Jesus Your Blood and Righteousness
Jesus, your blood and righteousness
This hymn expresses the Lutheran doctrine of justification by faith alone, presenting Christ's blood as the sole source of salvation and righteousness credited to the believer. It emphasizes the forensic dimension of justification—the imputation of Christ's perfect righteousness to cover human sinfulness.
History & Background
Written by Zinzendorf, the Moravian bishop and hymnist, in 1740 as an expression of Pietist faith emphasizing personal appropriation of Christ's sacrifice. John Wesley translated it into English the same year, and it became widely adopted in Methodist and Lutheran hymnals throughout the English-speaking world.
Hymnal Appearances
- Evangelical Lutheran Worship — 595
- Lutheran Book of Worship — 302
- Lutheran Service Book — 563
- Lift Up Your Hearts — 695
- Lutheran Worship — 362
- Trinity Hymnal — 520
- The Lutheran Hymnal — 371
- With One Voice — 635
Translation
Bulletin Note
Written by Nicolaus Zinzendorf (1740), this hymn expresses Moravian and Lutheran conviction that Christ's blood and imputed righteousness alone save us. Its enduring strength lies in its clear proclamation of justification by faith.
Preaching Connection
This hymn crystallizes the forensic doctrine of justification—Christ's righteousness legally credited to us—making it a powerful congregational echo of the Law's accusation met by the Gospel's radical gift of grace.
Catechism & Confessional Connections
- Of Justification Augsburg Confession
Stanza Arc
The narrative or theological arc traced by this tune's stanzas: From the proclamation of Christ's boundless love (stanza 1), through the believer's total consecration and response (stanza 2), to the sufficiency of Christ for all conditions of life (stanza 3), and finally to faith's perseverance through suffering and earthly loss (stanza 4). The arc moves from gift received to gift lived out in all circumstances.
Themes
Justification by faith Substitutionary atonement Imputed righteousness Blood of Christ