He's Alive!

Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. ( 1 Corinthians 15: 12-23)

For most of my “Christian life”, I have been a person of reason. I felt that emotion had little or no place in the life of a disciple of Jesus. The scriptures were to be approached with reason to gain understanding. I still hold to that idea, but with a different set of scales. Before, I used a set of bathroom scales and piled on scripture until the scale said faith. Now, I use a set of scales that are used for weights and balances. You know, the ones that Lady Justice has in her hands. On one side, I pile my scriptures and on the other my emotions are used to balance the scales.

Were the only people to cry and rejoice those that are in the Bible? The lame, the deaf, the sick, the dead, the possessed… are they the only ones that were to jump for joy? I can only imagine the joy and excitement that the disciples felt when the Man they had followed all the way to the cross was standing among them again… alive. What do we think… they carefully examined his wounds, discussed whether or not he had truly died? Got out the scrolls and weighed the scriptures to see is His resurrection was for real. No! They were excited. They couldn’t believe their eyes, so they used their hands! This Jesus whom they loved and gave up everything to follow was… alive.

I am thankful for Paul’s reasoned out, emotion filled discussion of Jesus’ resurrection. Read it again, this time with the emotion that Paul put in it. Seriously, this reading is not some scientific presentation of the doctrine of the resurrection. Paul is pouring out his heart. If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised… And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain… and your faith is vain! If in Christ we have hope in this life only… we are of all people most to be pitied. You getting all that … emotion. I read it for far too long as if it were out of a text book. Never again! The scales must be balenaced!

Don Francisco wrote a song and Dolly Parton sings it beautifully, The chorus goes like this…

He's alive, yes He's alive, Yes He's alive and I'm forgiven, Heaven's gates are open wide
He's alive, yes He's alive, Oh He's alive and I'm forgiven, Heaven's gates are open wide
He's alive, yes He's alive, Hallelujah He's alive, He's alive and I'm forgiven, Heaven's gates are open wide
He's alive, He's alive, He's alive, I believe it He's alive… Sweet Jesus

Check it out on YouTube… “He’s Alive”. Have a Kleenex handy… those pesky emotions might just kick in! Praise God... He's alive, sweet Jesus. 

https://youtu.be/1DQfthEHVc4