Hymns are important to us as Christians. Hymns are sermons set to music. Singing God’s Word has a way of touching the heart in different ways than the spoken or written Word does. We often leave worship humming the last hymn we sang in church that morning.
Over the course of this school year, our four pastors at First Evan and Water of Life Lutheran Churches who support Wisconsin Lutheran School, will be writing hymn devotions. We would like the parents to read these devotions – or listen to the podcasts – together at home with your children. The devotions will be written on the Hymn of the Day. This is the major hymn in the center of our worship services. The Hymn of the Day carries the main thoughts and theme of the worship service. Our WLS students sing the Hymn of the Day in chapel on Wednesdays and will hear it again in our churches for worship on Sundays.
The first hymn we’ll study together is “In Christ Alone.” Our WLS students will sing this hymn for the Joint Outdoor Worship Service on September 10. “In Christ Alone” is a newer hymn that has quickly become a favorite song around the world.
In our Gospel lesson for this coming Sunday from Matthew 16:13-20, Jesus asked, “Who do you say that I am” (Matthew 16:15)? That is the most important question in the world. And it is a question every human must answer. By God’s grace, Peter answered the question correctly, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). By God’s grace, we answer the question correctly when we sing, “In Christ Alone.”
Verse one: In Christ alone my hope is found; he is my light, my strength, my song; this cornerstone, this solid ground, firm through the fiercest drought and storm. What heights of love, what depths of peace, when fears are stilled, when strivings cease! My comforter, my all in all; here in the love of Christ I stand.
Jesus Christ is our hope when we are hopeless; our light in the darkness; our strength in our weakness, and our song when we don’t feel like singing. In our current culture where we focus so much on emotions and feelings, Jesus is our solid rock. He’s the One we turn to for help after the Maui fires, Hurricane Hilary, droughts, floods, and other storms of life. He is the One who comforts us, calms us, and gives us peace. This all comes because Jesus Christ stands with us.
Verse two: In Christ alone, who took on flesh, fullness of God in helpless babe; this gift of love and righteousness, scorned by the ones he came to save. Till on that cross as Jesus died, the wrath of God was satisfied; for ev’ry sin on him was laid; here in the death of Christ I live.
Jesus is the Son of God whom the universe cannot contain, yet he contained himself within the womb of the Virgin Mary. He through whom the universe was spoken into existence, had to learn how to talk as a baby. He who would later walk on water, had to learn to walk as a
toddler. The Son of God left his home in heaven to come to earth to save those he loved. But those he loved did not love him back. The Jews and Romans put him to death on the cross. Our sins put him to death on that same cross. There Jesus endured his Father’s wrath over our sins. That’s why he cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me” (Matthew 27:46)? God the Father poured out his anger on his only begotten Son … so he would not pour out that anger on us. Now through faith in Jesus, we are called the Father’s sons and daughters.
Verse three: There in the ground his body lay, light of the world by darkness slain; then bursting forth in glorious day, up from the grave he rose again! And as he stands in victory, sin’s curse has lost its grip on me; for I am his and he is mine, bought with the precious blood of Christ.
In my church at Water of Life, our worshipers get very soft in singing this third verse. It’s almost a whisper as we sing about Jesus’ corpse being laid in the tomb. But then we get loud! Piano, pipe organ, brass, and voices are bursting forth with praise because Jesus’ resurrected body has burst forth from the grave! Because Jesus stands in victory, now we stand in victory. He is ours because he has made us his own. He bought us back from the devil – not with gold or silver – but with his holy, precious blood.
Verse four: No guilt in life, no fear in death, this is the pow’r of Christ in me; from life’s first cry to final breath, Jesus commands my destiny. No pow’r of hell, no scheme of man can ever pluck me from his hand; till he returns or calls me home, here in the pow’r of Christ I’ll stand.
We sing verse four as loudly as we sang verse three. Except for me. I usually get choked up with this fourth verse. It is our response to Jesus’ death, resurrection, and eternal victory. Because of what Jesus Christ accomplished on the cross and out of the tomb, now we have no more guilt or fear of death. From our first cry to final breath, our Lord Jesus Christ is in control. We are safe in his hands. Nothing – not the devil nor his demonic forces – can ever pluck us out of Jesus’ nail-scarred hands. Because we stand with Jesus in faith today, we are kept safe and secure until we stand with Jesus around his heavenly throne for all days.
By God’s grace, we know who Jesus Christ is. What a blessing that we stand in faith with Peter and the disciples confessing our faith in Jesus Christ. What a blessing that we stand in faith with our Christian brothers and sisters at Water of Life, First Evan, and Wisconsin Lutheran School to sing our faith in Jesus Christ.
Discussion Questions:
1. How does Jesus help you when you feel alone or afraid?
2. Why is the death of Jesus so important?
3. What does Jesus’ resurrection prove?
4. Why don’t you ever need to be afraid of dying