With resurrection day looming right around the corner most Christians will be celebrating the resurrected Christ by traditional means. There are always the family gatherings usually with a big feast and egg hunts. There are the special church services with familiar lessons and sermons detailing the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. Then too, there is the special music with soloists and choirs. Ah, but there we also find ourselves too singing those old familiar hymns that resonate with our hearts heralding and praising the risen Lord. One of those old hymns that often swells my eyes and tugs on my insides is “He lives!” The words go something like this:
I serve a risen Saviour, He's in the world today;
I know that He is living, Whatever men may say;
I see His hand of mercy, I hear His voice of cheer,
And just the time I need Him, He's always near.
He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today!
He walks with me and He talks with me Along life's narrow way.
He lives, He live, salvation to impart!
You ask me how I know He lives: He lives within my heart.
Rejoice, rejoice, O Christian, Lift up your voice and sing
Eternal hallelujahs To Jesus Christ the King!
The hope of all who seek Him, The help of all who find,
None other is so loving, So good and kind.
He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today!
He walks with me and He talks with me Along life's narrow way.
He lives, He live, salvation to impart!
You ask me how I know He lives: He lives within my heart.
I would just like to ask if you can sing that song with assurance that the heart line is true for you. You see it won’t matter how many family gatherings you ever go to, or how much candy you might collect over the years. It won’t even matter how many resurrection day services you attend or how many songs you have sung or heard. There’s only one thing that will truly matter to God when you meet Him; does Jesus Christ live within your heart. The truth of the matter is this, it’s not enough that Jesus did rise from the dead in order to take the place of our sin. You must personally by faith ask Him to forgive you of your sin believing that in His death, He buried all your sin, and when He rose He defeated your sin and gained eternal victory over death and sin for you securing you a rightful place in the Kingdom of God His father making you a son or a daughter of the KING!
I don’t celebrate the resurrection because my parents or my family has told me that Jesus is alive. I don’t celebrate the resurrection because some teacher has taught me that Jesus is alive. I don’t celebrate the resurrection because some preacher has preached to me that Jesus is alive or because some choir sings about His being alive. You ask me why I celebrate that Jesus is alive, BECAUSE HE LIVES WITHIN MY HEART!! What about you, why do you celebrate?
