1 A Lamb goes forth our griefs to share,
In spirit meek and lowly;
He deigns our sin and guilt to bear,
This Lamb of God most holy.
He goes His way, grows weak and faint,
To death is led without complaint,
His precious life to offer.
He gladly suffers pain and death,
And tells us with His dying breath:
For you all this I proffer.
2 This gentle Lamb, our dearest Friend,
Before the world's foundation
Was chosen all our woes to end,
To merit our salvation.
Said God: My Son, the Savior be
Of those who are condemned by Me
Because of their transgression.
Great is My wrath and sore their loss;
Go, die for them upon the cross,
Make heaven their possession.
3 The Son replied: O Father mine,
To suffer I am willing;
My will is in accord with Thine,
All righteousness fulfilling.--
O wondrous Love, what hast Thou done!
God offers up His only Son,
And He to earth descendeth.
Here, Love, Thy strength is manifest:
He suffers death at Thy behest
Whose word the mountains rendeth.
4 Suspended on the tree of shame,
He suffers mortal anguish;
For all our sins He takes the blame,
In grief His soul must languish.
His sighs are proof of mortal pain,
And opened up is ev'ry vein,
His blood in mercy flowing.
O gentle Lamb, what shall it be
That I in turn may offer Thee,
My grateful spirit showing?
5 As long as I my breath retain,
Thy tender love beholding,
I faithful shall to Thee remain
And rest in Thine enfolding.
Thy love within my heart shall shine,
And I shall prize that light divine
Till death mine eyelids closeth;
Thou shalt my very being own,
And I shall live to Thee alone;
My all in Thee reposeth.
6 When I at last Thy kingdom see,
With all its boundless treasure,
Thy blood my purple robe shall be,
My source of joy and pleasure.
It shall become my royal crown
When I before God's throne kneel down,
In deepest homage bending.
Then He will place me at Thy side,
Bedecked and jeweled as a bride,
With angel hosts attending.
Source: American Lutheran Hymnal #396
Paul Gerhardt (b. Gräfenheinichen, Saxony, Germany, 1607; d. Lubben, Germany, 1676), famous author of Lutheran evangelical hymns, studied theology and hymnody at the University of Wittenberg and then was a tutor in Berlin, where he became friends with Johann Crüger. He served the Lutheran parish of Mittenwalde near Berlin (1651-1657) and the great St. Nicholas' Church in Berlin (1657-1666). Friederich William, the Calvinist elector, had issued an edict that forbade the various Protestant groups to fight each other. Although Gerhardt did not want strife between the churches, he refused to comply with the edict because he thought it opposed the Lutheran "Formula of Concord," which condemned some Calvinist doctrines. Consequently, he was r… Go to person page >
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