The Strife is O'er, The Battle Done, ELW 366 and LBW 135
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
1 The strife is o'er, the battle done; now is the victor's triumph won! Now be the song of praise begun.
Alleluia!
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
2 The pow'rs of death have done their worst; Jesus their legions has dispersed.
Let shouts of holy joy outburst.
Alleluia!
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
3 The three sad days have quickly sped, Christ rises glorious from the dead.
All glory to our risen head!
Alleluia!
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
4 Christ closed the yawning gates of hell; the bars from heav'n's high portals fell.
Let hymns of praise his triumph tell.
Alleluia!
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
5 Lord, by the stripes which wounded you, from death's sting free your servants too, that we may live and sing to you.
Alleluia!
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Devotion
We’ve been attending a lot of funerals lately. Some of our friends, we are told, slept peacefully away. But even they may have had a difficult life overall. Others had to struggle valiantly and suffered much pain in their final weeks or days. Remembering this, we may heave a sigh of relief that this earthly life of our loved one is ended.
The women gathered at Jesus’ cross, too, must have been relieved when his suffering was over. When Jesus’ followers over the years since then have reflected on his ministry and passion, the words of our hymn title would actually sum up their deepest thoughts. Never again would anyone have to die for the sins of the world. Jesus’ work on the cross is finished. And now we simply enjoy our Lord’s living, victorious presence. We only await the day when we will enter eternity to finally see his face.
Prayer
Lord, help us in our daily struggles to experience victory. Amen.