Lord Jesus Christ, with Us Abide

"Lord Jesus Christ, with Us Abide" (LSB 585) was written by two Lutherans of the Reformation era: Philipp Melanchthon and Nicolaus Selnecker. Melanchthon was Martin Luther's "right-hand man" as he penned the Unaltered Augsburg Confession (1530), the Apology of the Augsburg Confession (1531) and the Treatise on the Power and Primacy of the Pope (1537). Selnecker was one of the principal authors of the Formula of Concord (1577). Selnecker was also a student of Melanchthon at the University of Wittenberg.

Selnecker, who wrote most of the hymn, was a staunch advocate for orthodox Lutheran theological expression.

The hymn begins with lines that evoke the prayer of the disciples on the road to Emmaus when it looked as though Jesus was going to leave them. The "eventide" and "night" of stanza one become "these last days of great distress" in stanza two. The hymn later speaks of the gravest temptation of all, apostasy or surrendering the faith, as "human pride" rejects God's truth and substitutes "man-made thoughts or things" for the words that the Holy Spirit uses to create and sustain faith.

Against such evils, the Church must pray to its Lord for His continued presence in order to "spurn Satan" and to remain "strong, bold, and unified" (stanza four). But how does Jesus "abide" with the Church? The hymn answers simply, explicitly, and in every stanza: God's Word. The emphasis of this hymn is the right proclamation of God's Word.

1 Lord Jesus Christ, with us abide,
For round us falls the eventide.
O let Your Word, that saving light,
Shine forth undimmed into the night.

2 In these last days of great distress
Grant us, dear Lord, true steadfastness
That we keep pure till life is spent
Your holy Word and Sacrament.

3 To hope grown dim, to hearts turned cold
Speak tongues of fire and make us bold
To shine Your Word of saving grace
Into each dark and loveless place.

4 May glorious truths that we have heard,
The bright sword of Your mighty Word,
Spurn Satan that Your Church be strong,
Bold, unified in act and song.

5 Restrain, O Lord, the human pride
That seeks to thrust Your truth aside
Or with some man-made thoughts or things
Would dim the words Your Spirit sings.

6 Stay with us, Lord, and keep us true;
Preserve our faith our whole life through—
Your Word alone our heart’s defense,
The Church’s glorious confidence.

Text: © 1982 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: CPH Limited Promotional License no. 119000000