Christ Jesus Lay in Death's Strong Bands

Martin Luther's great Easter text speaks of the triumph of Christ's resurrection victory (stanza 1). It points to our bondage to sin and death in the second stanza, and reviews the saving work of Christ in His fight against death, in stanzas 3 and 4.  Using strong picture language, the hymn  also uses Passover imagery in the final three stanzas to express joy of God's people saved by all that Christ has done!  CHRIST LAG IN TODESBANDEN (Wittenberg, 1524) is the strong tune that successfully carries the weight of the text and helps express the joyful victory of Easter.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AB-6jr6VaHk  (if you look closely, you can see Pastor Starke and Jon Enge and the Amelith youth, middle left, second and third pews!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXMKrjNX2W4 (handbells)

1.

Christ Jesus lay in death’s strong bands

    For our offenses given;

But now at God’s right hand He stands

    And brings us life from heaven.

Therefore let us joyful be

And sing to God right thankfully

    Loud songs of alleluia!

       Alleluia!

2. 

No son of man could conquer death,

    Such ruin sin had wrought us.

No innocence was found on earth,

    And therefore death had brought us

Into bondage from of old

And ever grew more strong and bold

    And held us as its captive.

       Alleluia!

3. 

Christ Jesus, God’s own Son, came down,

    His people to deliver;

Destroying sin, He took the crown

    From Death’s pale brow forever:

Stripped of pow’r, no more he reigns;

An empty form alone remains;

    His sting is lost forever.

       Alleluia!

4. 

It was a strange and dreadful strife

    When life and death contended;

The victory remained with life,

    The reign of death was ended.

Holy Scripture plainly saith

That death is swallowed up by death,

    Its sting is lost forever.

       Alleluia!

5. 

Here the true Paschal Lamb we see,

    Whom God so freely gave us;

He died on the accursèd tree—

    So strong His love—to save us.

See, His blood now marks our door;

Faith points to it; death passes o’er,

    And Satan cannot harm us.

       Alleluia!

6. 

So let us keep the festival

    To which the Lord invites us;

Christ is Himself the joy of all,

    The sun that warms and light us.

Now His grace to us imparts

Eternal sunshine to our hearts;

    The night of sin is ended.

       Alleluia!

7. 

Then let us feast this Easter Day

    On Christ, the bread of heaven;

The Word of grace has purged away

    The old and evil leaven.

Christ alone our souls will feed;

He is our meat and drink indeed;

    Faith lives upon no other!

       Alleluia!