@dkhnguess
Me. Can’t get enough of this song!
@thandoreviews8886
girl!
@amukelaningobeni4845
I am
@nancyclaggett2245
Mom is on her death bed. I played this for her. She smiled and lifted her hand.😢
@JacquelineJensen-he5en
A blessing my soul needed this morning after Easter!! He saw me too! April 1, 2024
@JamesEByler
This song, "I've Just Seen Jesus," as masterfully sung by Larnelle Harris and Sandi Patty, two very Sincerely Christian artists, sends "chills" up my spine! I so long to see MY Jesus, FACE TO FACE!!! And as the song says, I WILL NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN!!!
@celestesantini7459
If this does not bring you to your knees , nothing will...amazing amazing nothing short of amazing