The cantata "Ein Herz, das seinen Jesum lebend weiß" for the third day of Easter 1724 is one of those older cantatas which Bach integrated into his first Leipzig annual cycle of cantatas; it was originally composed in Köthen as a secular cantata for the New Year celebration in 1719 (BWV 134a). Rousing virtuoso arias and a magnificent final chorus containing dialog sections not only emphasize the festive character of the cantata, but also lend it a very particular charm.