Easter-Book

Hardcover, 256 pp., 9″ x 6″, 2026
ISBN: 978-1-934328-32-3

Easter-Book by Friedrich Lochner provides 40 devotional readings for the 40 joyful days from Easter Day to the Ascension. Available for the first time in English from translator Matthew Carver, this volume contemplates our resurrected Lord's appearances to His disciples before His ascension, compiled from the Gospels and Acts and combined with corresponding hymn stanzas and closing prayers. In Easter-Book, Lochner continues in the same vein as his Passion-Book (EP, 2025), in which he uses a Gospel harmony to meditate upon the sufferings and death of our Lord Jesus Christ in 66 devotions.

The hymnody in Easter-Book, appearing mostly in the form of centos or select stanzas suitably brief for devotional use, is mostly taken from the public domain, especially from Lutheran hymnals. Where this was not possible, translations were sought elsewhere. In several cases, a new translation was provided by Matthew Carver. Musical settings appended by Lochner for less common tunes (in his context) are also included here, engraved by Lutheran musician David Schotte.

"Since the victorious resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is our only consolation, salvation, and life, let us observe and retain with great diligence and earnestness the manner in which the Lord Jesus truly arose from the dead the third day, appeared to the witnesses chosen aforetime, ate and drank with them, and for forty days enjoyed tender fellowship with them, in which they not only saw Him and spoke with Him, but also felt Him and handled Him." (p. 2)