Review - A Lamb Goes Uncomplaining Forth by Paul Gerhardt

In our Review segment this week, Pastors Nathanael Mayhew and Rob Sauers dig into the Lenten Hymn, "A Lamb Goes Uncomplaining Forth" by Paul Gerhardt.  This hymn (number 142 in The Lutheran Hymnal) was written by Paul Gerhardt, who was a faithful Lutheran pastor in Germany who lived about 100 years after Martin Luther.  In this hymn Gerhardt wonderfully depicts the purpose of Christ's suffering and death, His willingness to carry out mankind's salvation, and the great cost which He paid to accomplish it.  He also describes the resulting effect of Christ's atonement for sin in the life of the Christian, both now and in eternity.  He describes how the Christian, in view of the Savior's sacrifice for us, offers his life as a sacrifice for Christ.  Because of Jesus' redemption, we need not fear death or the Devil, but confidently trust in our Savior, who comforts us in our earthly afflictions.  We also look forward to the joy of eternal life which is ours, by faith, because Jesus has purchased our release from sin and death.  What a rich spiritual heritage we have in such Scriptural Lutheran hymns as this!