(Christ did our Lord to Jordan come) for alto, tenor and bass, vocal ensemble, oboe d‘amore I+II, bassoon, strings and continuo

According to Lutheran doctrine, baptism – in addition to communion and penance – belongs to the three sacraments introduced by Jesus and thus to the sacred rites practised by Lutherans after the Reformation. For Johann Sebastian Bach, too, the covenant with God formed through baptism was the cornerstone of his indentity as a human and a Christian. The Nativity of St John the Baptist therefore constitutes one of the most important feasts of the church year, and its profound significance comes to bear in the cantata “Christ, unser Herr, zum Jordan kam” (“Christ did, our Lord, to Jordan come”). Just as Martin Luther in verse one of the hymn, the unknown librettist strived to present Jesus’ baptism by St John as a precedent that is valid for all future members of the church. The cantata’s historic setting on the river Jordan symbolises the “bath” ordained by Jesus that would “wash” the baptised of both the fall of Adam and their own sins.