Christ, the Life of All the Living
Christ, the life of all the living
This hymn exemplifies Lutheran devotion to Christ's substitutionary atonement, emphasizing how Christ's death becomes the source of eternal life for believers. The text reflects the comfort and certainty found in Christ's vicarious suffering, central to Lutheran soteriology and pastoral care.
History & Background
Originally published in German as 'Christus, das Leben aller Lebenden' in Homburg's 1659 hymnal. Catherine Winkworth's English translation, published in her 1863 Chorale Book for England, became the standard version used in English-speaking Lutheran congregations.
Ernst C. Homburg (b. Mihla, near Eisenach, Germany, 1605; d. Naumberg, Germany, 1681) wrote this German chorale text (‘Jesu, meines Lebens Leben”), which was published in Part One of his Geistliche Lieder (1658). Homburg, who wrote most of his hymns for his own devotions, described his eight-stanza text as a “hymn of thanksgiving to his Redeemer and Savior for his bitter sufferings. ” In early life Homburg was a writer of love and drinking songs. After a difficult time of family illness he experienced a religious conversion, and his poetry took a more serious turn. A lawyer by profession, he wrote hymns to express and strengthen his own faith rather than for public use. Some 150 of his hymn texts were published in his Geistliche Lieder. The translation of selected stanzas is by Catherine Winkworth , who published them in her Chorale Book for England (1863). 527 THE PSALMS, BIBLE SONGS, AND HYMNS The text is a meditation on the suffering and death of Christ, which brought eternal life to believers (st. 1), provided full atonement for our sin (st. 2), and mortified our “old nature” (st. 3). The tone of unending gratitude to God reflected in the refrain line—“thousand, thousand thanks are due”—runs throughout the entire text.
Hymnal Appearances
- Evangelical Lutheran Worship — 339
- Lutheran Book of Worship — 97
- Lutheran Service Book — 420
- Lutheran Worship — 94
- Psalter Hymnal — 371
- The Lutheran Hymnal — 151
- With One Voice — 642
Translation
Liturgical Use
Lent, especially Holy Week; any worship service with a thanksgiving focus.
Bulletin Note
Written by Ernst Christoph Homburg in 1659, this German hymn crystallizes Lutheran devotion to Christ's substitutionary atonement, becoming a cornerstone text for Reformation faith and pastoral comfort through suffering.
Preaching Connection
This hymn crystallizes the Law-Gospel dialectic: our sin demands our death, yet Christ's vicarious suffering and resurrection reverse that sentence, making Him our life—a proclamation that transforms despair into Easter hope.
Stanza Arc
The narrative or theological arc traced by this tune's stanzas: Law (conviction of sin and need for God's Word) → Gospel (Christ's redemption and grace) → Sanctification (Word as guide for holy living)
Themes
Atonement and redemption through Christ's passion Comfort in Christ's sufferings Substitutionary sacrifice Life and resurrection in Christ