This weekend is Easter weekend, the most important three days in the history of the world. God the Son, God in human form took upon Himself the sins of the world, died a death to sin, and three days later rose from the dead, declaring victory over sin and death forever. That being said, it seems only logical that we look at an Easter-themed song for our Thursday music. Christ Is Risen by Phil Wickham sings of the triumph of Christ all those years ago.
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
For I once was lost but now I’m found
Was blind but now I see
It starts off familiar looking, borrowing a verse from the classic hymn Amazing Grace, but to a different tune. The message is still the same though, God’s grace is amazing and saves all who call upon it.
The prodigal is welcomed home
The sinner now a saint
For the God who died came back to life
And everything is changed
This references the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15.11-32), and alludes to the thief on the cross next to Jesus (Luke 23.39-43). The fact that this man repented so close to death gives us hope for those who do not yet know Jesus that there is always time.
The God who died came back to life, and everything is changed…could there be a more succinct summary of Easter weekend?
The chorus then echoes the foundational, formative truth of our faith, without which we simply don’t have what we think we have,
Hallelujah
Christ is risen from the grave
Hallelujah
Christ is risen from the grave
Can you imagine what His disciples felt when they saw Him?
Can you imagine what you will feel when you see Him face to face?
I’d suggest this may be right up there, Hallelujah, Christ is risen from the grave!
Secular historians confirm that His death was real and really happened, what makes Christianity distinctly Christian is the fact that Christ is risen from the grave!
O death, where is your sting?
O fear, where is your power?
For the mighty King of kings has disarmed you
Delivered and redeemed
Eternal life is ours
O praise His name forever
Here we think back to 1 Corinthians 15.55-57,
“O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?”
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
And on the day You call me in
To heaven’s sweet embrace
I’ll see Your scars, Your open arms
And the beauty of Your face
Through tears of joy, I’ll lift my voice
In everlasting praise
Hallelujah
Christ is risen from the grave
The day we meet Jesus face to face will be the sweetest day we can ever imagine, and then some (Revelation 22.4), and as the old saying goes, the only man-made thing in heaven will be the scars we will see on our Lord and Saviour (John 20.24-27). We will join the heavenly host in a cycle of never-ending praise (Revelation 4.1-11), and this is all available to us because Christ is risen from the grave!
Have a great Easter weekend!
James Travis 