The Day of Resurrection
The Day of Resurrection is a hymn text. Found in CW21 450, CW93 166, ELH 356, elw 361. Sung to ELLACOMBE.
Hymnal Appearances
- Christian Worship: Hymnal — 450
- Christian Worship — 166
- Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary — 356
- Evangelical Lutheran Worship — 361
- Lutheran Book of Worship — 141
- Lutheran Service Book — 478
- Lutheran Worship — 133
- The Lutheran Hymnal — 205
Stanza Arc
The narrative or theological arc traced by this tune's stanzas: From Christ's welcome of children to congregational praise to eschatological 'Hosanna' acclamation
Background Research
John of Damascus's Resurrection canon ('Anastaseos hemera'), called the 'Golden Canon' or 'Queen of Canons'. It has eight odes (the second omitted, as usual), each with its own meter and melody, weaving Scripture with Gregory of Nazianzus's Easter homilies. This is the first ode: it ties Passover to Easter ('our Passover from death to life'), with the Red Sea crossing in the background, a rich typology for analysis. Neale's free paraphrase is in Hymns of the Eastern Church (1862); he added the outgoing proclamation himself. Neale introduced the book with Felicia Skene's account of the Easter midnight service in Athens (not Jerusalem): unlit candles, quiet chant, a cannon at midnight, the archbishop raising the cross and the crowd shouting 'Christos anesti!' while candles are lit from hand to hand (that last detail from memory). Tunes: LANCASHIRE (Henry Smart, written at Blackburn 1831–36; paired 1885) and ELLACOMBE (paired in the English Hymnal, 1906).
Sources: hymnologyarchive.com 'The day of resurrection'.
In the Church Year
Suggested in the one-year series
- Easter 2 (2×)
- Easter 5 (2×)
- Easter Day (2×)
- Easter Vigil (2×)
- Easter Monday (1×)
Suggested in the three-year series
- Easter Sunrise (2×)
- Easter 7 (1×)
- Easter Day (1×)
- St. Mary Magdalene (1×)
From LCMS Worship's published hymn suggestions, 2014–2026. The count is how many of those yearly lists suggested this hymn for that day.
Overview
The first ode of St. John of Damascus' Easter Canon (the 'Golden Canon'), sung at the Paschal midnight service of the Eastern Orthodox Church, as paraphrased by John Mason Neale in Hymns of the Eastern Church (1862). It announces the day of resurrection as the true Passover — Christ has brought us over from death to life (st. 1); asks for pure hearts to see the risen Lord and hear his 'All hail!' (st. 2); and calls heaven, earth and all things seen and unseen to keep the feast, for Christ is risen (st. 3). It gives Lutheran congregations a link to the Easter joy of the ancient East.
Central theme: Easter as the new Passover, in which Christ leads us from death to life and all creation rejoices
Structure
Three eight-line stanzas (7.6.7.6 D). Proclamation of the Pascha (1) — seeing and hearing the risen Lord (2) — cosmic rejoicing (3).
Law & Gospel Shape
Gospel throughout; the prayer for pure hearts (2) acknowledges our need without turning to Law.
Confessional Connections
Christ our Passover (1 Cor 5:7) — his death and resurrection as the exodus from sin and death. Purity of heart as the Spirit's gift (Matt 5:8). Christ's resurrection as the beginning of the renewal of all creation (AC XVII). The Lutheran Church freely uses the Eastern Fathers' hymns (Catalog of Testimonies).
Liturgical Use (Study Notes)
Easter Day and the Easter season; Easter Vigil.
Historical Notes
John of Damascus (c. 675-749), monk of Mar Saba near Jerusalem, theologian and hymnographer. Neale's paraphrase is free; the Greek begins 'Anastaseos hemera, lamprynthomen laoi' — 'Resurrection day! Let us be radiant, O peoples.'
About the Tune
LANCASHIRE (Henry Smart, 1836); row 1582 uses HERZLICH TUT MICH ERFREUEN.
Scripture References
Ps 118:15, 24 1 Cor 5:7-8 Exod 12:11-13 Exod 14:21-31 Exod 15:1-21 John 5:24 Matt 5:8 Matt 28:9 John 20:19-20 Ps 96:11-13 Col 1:16 Rom 8:19-22 Rev 5:13
Stanza by Stanza
The day of resurrection! Earth, tell it everywhere: the Passover of gladness, the Passover of God. From death to life eternal, from this world to the sky, our Christ has brought us over with hymns of victory.
Easter is the Christian Pascha — the Greek word for Passover. 'Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed' (1 Cor 5:7). The image is double: the Passover lamb whose blood saved Israel (Exod 12), and the 'passing over' through the Red Sea from slavery to freedom (Exod 14-15). 'Our Christ hath brought us over' — he is both the Lamb and the leader of the exodus, passing 'from death to life' (John 5:24). 'Hymns of victory' recall the Song of Moses after the crossing (Exod 15:1). Easter is not merely Christ's private triumph; he brings us over with him.
- Scripture
- 1 Cor 5:7-8, Exod 12:11-13, Exod 14:21-31, Exod 15:1, John 5:24, Col 1:13, Ps 118:15
- Imagery & language
- Pascha; crossing over; songs of victory.
- Law / Gospel
- Gospel — Christ brings us through death to life.
- Connection to previous
- Opening proclamation.
May our hearts be pure from evil so that we may see the Lord rightly in the eternal rays of resurrection light, and, listening to his voice, may hear his own calm, plain 'All hail!' and, hearing, raise the song of victory.
'Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God' (Matt 5:8). Seeing the risen Christ is the gift of faith, and purity of heart is the Spirit's cleansing (Ps 51:10). 'All hail!' is the risen Jesus' greeting to the women (Matt 28:9, Greek chairete, 'rejoice'). The emphasis on hearing — 'listening to His accents… calm and plain' — is congenial to Lutheran theology: Christ is encountered through his Word. Hearing leads to praise: 'faith comes from hearing' (Rom 10:17), and praise from faith.
- Scripture
- Matt 5:8, Ps 51:10, Matt 28:9, John 10:27, John 20:16, Rom 10:17
- Imagery & language
- Light rays; the voice greeting.
- Law / Gospel
- Gospel — the risen Lord greets us.
- Connection to previous
- From proclamation (1) to personal encounter.
Now let the heavens be joyful, let the earth begin its song, let the whole world and everything in it keep the feast; let all things seen and unseen blend their notes of gladness, for Christ the Lord has risen, our joy that has no end.
Ps 96:11-13: 'Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice.' The resurrection concerns the whole cosmos, 'all things, seen and unseen' (Col 1:16, the Nicene 'all things visible and invisible'). Creation, groaning under futility (Rom 8:19-22), now begins to rejoice because its renewal has begun in the risen body of Christ. 'Keep triumph' — keep the feast (1 Cor 5:8). 'Our joy, that hath no end' — Easter joy cannot be taken away (John 16:22).
- Scripture
- Ps 96:11-13, Col 1:16, Rom 8:19-22, 1 Cor 5:8, John 16:22, Rev 5:13
- Imagery & language
- Heaven and earth singing.
- Law / Gospel
- Gospel — cosmic joy in the resurrection.
- Connection to previous
- Expands the joy to all creation.