Christ Jesus Lay in Death's Strong Bands

"Christ Jesus Lay in Death's Strong Bands" (LSB 458) is Martin Luther's Easter hymn.

The hymn begins by echoing the words of St. Luke: "God raised Him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for Him to be held by it" (Acts 2:24). Christ's resurrection brings us life and salvation: "He will swallow up death forever" (Isaiah 25:8). In faith, the Christian joyfully praises the Lord for all He has done for us!

In stanza two, Luther writes of the Law's harshest condemnation of sin and its consequence: death.

In stanzas three and four, Luther tells of what Christ has done for us, sinners. He tells of Christ's struggle, victory, salvation and redemption for us!

In stanzas five and six, Luther tells of Christ's victory on the cross over sin, death, and hell. Also, in stanza five, Luther tells of Jesus as the Passover lamb (Exodus 12) and how His blood marks the Door to eternal life.

In the final stanza, Luther tells how Christ feeds our souls at the Sacrament of the Altar: "Christ alone our souls will feed; He is our meat and drink indeed; faith lives upon no other!"

Each stanza concludes with a bold Easter "alleluia," for Christ is victorious over sin, death, and the power of the devil!

Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! Alleluia!

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 accursèd 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!

Text: Public domain