Jesus Christus, unser Heiland, der von uns

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Jesus Christus nostra salus is a Latin Eucharistic hymn popularly attributed to Jan Hus. (Other scholarship attributes it to Jan z Jenštejna.) The first letters of the first eight verses form an acrostic: J-O-H-A-N-N-E-S.

Martin Luther (who believed it was written by Hus) loosely translated the hymn into German as Jesus Christus, unser Heiland; in fact, only the first verse of Luther's version is a faithful approximation of the Latin original. Care must be taken not to confuse this hymn, Jesus Christus, unser Heiland, der von uns den Gotteszorn wandt, with the Lutheran Easter hymn Jesus Christus, unser Heiland, der den Tod überwand.

Settings by composers

In German

in Latin


Text and translations

Latin.png Latin text

Jesus Christus, nostra salus,
quod reclamat omnis malus,
nobis in sui memoriam
dedit in panis hostiam.

O quam sanctus panis iste,
tu solus es, Jesu Christe,
panis cibus sacramentum,
quo nunquam majus inventum.

Hoc donum suavitatis
caritasque deitatis,
virtus et eukaristia,
communionis gracia.

Ave deitatis forma,
Dei unitas norma,
in te quisque delectatur,
qui te fide speculatur.

Non est panis, sed es Deus
homo liberator reus,
qui in cruce pependisti
et in carne deficisti.

Non augetur consecratus,
nec consumptus fit mutatus,
nec divisus in fractura,
plenus Deus in statura.

Esca digna angelorum,
pietatis lux sanctorum,
lex moderna comprobavit,
quod antiqua figuravit.

Salutare medicamen,
peccatorum relevamen,
pasce nos, a malis leva,
duc post ubi est lux ewa.

Ath quam magna tu fecisti,
dum te Christe impensisti,
panis et vini specie
apparentum in facie.

Caro cibus, sanguis vinum,
est mysterium divinum.
Huic sit laus et gloria
in saeculorum saecula.

attr. Jan Hus

German.png German text

Jesus Christus, unser Heiland,
Der von uns den Gotteszorn wandt,
Durch das bitter Leiden sein -
Half er uns aus der Höllen Pein.

Daß wir nimmer das vergessen,
Gab er uns sein' Leib zu essen,
Verborgen im Brot so klein,
Und zu trinken sein Blut im Wein

Wer sich will zu dem Tisch machen,
Der hab wohl acht auf sein Sachen;
Wer unwürdig hinzu geht,
Für das Leben den Tod empfäht.

Du sollst Gott den Vater preisen,
Daß er dich so wohl wollt speisen
Und für deine Missetat
In den Tod sein' Sohn gegeben hat.

Du sollst glauben und nicht wanken,
Daß's ein Speise sei dem Kranken,
Den' ihr Herz von Sünden schwer
Und vor Angst ist betrübet sehr.

Solch groß Gnad und Barmherzigkeit
Sucht ein Herz in großer Arbeit.
Ist dir wohl, 'so bleib davon,
Daß du nicht kriegest bösen Lohn.

Er spricht selber: „Kommt, ihr Armen,
Laßt mich über euch erbarmen;
Kein Arzt ist dem Starken not,
Sein Kunst wird an ihm gar ein Spott.

Hättst du dir was konnt erwerben,
Was braucht ich für dich zu sterben!
Dieser Tisch auch Dir nicht gilt,
So du selber dir helfen willt.”

Glaubst du das von Herzensgrunde
Und bekennest mit dem Munde,
So bist du recht wohl geschickt
Und die Speise dein Seel erquickt.

Die Frucht soll auch nicht ausbleiben:
Deinen Nächsten sollst du lieben,
Daß er dein genießen kann,
Wie dein Gott hat an dir getan.

Martin Luther, 1524

English.png English translation

Christ Jesus, our Redeemer born,
Who from us did God’s anger turn,
Through His sufferings sore and main,
Did help us all out of hell-pain.

That we never should forget it,
Gave He us His flesh, to eat it,
Hid in poor bread, gift divine,
And, to drink, His blood in the wine.

Who will draw near to that table
Must take heed, all he is able.
Who unworthy thither goes,
Thence death instead of life he knows.

God the Father praise thou duly,
That He thee would feed so truly,
And for ill deeds by thee done
Up unto death has given His Son.

Have this faith, and do not waver,
’Tis a fool for every craver
Who, his heart with sin opprest,
Can no more for its anguish rest.

Such kindness and such grace to get,
Seeks a heart with agony great.
Is it well with thee? take care,
Lest at last thou shouldst evil fare.

He doth say, Come hither, O ye
Poor, that I may pity show ye.
No physician th’ whole man will,
He makes a mockery of his skill.

Hadst thou any claim to proffer,
Why for thee then should I suffer?
This table is not for thee,
If thou wilt set thine own self free.

If such faith thy heart possesses,
And the same thy mouth confesses,
Fit guest then thou art indeed,
And so the food thy soul will feed.

But bear fruit, or lose thy labour:
Take thou heed thou love thy neighbour;
That thou food to him mayst be,
As thy God makes Himself to thee.

Translation by George Macdonald

External links

Jesus Christus, unser Heiland, Der von uns.