Christ Arose Lyrics Robert Lowry, 1875
3 verses and a refrain, meter Irregular, public domain, free to print and project.
The words
Verse 1. Low in the grave he lay—
Jesus my Saviour!
Waiting the coming day—
Jesus my Lord!
Refrain Up from the grave he arose,
With a mighty triumph o’er his foes;
He arose a Victor from the dark domain,
And he lives forever with his saints to reign.
He arose! He arose!
Hallelujah! Christ arose!
Verse 2. Vainly they watch his bed—
Jesus my Saviour!
Vainly they seal the dead—
Jesus my Lord!
Verse 3. Death cannot keep his prey—
Jesus my Saviour!
He tore the bars away—
Jesus my Lord!
Sing the refrain after every verse.
Words copied from New Baptist Hymnal (1926). They were published in 1875, so they are in the public domain in the United States, and your church may print them, show them and sing them without a license.
The hymn library's slide and print features are made by Church Posting.
The story behind Christ Arose
Robert Lowry wrote both the words and the tune of Christ Arose in 1874. He was pastor of the First Baptist Church in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, and a professor at the University of Lewisburg, now Bucknell. The hymn first appeared that year in Biglow and Main's Easter Annual No. 1, with three stanzas and a refrain. It reached a wider audience in 1875 in Brightest and Best for the Sunday School.
The Hymnology Archive says it quite possibly premiered at Lewisburg on Easter Sunday, April 5, 1874. The source treats that as a possibility only, and it says little is known about how Lowry wrote the hymn. Hymnary.org lists 1875 as the date for the book that made it known, and the Easter Annual is a year earlier. Sources therefore give both years.
The music follows the story. The stanzas are quiet, with a narrow range, and they stay at the grave. The refrain is faster and wider, and it proclaims the resurrection. The first edition marked the refrain "Faster," and that marking became standard practice. Hymnary.org cites Matthew 27:59-60 and 27:66 for the first two stanzas, Acts 2:24 for the third, and Matthew 28:2-10 for the refrain.
The hymn goes by Christ Arose, Low in the Grave He Lay and Up from the Grave He Arose. Dwight L. Moody and Ira D. Sankey used it in their British revivals. Lowry also wrote Shall We Gather at the River and published many Sunday school songbooks.
Robert Lowry
1826-03-12 to 1899-11-25
Robert Lowry was born in Philadelphia on March 12, 1826, and died in Plainfield, New Jersey, on November 25, 1899. He studied at Lewisburg University and served Baptist churches in West Chester, Pennsylvania, New York City, Brooklyn, Lewisburg and Plainfield. He taught belles lettres at Lewisburg and received an honorary D.D. in 1875. Lowry edited Sunday school songbooks, including Bright Jewels and Pure Gold (with W. Doane), and wrote many gospel tunes. He is best known for Shall We Gather at the River and for the refrain and tune of I Need Thee Every Hour.
Robert Lowry
1826-03-12 to 1899-11-25
Robert Lowry was born in Philadelphia on March 12, 1826, and died in Plainfield, New Jersey, on November 25, 1899. He studied at Lewisburg University and served Baptist churches in West Chester, Pennsylvania, New York City, Brooklyn, Lewisburg and Plainfield. He taught belles lettres at Lewisburg and received an honorary D.D. in 1875. Lowry edited Sunday school songbooks, including Bright Jewels and Pure Gold (with W. Doane), and wrote many gospel tunes. He is best known for Shall We Gather at the River and for the refrain and tune of I Need Thee Every Hour.
- Hymnology Archive, Low in the grave he lay , read 2026-10-16
- Hymnary.org, Low in the grave he lay, Jesus my Savior , read 2026-10-16
- Hymnary.org, Psalter Hymnal 396 (key, Scripture) , read 2026-10-16
- Hymnary.org, Robert Lowry , read 2026-10-16
Scripture in Christ Arose
The Bible passages behind the words.
- Matthew 28:2-10
- Matthew 27:59-60
- Matthew 27:66
- Acts 2:24
- 1 Corinthians 15:3-4
Christ Arose videos
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Christ Arose! • Congregational Daniel Baptist, Congregation
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Christ Arose!- Congregational Singing stillamazed27, Congregation
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Christ Arose [LIVE] First Baptist Atlanta Hymncharts, Choir
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Low In The Grave He Lay - A Cappella Hymn A Cappella Hymns, A cappella
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Christ Arose (Low in the Grave He Lay) - piano instrumental hymn Kaleb Brasee, Piano
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Christ Arose | House Sessions | Long Hollow Worship Long Hollow Worship, Modern arrangement
Videos play from YouTube, and nothing loads from YouTube until you press play. A video may sing different verses from the ones printed on this page.
Downloads, printing and slides
Sheet music files
- Sheet music PDF 104 KB. Words and all four parts, ready to print.
- Lead sheet PDF 85 KB. Melody, words and chord symbols for piano or guitar.
- MusicXML score XML 79 KB. Opens in MuseScore, Finale, Sibelius and Dorico to change the key or print parts.
- MIDI, all parts MIDI 3 KB. Plays the four-part harmony in any MIDI player or notation app.
- MIDI, melody only MIDI 1 KB. The tune alone, for learning it.
Practice tracks for each voice part, as MIDI: Alto , Tenor , Bass .
For Sunday
- Slides for Christ Arose All 3 verses and the refrain. Full screen, or a PowerPoint file that ProPresenter and Keynote open.
- Add it to a bulletin Opens the bulletin maker with Christ Arose in the order of service.
- Add it to a funeral program Opens the funeral program maker with this hymn in the order of service.
Chords and keys
Hymnals print it in B♭ or C.
Questions people ask
Who wrote Christ Arose?
Robert Lowry wrote the words and the tune in 1874 while he was a Baptist pastor in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania.
Is Christ Arose the same as Low in the Grave He Lay?
Yes. It is also called Up from the Grave He Arose. All three names belong to Lowry's Easter hymn.
When was Christ Arose first published?
It appeared in Biglow and Main's Easter Annual No. 1 in 1874 and in Brightest and Best for the Sunday School in 1875.
Is Christ Arose in the public domain?
The words and tune are public domain in the United States. Lowry's hymn was first published in 1874, so it is older than 1931.
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