Jesus Christ My Pride and Glory
Jesus Christ my pride and glory
The hymn expresses the Lutheran conviction that Christ's full humanity and divinity are inseparable and essential to salvation; it celebrates Christ as both the divine Word made flesh and the perfect example of obedience to God's law. This reflects the christological emphasis central to Lutheran confessional theology.
History & Background
Martin Behm composed this hymn in early 17th-century Germany as a meditation on Christ's incarnation and earthly life, particularly his childhood. It appeared in German hymnals and was subsequently translated into English for Lutheran worship.
Hymnal Appearances
- The Lutheran Hymnal — 408
Translation
Bulletin Note
Written by Martin Behm in 1610, this hymn captures the Reformation's insistence that Christ's full humanity and divinity are inseparable and essential to our salvation—God's Word made flesh for our redemption.
Preaching Connection
This hymn embodies the Lutheran proclamation that Christ alone fulfills God's law perfectly while simultaneously offering that fulfillment as a gift of grace to sinners who cannot fulfill it themselves.
Stanza Arc
The narrative or theological arc traced by this tune's stanzas: Christ as fulfillment of law and source of grace; from petition for mercy through faith to healing and resurrection glory
Themes
Christ's person and nature Incarnation Childhood of Jesus Christological confession