He Lives!

March 2024

In the greatest comeback in the history of the world, our Lord Jesus Christ who was crucified on the cross, and laid in a tomb, rose from the dead. From death to life, He conquered death by His mighty power. The angel told the women at the tomb, “…Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. But go, tell His disciples — and Peter — that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you” (Mark 16:6-7).

In Revelation 1:18, our Savior says, “I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of death.” Our Lord Jesus is the great I AM, the conqueror, and the living one. “Was” is the past tense, and “is” is the present tense. He was crucified, He was dead, and He was laid in a tomb; but praise be to God He is alive; He is risen, and He is seated at the right hand of God until His enemies are made His footstool.

Easter is the greatest of all the holy days because it commemorates, celebrates, and certifies God’s complete satisfaction with the finished work of Christ on the cross to accomplish our salvation. Sadly, the world has shifted the focus of Easter from the resurrection to Easter eggs and Easter bunnies. As believers we know the true meaning of Easter and how Christianity would be nothing without the resurrection.

Because He lives, we live also. He bore our sins on the cross and died so that we can live with Him forever. He has promised us a home in heaven and that He will come again to take us there. Phillips Brooks said it so well,

          “Tomb, thou shalt not hold Him longer;
          Death is strong, but Life is stronger;
          Stronger than the dark, the light;
          Stronger than the wrong, the right;
          Faith and Hope triumphant say,
          Christ will rise on Easter Day.”

What encouragement and hope we have this Easter Day just as we do every day: Christ is alive and working in our lives, He saved our souls, forgave our sin, and made us His children. We can face whatever the devil and this world throws at us because He lives. We know the end of the story that is it glorious because He is risen! Hallelujah, what a Savior! He lives! What a hope, what a joy, what a blessing!