Low in the grave He lay, Jesus my Savior; Waiting the coming day, Jesus my Lord! Vainly they watch His bed, Jesus my Savior; Vainly they seal the dead, Jesus my Lord! Death cannot keep its Prey, Jesus my Savior; He tore the bars away, Jesus my Lord!
Up from the grave He arose, With a mighty triumph o'er His foes, He arose a Victor from the dark domain, And He lives forever, with His saints to reign. He arose! He arose! Hallelujah! Christ arose!
On Resurrection Sunday in churches around the globe, believers of every strife and status, color and creed, will sing the lyrics above of one of the most stirring hymns ever composed—Low in the Grave He Lay. In 1874, Robert Lowry penned the words of this song that would exalt the resurrection of Christ in worshipful praise for generations to come. For Baptists, it’s akin to a rite of passage as part of one’s worship experience on the Sunday we celebrate as the day Jesus conquered death and hell.
But, do we actually pay attention to the lyrics as we belt out this familiar song from the depths of our diaphragm? Do we really see what Jesus’ resurrection means to us? As you examine the words of the chorus, notice that as a believer and follower of Christ, you can rejoice in the fact that Jesus Christ rose in triumph—the “victor from the dark domain.” However, not only is He victorious, but He is alive and will live and reign Supreme forever with His saints. Who are His saints? We are! Those who have believed and confessed Christ as Savior and Lord and committed our lives to Him and Him alone. The lyrics are referring to the promise given to us in Scripture based on our baptism into the death and resurrection of Christ (Rom 6:4).
The significance of the resurrection surpasses every other element of theology and doctrine. Just consider the implications if Christ had not arisen. There would be no victory over death and hell. Every single one of us would still be dead in our sins and furthermore, every single person we have ever known or loved that has died would be in hell. All that we believe, every word of Scripture, every sermon ever preached would be meaningless. This is exactly what Paul talked about in his first epistle to the church at Corinth (1 Cor 15:12-19). It is in these verses that Paul makes plain that our ultimate hope is in Christ and His resurrection from the dead.
Yet in our culture today so many have bought into spiritual mysticism, pantheism, or universalism and place their ultimate hope on what they are or will be spiritually. They deny the resurrection and the need for salvation from sin because they are blind to the truth. True believers know the truth, but that does not mean that doubt never casts a shadow. If you have been born again, having a new spirit and a right heart, then when physical death lingers over your soul, and you say, “I am afraid I am not saved,” remain steadfast in your belief in Christ, who is the victorious light that has overcome the darkness. Cling fast to Christ whose love ran red down the rough-cut wood of the Roman cross, who gave Himself up for you, who burst forth up and out of the grave, and who with His saints will reign forever and ever. “He arose, He arose, Hallelujah! Christ arose!”
Pastor Brent
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