"Christ Jesus Lay in Death's Strong Bands"
                        by Dr. Martin Luther, 1483-1546
                                  Text From:
                     THE HANDBOOK TO THE LUTHERAN HYMNAL       
            (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1942), pp. 148


       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 hallelujah!
       Hallelujah!


       2. No son of man could conquer Death,
       Such mischief sin had wrought us,
       For innocence dwelt not on earth,
       And therefore Death had brought us
       Into thraldom from of old
       And ever grew more strong and bold
       And kept us in his bondage. Hallelujah!

       3. But Jesus Christ, God's only Son,
       To our low state descended,
       The cause of Death He has undone,
       His power forever ended,
       Ruined all his right and claim
       And left him nothing but the name,--
       His sting is lost forever.
       Hallelujah!

       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,
       His sting is lost forever.
       Hallelujah!

       5. Here the 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 doth mark our door;
       Faith points to it, Death passes o'er,
       And Satan cannot harm us.
       Hallelujah!

       6. So let us keep the festival
       Whereto the Lord invites us;
       Christ is himself the Joy of all,
       The Sun that warms and lights us.
       By His grace He doth impart
       Eternal sunshine to the heart;
       The night of sin is ended.
       Hallelujah!

       7. Then let us feast this Easter Day
       On Christ, the Bread of heaven;
       The Word of Grace hath 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.
       Hallelujah!

       ___________________________________________
       Hymn #195 from The Handbook to TLH
       Text: Acts 2:24
       Author: Martin Luther, 1524, cento
       Translated by: Richard Massic, 1854, alt.
       Titled: Christ lag in Todesbanden
       Tune: Latin melody, c. 1100
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       This text was converted to ascii format for Project Wittenberg
       by Cindy A. Beesley and is in the public domain.  You may
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       comments or suggestions to: Rev. Robert E. Smith of the Walther
       Library at Concordia Theological Seminary.                 

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