Dankgebet für die Erlösung
The Mystery of Redemption
A prayer of thanksgiving for Christ's incarnation, atoning death, and victory over the powers of darkness.
O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, you who are the image and radiance of your eternal Father, and the exact imprint of his being—not made or created, but born of him before all eternity, in one divine, undivided being, of equal majesty and glory—I worship you; I honor, praise, and glorify you; and I give you thanks for all your kindnesses, and especially that at the appointed time, according to your divine will and good pleasure, you took true human nature from Mary, the pure and chaste Virgin, and redeemed me, a poor, lost, and condemned human being—purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil—not with gold or silver, but with your holy, precious blood and with your innocent suffering and death, and this out of pure grace and mercy, without any of my works, merit, or worthiness.✦✦ O dear Lord God, how great is your love for the human race, since you, the Righteous One, died for the unrighteous and the ungodly. How could there ever be greater love than this: that someone lays down his life for his friends?✦ But now you prove your highest, overflowing love for us, in that you died for us while we were still sinners and your enemies, and through your death you reconciled us with your Father, stilled his righteous wrath, and wiped out the written record that stood against us, which arose through ordinances and was opposed to us; and you took it out of the way and nailed it to the cross.✦✦1 You disarmed the principalities and the powers of darkness, made a public spectacle of them, and triumphed over them in yourself.✦2
Living in the Risen Savior
A petition for the personal application of Christ's resurrection and a commitment to live a new life in his service.
Moreover, by your saving resurrection from the dead, you have restored innocence and eternal life, true righteousness and blessedness, to me and to all who believe this from the heart.3 O faithful Savior, don't let your holy, bitter suffering be wasted on me, a poor sinner.4 Help me from now on not to live for myself, but for you, who died for me and rose again, so that I may rise from sins, become alive in you, be your own, live in your kingdom under you, and serve you in eternal righteousness—you who have ascended into heaven and sit at the right hand of your Father, forever and ever.✦✦ Amen.
Read the original Latin
O Herr Jesu Christe, des lebendigen Gottes Sohn, der du bist das Ebenbild und der Glanz deines ewigen Vaters, und das Ebenbild seines Wesens, nicht gemacht noch geschaffen, sondern von ihm vor aller Ewigkeit geboren, in einem göttlichen unzertrennlichen Wesen, gleicher Majestät und Herrlichkeit, ich anbete dich, ich ehre, lobe und preise dich, und sage dir Dank für alle deine Wohltaten, sonderlich aber, dass du zur bestimmten Zeit nach deinem göttlichen Willen und Wohlgefallen von Maria, der reinen keuschen Jungfrau, wahre menschliche Natur an dich hast genommen, mich armen verlornen und verdammten Menschen erlöset, erworben, gewonnen von allen Sünden, vom Tod und von der Gewalt des Teufels, nicht mit Gold oder Silber, sondern mit deinem heiligen teuren Blut, und mit deinem unschuldigen Leiden und Sterben, und solches aus lauter Gnade und Barmherzigkeit, ohne alle meine Werke, Verdienst und Würdigkeit. O lieber Herr Gott, wie groß ist deine Liebe gegen das menschliche Geschlecht, sintemal du Gerechter für die Ungerechten und Gottlosen gestorben bist. Wie kann doch größere Liebe immer sein, denn so jemand sein Leben lässt für seine Freunde? Nun aber beweisest du deine allerhöchste überschwängliche Liebe an uns, dass du für uns gestorben bist, da wir noch Sünder und deine Feinde waren, und hast uns durch deinen Tod mit deinem Vater versöhnt, seinen gerechten Zorn gestillt und ausgetilgt die Handschrift, so wider uns war, welche durch Satzungen entstanden und uns entgegen war, und hast sie aus dem Mittel getan und an das Kreuz geheftet. Du hast ausgezogen die Fürstentümer und die Gewaltigen der Finsternis, sie Schau getragen öffentlich, und einen Triumph aus ihnen gemacht durch sich selbst. Dazu mit deiner heilwärtigen Auferstehung von den Toten hast du wiederbracht Unschuld und ewiges Leben, wahre Gerechtigkeit und Seligkeit, mir und allen, die solches von Herzen glauben. O du treuer Heiland, lass dein heilig bitter Leiden an mir armen Sünder nicht übel angewendet sein. Hilf, dass ich hinfort nicht mir selbst lebe, sondern dir, der du für mich gestorben und wieder auferstanden bist, dass ich von Sünden aufstehe und lebendig werde in dir und dein eigen sei, in deinem Reich unter dir lebe, dir diene in ewiger Gerechtigkeit, der du bist aufgefahren gen Himmel, sitzest zur Rechten deines Vaters, immer und ewiglich.
Amen.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Heb.1.3 — He is the radiance of God's glory and the exact imprint of God's own being, and he upholds all things by his powerful word. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.
- ↩1Pet.1.18-1Pet.1.19 — knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things—silver or gold—from your futile way of life handed down from your fathers, 1Pet.1.19 — but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot
- ↩John.15.13 — No one has greater love than this: that someone lay down his life for his friends.
- ↩Rom.5.8-Rom.5.10 — But God demonstrates his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Rom.5.9 — Much more then, having now been justified by his blood, we will be saved through him from the wrath. Rom.5.10 — For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
- ↩Col.2.14 — having canceled the written code, the regulations that were against us and stood opposed to us, he has taken it out of the way, nailing it to the cross.
- ↩Col.2.15 — He disarmed the rulers and the authorities, made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.
- ↩2Cor.5.15 — and he died for all, so that those who live might no longer live for themselves, but for him who for their sake died and was raised.
- ↩Mark.16.19;Heb.1.3 — So then, after the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. Heb.1.3 — He is the radiance of God's glory and the exact imprint of God's own being, and he upholds all things by his powerful word. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.
Notes
- 1 ↩Handschrift ... durch Satzungen is Pauline/Lutheran legal imagery (Col 2:14); rendered as 'written record ... which arose through ordinances' rather than modernizing away the legal force.
- 2 ↩sie Schau getragen öffentlich follows Luther's Col 2:15 phrasing; rendered as 'made a public spectacle of them'.
- 3 ↩heilwärtigen rendered as 'saving' (salutary/health-bringing in early modern German).
- 4 ↩nicht übel angewendet sein is idiomatic early modern German: 'not be ill-applied / put to poor use'; rendered as 'not be wasted on me' for natural contemporary force.
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