"Jesus Christ, My Sure Defense"

A woman of very high standing wrote the words for this German hymn “Jesus Christ, My Sure Defense” in 1649.  Luise Henriette von Oranien (1627-1666) was the daughter of Norwegian royalty and the mother of Prussian royalty, as well.  Her father was the Prince of Nassau-Orange, Fried­rich Hein­rich.  He was also the United Netherlands “Stadt­hold­er.” In 1646, Lu­i­se became Luise Henriette of Brandenburg through her marriage to Elect­or Fried­rich Wil­helm. They lived in separate households because her father was ill and she was needed to care for him. After he died, they lived together in Cleve.  She had three children.  The first one died; then after the second one was born, she opened an orphanage close to Ber­lin as a celebration to his birth and thankfulness to God. Son number three became the King of Prussia, Frederick I.  In 1863, Catherine Winkworth for Chorale Book for England translated this German hymn “Jesus Christ, My Sure Defense” to English. While having lived most of her life in England, she visited Germany for one year, and out of that time fell in love with the country and its language so much that she became a translator of German hymns.  In her lifetime, she translated three different volumes of hymnals.

Johann Cruger (1598-1662) set the German hymn “Jesus Christ, My Sure Defense” to music in 1653.  A contemporary of Luise Henriette, Cruger had studied music at Wittenberg and then played the organ in Berlin (St. Nikolai Church).  Cruger set many of his friends hymns and songs to music. 

“Jesus Christ, My Sure Defense”

Jesus Christ, my sure Defense
And my Savior, ever liveth;
Knowing this, my confidence
Rests upon the hope it giveth
Though the night of death be fraught
Still with many an anxious thought.

Jesus, my Redeemer, lives;
I, too, unto life shall waken.
Endless joy my Savior gives;
Shall my courage, then, be shaken?
Shall I fear, or could the Head
Rise and leave His members dead?

Nay, too closely I am bound
Unto Him by hope forever;
Faith’s strong hand the Rock hath found,
Grasped it, and will leave it never;
Even death now cannot part
From its Lord the trusting heart.

I am flesh and must return
Unto dust, whence I am taken;
But by faith I now discern
That from death I shall awaken
With my Savior to abide
In His glory, at His side.

Glorified, I shall anew
With this flesh then be enshrouded;
In this body I shall view
God, my Lord, with eyes unclouded;
In this flesh I then shall see
Jesus Christ eternally.

Then these eyes my Lord shall know,
My Redeemer and my Brother;
In His love my soul shall glow—
I myself, and not another!
Then the weakness I feel here
Shall forever disappear.

They who sorrow here and moan
There in gladness shall be reigning;
Earthly here the seed is sown,
There immortal life attaining,
Here our sinful bodies die,
Glorified to dwell on high.

Then take comfort and rejoice,
For His members Christ will cherish.
Fear not, they will hear His voice;
Dying, they shall never perish;
For the very grave is stirred
When the trumpet’s blast is heard.

Laugh to scorn the gloomy grave
And at death no longer tremble;
He, the Lord, Who came to save
Will at last His own assemble.
They will go their Lord to meet,
Treading death beneath their feet.

Oh, then draw away your hearts
Now from pleasures base and hollow.
There to share what He imparts,
Here His footsteps ye must follow.
Fix your hearts beyond the skies,
Whither ye yourselves would rise.

It is interesting to note that while this German hymn, “Jesus Christ, My Sure Defense” was translated into English, the melody was allowed to stay the same due to the fact that English and German are both “Germanic Languages.”

“Jesus Christ, My Sure Defense”

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