He Lives
When asked "why should I worship a dead Jew?", a Presbyterian minister penned a sermon and a song to go along with it. The song turned into a Resurrection classic! Hear the story and take a close look at the words of his hymn in today's episode.
It's Friday, which means it's time for another classic hymn. Thanks for joining, and if you haven't already subscribed to the channel, subscribe and hit that thumbs up to get a lot more of this type of content.
It's the Friday after Easter, and I hope you had a special time celebrating Easter with your family this year. Let's do an Easter song—a song about the Risen Christ. Last week we did "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross," but of course, Jesus didn't stay on the cross. He rose again, and we have to do songs about the empty grave and the fact that He lives.
We're going to sing a song called "He Lives!" and I want to take you through the story and the lyrics as always.
I learnt the song when I was at Ems Methodist Church. I had to pick some songs for an Easter service and I saw this one in the book. I'd never heard it before, so I went online and started to listen to different versions of the song and just really fell in love with this happy, joyful song about the Risen Christ. I sing it every Easter now. I can't help but put this one on our Easter set list because it just sings so well and rings so true. It lifts my spirits every time.
What about you? Do you know the song? Where did you learn it and where did you sing it first? What does it mean to you in your life? Please share all those sorts of things below and maybe which lyrics out of the song really touch you today. Put that in the comments below—I'd love to hear it. Let's hear the story behind this classic hymn.
The Story Behind "He Lives!"
The song comes from a minister and musician named Alfred Ackley, born in 1887 in Pennsylvania. Ackley and his brother Benton were very well known in the gospel music circles of the time. They had a lot to do with publishing hymnals and putting music compilations together. In fact, Alfred seems to have written over a thousand gospel songs. You know, all these Friday Classic Hymns I do—I hear about all these thousands of songs written, and I guess most of them are lost to time. What a pity. But this song is still popular, and we shall see why in a moment.
Alfred grew up and became very musical. He was an accomplished cellist. In fact, he was called to the ministry and was ordained as a Presbyterian minister, spending many years as a faithful pastor. Nonetheless, his music was a big part of his life, and he was actually awarded an honorary doctorate of Sacred Music from John Brown University.
It was in 1933 that this song was published—"He Lives!" The story is that a young Jewish man was attending Ackley's evangelistic classes and he challenged Ackley with a sentence. He said, "Why should I worship a dead Jew?"
Ackley reported to have said this in response: "He lives, I tell you! He's not dead but lives here and now. Jesus Christ is more alive today than ever before. I can prove it by my own experience, as well as the testimony of countless thousands."
Ackley, inspired by this conversation, wrote a powerful sermon called "He Lives!" He also wrote a song to go along with his sermon. He says this about the song: "The thought of His ever-living presence brought the music promptly and easily." He sat at the piano and it just came spilling out.
I suppose in our day as well, there are many sceptics who don't believe that Jesus was raised from the dead. Perhaps if our experience is so strong, it will convince them. If they see Him alive in us, they will know.
It is said that Ackley led this man to Christ a short time after. Maybe not just writing a song, but living the Christian life showed this man that Jesus was alive and is alive today. I always remember our minister when I was growing up saying, "Jesus Christ is alive and well and living in Boksburg."
He lives as Ackley so beautifully put. He died in his seventies and was throughout his whole life just loved and revered as a musician and as a minister. Let's take a look at the words that he wrote in response to this man's challenge.
What Do the Lyrics of "He Lives!" Mean?
Verse 1: "I serve a risen Saviour"
Verse one says, "I serve a risen Saviour." Straight out of the gates, he's talking about the fact that Jesus has risen.
"He's in the world today." He's not a dead Jew—He's in the world today.
"I know that He is living, whatever men may say." Whatever people say, I know the truth: He is alive.
"I see His hand of mercy." I see His acts of love everywhere.
"I hear His voice of cheer"—not just in the Bible, but in the people around us of God and in many different ways.
"And just the time I need Him He's always near." Beautiful. Whenever I'm in need of His love, His compassion, His comfort, He's always near. A risen Saviour—He is not dead. He's alive and He's active in our lives today. What a wonderful way of putting it.
The Chorus: "He lives! He lives!"
The chorus goes, "He lives! He lives! Christ Jesus lives today."
"He walks with me and talks with me along life's narrow way." Yes, He's with me. He's part of my journey. We have conversations and we love one another. It's not just something in my head—it's real.
"He lives! He lives! Salvation to impart." He lives in this world still to save people, to bring them back to God. Remember, we're all lost without God. We need saving, and Jesus is the only one who can do it. He still lives to save the lost.
"You ask me how I know He lives? He lives within my heart."
As Ackley had said to that man, countless people attest to the living Christ living within them. It's a matter of faith, I suppose, in the end, but it is faith that shows us what's true, what's real. So many have attested to this—it truly is the way it is.
Verse 2: "In all the world around me"
Verse two says, "In all the world around me I see His loving care." He's not dead—I see Him everywhere. His loving care is evident if I look at the world around me.
"And though my heart grows weary I never will despair." Many of you might be reading that and saying, "Well, I look at the world and I just see darkness and difficulty." All of us, if we're honest, see that. Our hearts grow weary when we go through difficulties and see the darkness of the world.
But Ackley says, "I never will despair" in spite of this.
"Because I know that He's leading through all the stormy blast." I know that Jesus has a plan here and He is bringing all things together. I know that despite the evil, God is going to bring all things to a good and wonderful end. Yes, I see Him all around me at work, healing and helping, in spite of mankind's evil. Because of our free will, Jesus still heals and works in the world around us.
I love this last line: "The day of His appearing will come at last." We are seeing Him working now, but there will be a day when He comes and He appears in the clouds and begins to change everything. What a day that's going to be!
Verse 3: "Rejoice, rejoice, O Christian"
Verse three says, "Rejoice, rejoice, O Christian, lift up your voice and sing eternal hallelujahs to Jesus Christ the King." Rejoice! Don't get stuck in depression, but rejoice and lift up your voice and sing your hallelujah.
"The Hope of all who seek Him, the Help of all who find." We've got hope because those who seek Him find Him. Those who find Him are helped by Him.
"None other is so loving, so good and kind." When they do find Him, they discover that none other has got love and goodness and kindness like Him.
So we can rejoice. Doesn't mean that we just pretend everything's okay when it's not—not at all. But if we truly are seeking Christ, if we truly are seeking Him, then we will find Him. He will be of such help and comfort and care to us that we will be singing eternal hallelujahs to Him who is our King.
Conclusion
He lives! He lives today. Does He live within your heart? Do these words make your heart soar?
It's a beautiful song and it just sums up the power of the Risen Christ. Remember, Paul said to the Corinthians that without the resurrection of Christ, our faith is useless. If He didn't rise again, then even the cross is just nothing, because the cross and the resurrection together are what gave Jesus His power over sin and death.
Thank God for the Risen Christ who didn't stay on the cross but defeated death, rose again, and sent His Spirit so that everybody who calls to Him now can encounter Him and have a deep, close walk with Him even today.
Before we finish, just a big thank you to everybody who donates to my ministry through PayPal or through my Patreon, where I send out extra devotions. For me to take the time to do this aside from my church and the other things I do, that support you give is what enables me to do it. Thank you very much.
References
Kenneth W. Osbeck. 101 More Hymn Stories. 1985. Kregal Publications: Grand Rapids
