Christian Reflection and Prayer

Scripture:

But the fact is that Christ has been
raised from the dead. He has become
the first of a great harvest of those who
will be raised to life again.
1 Corinthians 15:20 NLT

Hymn:

Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia!
Sons of men and angels say, Alleluia!
Raise your joys and triumphs high,
Alleluia! Sing, ye heavens, and earth
reply, Alleluia!

Love's redeeming work is done, Alleluia!
Fought the fight, the battle won, Alleluia!
Death in vain forbids Him rise, Alleluia!
Christ hath opened paradise, Alleluia!

Soar we now where Christ has led,
Alleluia! Following our exalted Head,
Alleluia! Made like Him, like Him we rise,
Alleluia! Ours the cross, the grave, the
skies, Alleluia!
Christ the Lord is Risen Today
Charles Wesley (1707-1788) and others

Reflection:

Christ has won the final victory

The grave has been "boasting" of its
power since Eden. But now it has
finally met its match. It wraps Jesus
up at the Cross and "forbids him to
rise," but our Champion, Jesus Christ,
fought and won. Where is your sting
now, O Death? Christ has won the
final victory.

We know that whatever boasting we
do is not in ourselves, but in the power
of Christ. He has won the victory, and
now we're just soaring where Christ has
led. We bask in the benefits of the Cross,
and we look past the grave to our heavenly
reunion with Him. Alleluia!

Our Easter Week readings are adapted from
The One Year® Book of Hymns by Mark
Norton and Robert Brown, Tyndale House
Publishers (1995). Today's is taken from
the entry for April 3.

Digging Deeper/Telling Others: For more on
the meaning of Easter, read Why the
Resurrection by Greg Laurie (Tyndale, 2005),