In this chorale prelude, Buxtehude ornaments the chorale tune, placing it the soprano. The chorale was sung at baptismal services and the text deals with the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist. The first verse reads as follows: "Christ our Lord came to Jordan, according to the will of his father, and was baptized by Saint John in order to fulfill his work and office. In that he made a bath, to wash us from our sins, and also drown out bitter death through his own blood and wounds, a new life came into existence."

In this chorale prelude Buxtehude often adds bits of ornamentation that depict images or ideas from the text of the chorale. The beginning of the chorale uses a repeated spinning ornamental figure which may depict the rapids of the Jordan River. In the sixth line of the prelude when the chorale text refers to sin, Buxtehude throws in a bit of chromaticism, a typical Baroque reference to sin. Also in the last line of the chorale which refers to a new life coming into existence Buxtehude adds an extra fifth contrapuntal voice to the texture perhaps depicting something new that has come into existence.

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