Awake, my heart, with gladness,
See what today is done,
Now after gloom and sadness
Comes forth the glorious Sun!
My Savior there was laid
Where our bed must be made
When to the realms of light
Our spirit wings its flight.
2. The Foe in triumph shouted
When Christ lay in the tomb,
But, lo, he now is routed,
His boast is turned to gloom.
For Christ again is free;
In glorious victory
He who is strong to save
Has triumphed o’er the grave.
3. Upon the grave is standing
The Hero, looking ’round;
The Foe, no more withstanding,
His weapons on the ground
Throws down, his hellish power
To Christ he must give o’er
And to the Victor’s bands
Must yield his feet and hands.
4. This is a sight that gladdens;
What peace it doth impart!
Now nothing ever saddens
The joy within my heart;
No gloom shall ever shake,
No foe shall ever take,
The hope which God’s own Son
In love for me hath won.
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5. Now hell, its prince, the devil,
Of all their power are shorn;
Now I am safe from evil,
And sin I laugh to scorn.
Grim death with all his might
Cannot my soul affright;
He is a powerless form,
Howe’er he rave and storm.
6. The world against me rageth,
Its fury I disdain;
Though bitter war it wageth,
Its work is all in vain.
My heart from care is free,
No trouble troubles me.
Misfortune now is play,
And night is bright as day.
7. Now I will cling forever
To Christ, my Savior true;
My Lord will leave me never,
Whate’er He passes through.
He rends Death’s iron chain,
He breaks through sin and pain,
He shatters hell’s dark thrall,
I follow through it all.
8. To halls of heavenly splendor
With Him I penetrate;
And trouble ne’er may hinder
Nor make me hesitate.
Let tempests rage at will,
My Savior shields me still;
He grants abiding peace
And bids all tumult cease.
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9. He brings me to the portal
That leads to bliss untold
Whereon this rime immortal
Is found in script of gold:
"Who there My cross hath shared
Finds here a crown prepared;
Who there with Me has died
Shall here be glorified."
Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! 1 Corinthians 15:54-57.
"As the Lord Christ has conquered death, He has also conquered sin. For in His own person He is pure and just; but because He takes on Himself the sins of others He becomes a sinner. That is why sin and death can assault Him. And He, the Lord Christ, is very ready to be thus assaulted and nailed to the cross in order that He may die, as if He had Himself sinned and brought His death upon Himself. But there, hiden under the sin of others, His holiness is so great that death cannot overcome Him. Thus sin, like death, attacked the wrong man, and so grew weak and died in His body. And likewise the devil wanted to provie him power over Christ, and uses all His might against Him, trying to bring Him down. But He meets with a higher power which he cannot overcome. And all this has been wrought in order that our Lord Christ might glory becaus by being cast down He was lifted up on high, and these three might foes: sin, the devil, and death, must lie low under His feet. This great victory we celebrate today. Now all power consists in this, that we take it well to heart and firmly believe it."
— Martin Luther, Sermon for Easter Day, 1544; translated in Day by Day We Magnify Thee (Fortress Press, 1982), p. 168)
In observance of the most holy and sacred mysteries of the faith this holy week there will be no posts until after Easter Monday. May you be strengthened and blessed richly as you come now to those events in our Lord’s life which for us are the "holy of holies" of all that we are and all that we shall be, by His grace and mercy. God bless!
A week or so ago there arrived in the mail at my office a wonderful little gift. "Little" referring only to its physical size, but a very "large" gift in respect to its thoughtfulness. Mrs. Kelly Klages made me a tiny replica of the Concordia edition of the book of concord, a very small little box version. The realism is striking even down to the ultra-tiny subtitle at the bottom of the cover. This little box is only 2.25 by 3.75 in inches! Thanks Kelly!
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