Sharper Iron — Sharathon Hymn Study: Christ Jesus Lay in Death’s Strong Bands

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Rev. Sean Kilgo, pastor at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Lawrence, KS, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel for Sharathon 2022 to study Martin Luther’s Easter hymn, “Christ Jesus Lay in Death’s Strong Bands.”

This marvelous Easter hymn helps us to rejoice that Christ is the Savior who has done what we could not do. Our sin left us powerless in the prison of death, but Jesus has come to conquer this greatest enemy of ours and strip it of its reign and power. The strife was real and strange, yet the outcome of Jesus’ victory was never in doubt. As the fulfillment of the Passover Lamb, Jesus’ blood marks us as His own people so that no enemy can harm us. In this Easter joy, we keep the festival of the Lord’s resurrection and receive Him and all His gifts in the Holy Supper of His Body and Blood.

Lutheran Service Book 458

1 Christ Jesus lay in death’s strong bands
For our offenses given;
But now at God’s right hand He stands
And brings us life from heaven.
Therefore let us joyful be
And sing to God right thankfully
Loud songs of alleluia!
Alleluia!

2 No son of man could conquer death,
Such ruin sin had wrought us.
No innocence was found on earth,
And therefore death had brought us
Into bondage from of old
And ever grew more strong and bold
And held us as its captive.
Alleluia!

3 Christ Jesus, God’s own Son, came down,
His people to deliver;
Destroying sin, He took the crown
From death’s pale brow forever:
Stripped of pow’r, no more it reigns;
An empty form alone remains;
Its sting is lost forever.
Alleluia!

4 It was a strange and dreadful strife
When life and death contended;
The victory remained with life,
The reign of death was ended.
Holy Scripture plainly saith
That death is swallowed up by death,
Its sting is lost forever.
Alleluia!

5 Here our true Paschal Lamb we see,
Whom God so freely gave us;
He died on the accursed tree–
So strong His love–to save us.
See, His blood now marks our door;
Faith points to it; death passes o’er,
And Satan cannot harm us.
Alleluia!

6 So let us keep the festival
To which the Lord invites us;
Christ is Himself the joy of all,
The sun that warms and lights us.
Now His grace to us imparts
Eternal sunshine to our hearts;
The night of sin is ended.
Alleluia!

7 Then let us feast this Easter Day
On Christ, the bread of heaven;
The Word of grace has purged away
The old and evil leaven.
Christ alone our souls will feed;
He is our meat and drink indeed;
Faith lives upon no other!
Alleluia!

hymnary.org/hymn/LSB2006/458