1 Corinthians 15:22. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
HAPPY EASTER!
And then it was Sunday…Easter Sunday, and the joyful shouts of ‘He is risen…Christ is risen…Hallelujah Christ is risen’ can be heard all around the world. As the Good Book says; ‘joy comes in the morning.’ And yuh better believe abundant joy has come to earth with the resurrection of Christ Jesus, our Lord and Saviour on this Easter Sunday morning. Raising Christ from the dead was the greatest miracle ever, and confirmed and cemented the awesome omnipotence of our God; He of Abraham Isaac and Jacob! And many who considered Him a mere man and a possible prophet, soon changed their tune when they saw Him resurrected, alive and kicking in the flesh.
And today, to celebrate that most auspicious occasion we’re going to open our worship with what some Christian hymnologists consider to be the ‘most definitive church anthem for Easter.’ A song written in 1739 by one of the great hymn writers of all time Charles Wesley (1707-1788), and most appropriately titled, Christ the Lord is Risen Today, which focusses totally on the resurrection of Christ.
But before we offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise, let’s do like this commentary says: ‘turn to this Intro from the Simple Series Musical ‘Merry Tree,’ featured on the album inspired by the message and mission of Billy Graham, ‘My Hope.’ Please declare with me: ‘We have gathered today to lift up the name of Jesus. We rejoice in His victory over sin and the cross. Our cries of ‘Hosanna! Save us now!’ have been answered. Our Redeemer has conquered death! And because we are certain of that, we have reason to celebrate!’
Of course we do my faithful brethren, more reason to celebrate than any other faith. So let’s make that celebration known as we lift our voices in sweet harmony, allowing all the joy we feel inside to pour out in our song, in a rich, soulful, mid-tempo, scintillating version. Singing: ‘Christ the Lord is ris’n today, Alleluia! Sons of men and angels say, Alleluia! Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia! Sing, ye heav’ns, and earth, reply, Alleluia! Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia! Where, O death, is now thy sting? Alleluia! Once He died our souls to save, Alleluia! Where thy victory, O grave? Alleluia! LOVE’S redeeming work is done, Alleluia! Fought the fight, the battle won, Alleluia!
Death in vain forbids His rise, Alleluia! Christ hath opened paradise, Alleluia! Soar we now where Christ hath led, Alleluia! Foll’wing our exalted Head, Alleluia! Made like Him, like Him we rise, Alleluia! Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, Alleluia! Hail the Lord of earth and heaven, Alleluia! Praise to Thee by both be given, Alleluia! Thee we greet triumphant now, Alleluia! Hail the Resurrection, thou, Alleluia! King of glory, Soul of bliss, Alleluia! Everlasting life is this, Alleluia! Thee to know, Thy pow’r to prove, Alleluia! Thus to sing, and thus to LOVE, Alleluia!’
That was a most wonderful rendition my fellow believers! All heaven and earth joined in with us to praise our risen Saviour. And though that actual resurrection took place sone two thousand years ago, it still registers with us as though it’s taking place on the current Easter Sunday. That’s how important it is to the foundation of our faith. For that’s the reason we have eternal life. Without Jesus rising from the dead, being alive in both body and soul, we would not have life after death, as we currently do.
For as Bruh Paul reasons to the Corinthians: ‘For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: And if Christ be not raised, your faith is in vain (futile); ye are yet in your sins… But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.’ (1 Cor. 15: 16-18; 20-22)
And Christ did rise from the dead and was seen by some five hundred people plus the believers, several times. Remember how the disciple Thomas refused to believe that Jesus was alive, although his associates told him so. He declared: ‘Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.’ (John 20:25)
But eight days later, when Thomas was amongst the crowd, Jesus came through the locked doors with His new and resurrected body and stood amid them and said, ‘Peace be unto you. Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless (unbelieving), but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.’ (John 20:26-29)
And Jesus was there talking about people like us, who, two thousand years later, never saw him in the flesh but believe. Although there are many who still don’t, despite all the evidence to the contrary. And sadly, they will have to pay the price for their disbelief, for as Jesus says very clearly to Nicodemus, the Jewish leader: ‘He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.’ (John 3:18)
Yes friends, Christ is indeed risen, and the empty tomb is proof. And as the song says: ‘Made like Him, like Him we rise.’ And so it will be. That’s why there was a sad sort of joy that first Easter Sunday morning when the Jewish women went to the tomb to anoint Jesus’ body with spices. However, they found the stone rolled away from the front of the tomb, and the tomb itself empty.
‘And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed Thereabout (about this), behold, two men stood by them in shining garments: And as they were afraid , and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you in Galilee , Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again. And they remembered his words, And returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest.’ (Luke 24:4-9)
Oh my fellow believers, we all know the many stories about Jesus’ resurrection, but do we truly realize how important it is to our faith and our life after this earthly death? But as we celebrate this joyful occasion of Easter and our risen Saviour, let’s take a few moments to ponder the situation in the depth that it deserves nuh, and thus enrich our lives and souls even more than they are already enriched. Much LOVE!
…in Jesus’ resurrection…the living then got really and truly good…
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