The Resurrected Lord - Conquering Death
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!
It's Easter, or perhaps you might prefer the term Resurrection Sunday, and so one last quote from the Wesleys as we bring this season together to a close. Many of you will be familiar with these great words from Wesley's famous resurrection hymn Christ the Lord is Risen Today:
"Lives again our glorious King!
Where, O death, is now thy sting?
Once He died our souls to save,
Where's thy victory, boasting grave?"
Death's Sting Removed
Wesley is taking some words here from Paul's letter to the Corinthians where Paul seems to be quoting words from a poem or hymn that say "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" (1 Corinthians 15:55 NIV11). You see friends, Christ's resurrection is what ultimately gives us victory over death. There's a line in Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical Jesus Christ Superstar where Jesus sings "to conquer death you only have to die". That's a lie. To conquer death, Jesus had to die and rise again from the grave. And He did!!
As Wesley says, "once he died our souls to save". But then he adds "Where, O death, is now thy sting?" and "Where's thy victory, boasting grave?" When Jesus died, Satan must have been gloating, thinking that his plan for destruction and death to all had come together. But Jesus came back to life, and so the sting of death and the boast of the grave were forever removed for those who believe in and trust in Him.
Living in Resurrection Power
Worship Him, this Easter Day, would you? And I mean really worship Him! Adore and praise Him with all the energy and strength you have! Because not only has Jesus died and shed His blood which forgives us, He rose again and conquered death once for all.
And remember, that the victory is not just life after death. It's victorious life now. The power of the risen Christ is in you, if you believe. You can go into your day, each day, knowing that you have power to overcome spiritual death and sin.
So let me close this Lent With the Wesleys series with one final quote from John in his famous sermon Salvation By Faith. He writes: "Go forth then, thou little child that believest in him... though thou art helpless and weak as an infant of days, the strong man shall not be able to stand before thee. Thou shalt prevail over him, and subdue him, and overthrow him and trample him under thy feet. Thou shalt march on, under the great Captain of thy salvation, "conquering and to conquer," until all thine enemies are destroyed, and "death is swallowed up in victory."
