Text: Luke 24:1-12; 1 Corinthians 15; Isaiah 25:6-9; Matthew 28
The world was waiting – for a sign of life, for a miracle, for a happier ending to the story.
The world was waiting, and Sunday came. Praise the Lord, Sunday came.
When the women went to the tomb early that third day – to cover their Lord in their tears and the customary burial spices they’d prepared – the stone which sealed the tomb had been pushed aside. Oh, how their hearts must have sunk at the sight. To witness His betrayal, His brutal death, His burial and His absence, and now this? What on earth was happening here?
The angels made a grand entrance, as angels often do, and they asked the question that reaches through centuries of history to our own aching, weary world: “Why do you look for the living among the dead?” (Luke 24:5b, NIV)
Can you hear that conversation from the cemetery echoing even now in your own heart?
What makes you think He’s dead?
Well, because He died. I saw it myself.
But what makes you think that’s the end?
Isn’t it? I’ve seen people die. They don’t come back. I’ve killed relationships and opportunities. I’ve suffocated good things with my own hands. None of them came back. When things die, when people die, they don’t live again. That’s the way it works.
Not anymore.
I don’t understand.
Everything has changed.
What do you mean?
You can stop searching the graveyard for the hope, the love, the life you long for. HE IS ALIVE.
Resurrection Sunday is more than the miracle of a man coming back to life.
It is the fulfillment of a promise.
It is the irremovable seal on God’s vow of love to His children.
It is the resurrection of hope.
It is the definitive declaration that the Love we long for is not dead.
He is alive. Oh, dear Sisters, He is alive!
He sits with you, He prays for you, He waits with the Father for you.
For you who wonder if a laugh will ever again escape your lips – He lives for you.
For you who weep with gratitude for gifts you could not possibly have earned – He lives for you.
For you whose eyes strain to see something – anything – good around the bend – He lives for you.
For you who sit alone in the stillness of grief and silence – He lives for you.
For you whose arms are linked to fear on one side and hope on the other – He lives for you.
For you who are soul-weary from searching among dead things for the life your heart longs for – He lives for you.
He lived and died to buy your pardon, just like the old hymn says.
He wrapped His infinite being in flesh for you (John 1:14).
He endured temptation and humiliation, scorn and scourge for you (Hebrews 4:14-16, Matthew 27:15-44).
He satisfied the wrath of the holy and just God the Father for you (Romans 5:6-11).
And He walked out of the grave that Sunday morning for you.
He lives. Hallelujah, the Gospel is true!
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57 thoughts on "alive!"
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All I can do is sing to him.
"Gods not dead he is surely alive, he's living in the inside roaring like a lion!" Gods not dea!
Hello dear Sisters!
I was so sad not to join out little community for Easter, but what a blessing to receive this encouragement right in the middle of my Monday. On Sunday, my pastor shared Psalm 118:20-24 with us as a prophecy of the crucifixion and resurrection. What a new insight to see the so familiar verse – "This is the day that the Lord has made" – in reference to Christ's death and resurrection as our ransom!
It truly was the day that the Lord made!
Weeping truly lasted for a night – but Joy came in the morning. Jesus has beaten death – He shed His grave clothes and so have I. Jesus left the tomb to deliver a message of Hope. I have allowed my flesh to die so I could deliver His message. He revealed His scars to those who doubted the crucifixion and the resurrection. I will bear my scars to reveal His healing, hope and salvation.
He left behind what was no longer needed, but took with Him what He needed to bring glory to His Fathers Name. Today I leave behind all that hindered, and embrace the freedom and future our Savior came to give.
May you all be blessed, with a resurrected life. A life of hope – a life of joy. May you leave your grave clothes behind, and embrace the full Life Jesus came to give. God bless you sisters…oh my word, God has blessed you.
I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter? My Easter was the best ever thanks to SRT and this awesome Lent Bible study! I have laughed, cried, wept, jumped up and down all through this study….. I couldn't wait for today to get here! I woke up telling the Holy Spirit; "Happy Easter!" My Jesus is ALIVE!!!! The church service, company, food, etc. was great but what made this day extra special was knowing my Savior lives and walked out of that tomb for me. He died and suffered insurmountable pain for me and now He is Alive!!!!!! Praise God He is Alive!!!!
He is risen!
"Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia!
Earth and heaven in chorus say, Alleluia!
Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia!
Sing, ye heavens, and earth reply, Alleluia!
Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia!
Where, O death, is now thy sting, Alleluia!
Once he died our souls to save, Alleluia!
Where's thy victory, boasting grave, Alleluia!"
Charles Wesley
"Alive! Alive! Look what Mercy's overcome! Death has lost and love has won!"
Natalie Grant
"Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we've been given a brand new life and have everything to live for, including a future in heaven, and the future starts now."
1 Peter 1:3-4
Hallelujah, sisters! Rejoice, Easter people!
AMEN! HALLELUJAH! JESUS is ALIVE! He is risen! HE'S ALIVE! (although I really liked the one that Hannah shared)
Let us celebrate Resurrection SONday by living in the Power of the Resurrection and the Victory of Jesus today and every day we are afforded!
My song for this SONday Victor's Crown ! Thanking Our LORD for this day! Thank You, Lord
… for SRT ~ a wonderful place to come and read and share the Truth with a beautiful, powerful and impactful devotionals written from the heart and applied to us;
… plus a wonderful SRT commUnity that participates totally with one another via comments and support. I love when we interact with one another, pray and encourage one another in our walk with Christ and God's Word what we each receive!
Thank you! Be blessed and enJOY a glorious Resurrection SONday and week! Thank you SRT!
Love in Jesus Christ (Because He Lives)
Peggy
"But what makes you think that’s the end?
Isn’t it? I’ve seen people die. They don’t come back. I’ve killed relationships and opportunities. I’ve suffocated good things with my own hands. None of them came back. When things die, when people die, they don’t live again. That’s the way it works.
Not anymore.
I don’t understand.
Everything has changed.
What do you mean?
You can stop searching the graveyard for the hope, the love, the life you long for. HE IS ALIVE."
I've killed so much, suffocated so much, by white-knuckling my life and not depending on the Lord for my life this past season… through Lent, Christ showed me the evil in how I approached so much in my life, showed me His great Love, and made a multitude of promises that have come true today! Though he had me in exile this past season to learn much about myself and about what He wanted for me, to change my defiled, hard heart into a heart that solely belonged to him, today is the day that those chains have broken.
I spent the dawn and early morning bible studying and looking out my window as the sun rose over the houses. It was dark, barely lit… the time started with crying, mourning, reflecting on all things wrong… but then the sun rose, inch by inch, and while at first I felt unworthy to feel the light on my face and ducked out of it, Christ lifted my face up and made all of me shine with the light of His love this blessed Easter morning. He spoke affirmation of His great Love and Freedom, proclaimed that the exile is no more, starting today…
that I am set free,
gathered back up, restored, protected and held by Him,
Healed, and nothing of what I did in the past defines me any longer…
Christ is ALIVE today, and I can LIVE in HIS victory. I never have to strive/pine for my own victory ever again!
I can let go of obsession with perfection, I can loosen the white knuckles on all of me… I can rest in who He is instead! He holds me safe!
I am His daughter, His beautiful bride, transformed from a orphan and harlot into HIS prized possession by His great love and sacrifice… Greatly Loved and Extremely Precious, EVERY moment of every day!! Nothing more, Nothing Less!!
It is truly a new day! PRAISE JESUS, THE PRECIOUS LAMB OF GOD, WHO MAKES ME TRULY NEW BY HIS OWN BLOOD!!!
Have a wonderful, joyous Easter Sunday, my dear sisters! I love you all very much!
Oh the tears that are welling in my eyes. My sweet friend, death has been beaten. The tomb is empty and Christ has risen. A new dawn rose with its eyes on you – shedding Light on the dark that tried to leave its mark.
BUT GOD….
God doesn't bask us in His glow to reveal the darkness in us, He showers us in Light so that the dark will be extinguished.
Oh Lord, Thank you for freeing my sister here. Your Light is so precious and reveals the beauty within her. Your Light is warming and has rescued her from the cold. Your Light is illuminating the full life You have for her. Your Light is cleansing and has eliminated any stain of shame the enemy tried to leave behind.
Oh Lord, she is free Lord! FREE! The chains are gone – the invisible and visible. Oh Lord, You're not the only raised to Life today. I thank you Lord that we all were raised to Life today – Eternal Life – Full Life – a life of freedom in Your precious Name.
Lord, I thank you for Janee! The Lord is using you here. "Your Light is so precious and reveals the beauty within her. Your Light is warming and has rescued her from the cold. Your Light is illuminating the full life You have for her. Your Light is cleansing and has eliminated any stain of shame the enemy tried to leave behind." Thank you Lord. I pay that today, Janee, I, and the rest of our sisters here would all feel and know your warmth, O Lord. Focus our eyes on your Light, make not only my face but my entire self to turn towards you again. Remind us of your beautiful resurrection from such a sacrifice every day. More of you, less of us, always, papa. Amen. I love you very dearly, my friend. Thank you.
I am so excited that I do not know exactly where to start. Participating in this Holy Week plan for the lenten season by She Reads Truth has been very meaningful to me. The texts from the Bible in this plan are not new to me and yet, in some amazing and awesome way, they are. I just feel that the Holy Spirit is with me in this, teaching me new things, bringing to light truths that I have taken for granted. I have been guilty of not finishing plans, but I am so happy that I stuck with this. And it isn't really something so hard to do. I feel the love that the SRT community has. I feel welcome, even though I don't comment often. And I learned a lot. Thank you, sisters.
I have been waiting for Easter to come! The devotionals each day for this week has been leading to today – the climax! He is risen! He is alive! My heart is overwhelmed with so much joy that we are a witness of this event, this truth. The gospel is true!
We need not be afraid of death anymore. Our faith has meaning because He lives!
Praise Jesus! For His Victory over death, for His gift of salvation and the Holy Spirit, and for the loving, warm, beautifully God-given community of SheReadsTruth! He has blessed all of us abundantly, indeed. Thank you for your wonderful comments and insights. The Lord is using you! Be blessed, dear friend.
Amen!
He is alive and I'm alive! This such a beautiful truth to wake up to and know this is for me EVERY DAY and EVERY HOUR.
I get caught up in things that are dead but I have to hold on to the truth of the resurrection in everything I do. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWNHsmpZ0pw
This song is so relevant to today's message.
We all get so caught up in the dead! Pssh– Jesus is so over the dead that it's not even funny. He was dead! He came back! It's a done good deal, He reigns over it, over all things! I pray we'd all hold onto this truth in all we do: that while sin and death still remain in this world, Christ finished what it took to be forever made alive at Calvary! Lord, let us live in this not just today, but every day in all things! Amen.
Blessings and thanks Hannah for sharing "HE'S ALIVE!!!" Beautiful and so revelant!
May I stop looking for the living among the dead. He’s alive! Praise him! Praise him!
Amen to that Susan! We know exactly where the Living are! We know exactly where the LIFE is! Praise Him for that!
What an exciting day to remember he is alive! Every day is amazing when you think abut the power over death he has and had that day! Oh how wonderful oh how marvelous and my song shall ever be. Oh how marvelous oh how wonderful is my saviors love to me!! Love that hymn.
Oh thank you Lord Jesus for all you've done for me!!!!
For you whose arms are linked to fear on one side and hope on the other – He lives for you.
That really spoke to me this morning. Jesus lives! He has overcome death and sin and brokenness … And fear. I feel tied by fear and self doubt and lack of confidence on one side, but He is calling me to hope on the other side and not letting go. And I don't need to trust in myself but only in him. He lives!
Amen Sis! Same here. "He is calling me to hope on the other side and NOT LETTING GO." Isn't that the best? Whatever is holding us back from living the Life Christ has called us to may try real hard to keep me, to keep us, oppressed forever, but Christ will NEVER LET GO! Never has! And because of that, HE WINS! Always! The victory is already here, dear sister! The tug of the evil one is only a flimsy lie! Let's let go of it's hand, shall we?
"Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead…" (Phil 3:13). Amen to that! All because of Jesus, we can let go of the sin holding us back! Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is Freedom! Praise Jesus!! Praying we'd both be freed of these things this morning in Jesus' mighty name, dear friend!! Amen!
1 Cor 15: 56-57: The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Thanks be to God, indeed! So thankful to serve a risen savior! Hallelujah!
Just visited your blog and friend, I didn't know you were in Indy!! I live in Bloomington! I am meeting my "boys" for dinner in Greenwood today, they live in Fishers. We are now kindred spirits for sure…go Hoosiers! ♥
"But thanks be to God, who gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ"!!! Thanks be to God!! The ONLY victory is found in you, Oh Jesus… And it's a victory that can never be nullified or put to shame!! Ever!! Lord, make us all to sing and dance before you on this glorious day!
Alive. Forever. Amen! Death has lost its sting. Our hopes and dreams are resurrected along with our Lord. He lives for us.
Blessed Easter, ladies!
Halellujah to the Lamb! He is alive! He is Risen! Thank You Lord! Ive got joy in my heart. For the first time ever im able to celebrate the true meaning behind Easter, thanks be to God. Lord you live and reign forever and I will forever live for You.
Amen sister! This day has been transformed for me!!
"If you can't dance and you long to dance, in the resurrection you'll dance perfectly. If you're lonely, in the resurrection you will have perfect love. If you're empty, in the resurrection you will be fully satisfied. Ordinary life is what's going to be redeemed. . . .
And if you know that this is not the only world, the only body, the only life you are ever going to have–that you will someday have a PERFECT life, a real, concrete life–who cares what people do to you? You're free from ultimate anxieties in this life, so you can be brave and take risks. You can face the worst thing. . . . with joy, with hope. The resurrection means we can look forward with hope to the day our suffering will be gone. But it even means that we can look forward with hope to the day our suffering will be glorious. . . .
Jesus showed the disciples his scars in his resurrected body [and this is important] because now they understand the scars, the sight and memory of them increasing the glory and joy of the rest of their lives. Seeing Jesus Christ with his scars reminds them of what he did for them–that the scars they thought had ruined their lives actually saved their lives. . . .
On the Day of the Lord–the day that God makes everything right, the day that everything sad comes untrue–on that day the same thing will happen to your own hurts and sadness. You will find that the worst things that have ever happened to you will in the end only enhance your eternal delight. On that day, all of it will be turned inside out and you will know joy beyond the walls of the world. The joy of your glory will be that much greater for every scar you bear. So live in the light of the resurrection and renewal of this world, and of yourself, in a glorious, never-ending, joyful dance of grace."
Timothy Keller, King's Cross
Beautiful!! "Everything sad becomes untrue…" Praise you, Jesus! "The joy of our glory will be much greater than any scar we ever bear." All because of Christ!! Everything is made new!! All things are turned inside out!!!
I love this, Morgan! Thank you so much for sharing!
Good morning, ladies! I'll be honest, I do not remember in my 30 something years of knowing Christ, any year that I have anticipated Resurrection Sunday more than I've anticipated it this year. My heart is full of excitement for this day! The words on the screen seem to be tingling with that excitement, and this entire day will be about celebration! Not just for this morning, when the women and disciples first discovered the empty tomb, but for the entire day, knowing that this day informs all our other days. The victory is not just for today, but for every day to follow!
“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
“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.
1 Corinthians 15:54-57
"There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave He rose again!
And as He stands in victory,
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me,
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ!"
In Christ Alone https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENtL_li4GbE
"This day informs all other days" – What a fantastic way of looking at life! Thank you for that, dear one!
Happy Easter ladies!! It always blows my human mind that God loves me this much. I screw up, I make bad decisions, I sin. Not once but over and over and over again. Yet if I was all there was to save he still would have done the same, endured the same, died. For me. That thought can’t sink in far enough for me to ever fully understand it this side of heaven. But I am so grateful that it’s true.
It brings me to tears to even try to fathom! He looks at each one of us, pursues us as the lost sheep, and carries us in His arms back to His beloved pasture time and again! Lord, thank you for loving me– loving us– SO incredibly MUCH! Praise Jesus!!
Because He lives ,HALLELUJAH,….I can face tomorrow, Hallelujah….
Because He lives, HALLELUJAH….all fear is gone….. oh, hallelujah…
Because He lives, HALLELUJAH…because I know He holds the future..because He lives….HALLELUJAH. HALLELUJAH…
Happy Reurection Sunday my very precious and very loved sister's…..Be Blessed….x x x
Hallelujah and Happy Resurrection Sunday!! Our Hope is alive and our Perfect Peace lives!! I must say that this has been the best Lenten Season/Holy Week/Resurrection Sunday I've ever experienced. The SRT Community introduced me to Jesus all over again. Jesus did it, He conquered the grave and freed us from sin and shame. May we walk in His liberating power always! Peace and Blessings my Sweet Sisters! "Because He lives, I can face tomorrow. Because He lives all fear is gone. Because I know (oh oh oh) He holds the future and life is worth the living just because He lives."
Stephen, I see the same song came to mind today….because He Lives….sister because He lives we can face tomorrow and all it brings….HALLELUJAH….HALLELUJAH….HALLELUJAH
God bless you …today whatever you do…xx
Amen Steph!! This season has transformed me!!! Praise be to Christ Jesus who has turned this heart of stone into a heart of flesh!! Praise be to the Lord!!!
What a breathtaking 40 days it has been sisters !! I am overwhelmed by God’s goodness this morning. I had such a vivid dream last. Where I was held hostage in a house and tried to escape when I escaped those who had me captive found out and started to pursue me to kill me. Just as they got very close an angel’s wing appeared and scooped me up. I woke up and felt fear. I had been rescued. But Jesus wanted me to be with Him. It’s so vivid and real to me right now. And I just had to run to she reads truth. The devotionals have changed me inside out and opened up my heart to the Heavenly Father. I can’t believe this day has come!!! He is risen and so are we. We are new. Ransomed!!!! I can’t stop crying. My heart cries out Hallejuah !!!! Jesus Christ is ALIVE !!!
Crying HALLELUJAH alongside you dear Isha…..He is alive…we are saved by His sacrifice for us….HALLELUJAH…
Be Blessed today Sister… x
Hallelujah!!! Praise be to the Lord of Lords and King of Kings! Jesus Christ the Messiah!! Who makes us new and saves us from the shame and disgrace of our youth!!! Who bore our iniquities and carried our sorrows!! We are washed in the blood of the lamb!! We are NEW!!!
Happy Easter to everyone at #SheReadsTruth I love Isaiah 25:9 NIV- included in the readings
In that day they will say, “Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the Lord , we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.”
Lets make that day today!
Happy Easter Claire…Blessings dear sister….xx
He is Risen! I shout praises and songs to the Lord, thanking Him for the sacrifice of His Son so that I may be covered in grace and washed clean of my sins! He has saved me!
Happy Easter Sisters!
SAVED….Megan….we are saved, by His sacrifice for us….HALLELUJAH….PRAISE GOD….Thank you Jesus…
Have a God blessed day Megan…x
WE SING ALLELUIA! THE LAMB HAS OVERCOME! #FOREVER
We truly DO sing HALLELUJAH…. Ibukun…. HALLELUJAH..
Blessings to you dear sister…x
Stop searching the graveyards…everything has changed! Yes! Love that! Knew I would not get to be on here later today with church and family but wanted to say how thankful I am for Calvary…and the empty tomb! He did it for me, you know. For you, for everyone of us and FOREVER it is settled!
I wrote about Peter today…the impetuous, yet loyal Peter, who the Lord takes time to send a message to via an angel. It blows me away that He would care enough about Peter, and his failures, to make sure that they go AHEAD and tell Peter, "It's okay."
That's our God! No matter our mistakes, our failures, wow. He is there. He already paid the price.
I pray you all are able to worship somewhere today and are blessed with those you love at your table. Much love, sisters.
What a price… no matter our failures , no matter our mistakes…. what a hope…
I could sing of your Love forever…..
I could sing of this great LOVE forever…
Love and blessings to you and yours Nanette…x
Will you share your blog again? I know I've visited before during She Shares Truth but can't recall . . . would love to read! Thanks for sharing and have a wonderful Easter!
Good morning Morgan…I blog at Hope in the Healing and here is today's post, ""And tell Peter too…"
Have a wonderful Easter! http://www.hopeinthehealing.com/2014/04/19/and-te…
If you click on her username "Candacejo", it will take you to her Hope in the Healing blog. (NOTE: I wouldn't normally answer for someone else, but I know she said she wouldn't have time to get on here later today.)
I did! I am multi-tasking so I can read everyone's thoughts….blow drying my hair while I read, lol. As late as I got to bed I sure didn't think I would have any free time…but restless leg prevailed for a very un-restful night. Thank you Jessica, you can comment for me anytime!
Amen! He lives for me … in my brokenness, heartache, temptation, trials, and fear – He is Alive! He makes me new. I am resurrected with Him! Hallelujah <3
What a joy filled day…He is alive for me, for us for all….in whatever circumstances we find ourselves….AMEN to that….HALLELUJAH……Blessings Sana…..x