Martin Luther composed “Dear Christians, One and All, Rejoice," as a ballad. A ballad is a story that is set to music. This ballad is apparently Luther’s first congregational hymn. It was written in 1523 with the long title, “A Christian hymn of Dr. Martin Luther, setting forth the unspeakable grace of God and the true faith.”
Because of its clear doctrinal statements, this hymn became popular with the German people. In the preface to Johannes Magdeburg’s Psalter of 1565, it was written, “I do not doubt that through this one hymn of Luther many hundreds of Christians have been brought to the true faith, who before could not endure the name of Luther; but the noble, precious words of the hymn have won their hearts, so that they are constrained to embrace the truth; so that in my opinion the hymns have helped the spread of the Gospel not a little.”
Verse one: Dear Christians, one and all, rejoice, with exultation springing, and, with united heart and voice and holy rapture singing, proclaim the wonders God has done,
how his right arm the vict’ry won. How dearly it has cost him!
As the ballad begins, Luther calls all Christians to unite heart and voice in joy and exultation to proclaim the wonders of salvation he has won. That victory was great for us, but costly to God.
Verse two: Fast bound in Satan’s chains I lay; death brooded darkly o’er me. Sin was my torment night and day; in sin my mother bore me. Yet deep and deeper still I fell; life had become a living hell, so firmly sin possessed me.
Luther’s ballad tells the story how we sinners were held captive by Satan. We were bound by the chains of sin – inborn sins we inherited from our parents and sins we committed with our own minds, hearts, and hands. We are unable to free ourselves from this living hell. It is a prison we cannot escape no matter how much we struggle, fight, or try to dig our way out.
Verse three: My own good works availed me naught, no merit they attaining; my will against God’s judgment fought, no hope for me remaining. My fears increased till sheer despair left only death to be my share and hell to be my sentence.
We cannot break these chains by sinning less or escape this prison with good works. Fear and despair reign as we realize that we are trapped – for time and eternity.
Verse four: But God beheld my wretched state before the world’s foundation, and, mindful of his mercies great, he planned for my salvation. A father’s heart he turned to me, sought my redemption fervently; he gave his dearest treasure.
From eternity our Triune God had planned our escape. Even before the foundation of the world, God saw how wretched we would become and how hopeless would be our situation. Though we would become prisoners of Satan, God still considered us his children and he our Father.
Verse five: He spoke to his belovèd Son: “It’s time to have compassion. Then go, bright jewel of my crown, and bring to all salvation. From sin and sorrow set them free;
slay bitter death for them that they may live with you forever.”
When the time was right, the Father sent his Son to free his children from Satan’s prison. Jesus was sent from heaven to earth to slay bitter death by his own bitter death.
Verse six: The Son obeyed his Father’s will, was born of virgin mother, and, God’s good pleasure to fulfill, he came to be my brother. No garb of pomp or pow’r he wore;
a servant’s form like mine he bore to lead the devil captive.
To accomplish this victory, the King became a servant; the divine Lord covered himself with lowly humanity. The Son of God put on flesh and blood to free flesh and blood from Satan’s captivity.
Verse seven: To me he spoke, “Hold fast to me, I am your rock and castle. Your ransom I myself will be; for you I strive and wrestle. For I am yours, your friend divine, and evermore you shall be mine; the foe shall not divide us.
In the closing verses of this ballad, Luther has the Son of God speak directly to his brothers and sisters. He explains that as long as we hold on to him as our rock and castle; as long as we accept the ransom he paid; as long we stop striving and wrestling, but trust in Jesus’ striving and wrestling, then we are united to Christ. He is ours and we are his. Then the old evil foe cannot separate us.
Verse eight: “The foe will shed my precious blood, me of my life bereaving; all this I suffer for your good; be steadfast and believing. Life will from death the vict’ry win;
my innocence shall bear your sin, and you are blest forever.
Jesus speaks of his victory over sin and Satan on the cross. Jesus allowed himself to be bound with nails to the cross to save all those bound by Satan’s chains of sin and death.
Verse nine: “Now to my Father I depart, the Holy Spirit sending and, heav’nly wisdom to impart, my help to you extending. He will a source of comfort be, teach you to know and follow me, and in all truth will guide you.
Jesus explains that after his victory over sin and Satan on the cross, he won another victory over death with his resurrection from the grave. After his fortieth day ascension, Jesus then sent the Holy Spirit to be the Comforter, Counselor, and Paraclete.
Verse ten: “What I on earth have lived and taught be all your life and teaching; so shall my kingdom’s work be wrought and honored in your preaching. Take care that no one’s man-made laws should e’er destroy the gospel’s cause; this final word I leave you.”
Luther finishes his ballad with Jesus reminding us not to allow any man-made laws to place the chains around us once again. We are freed, once and for all. So, dear Christians, one and all rejoice.