Archives

I Am the Resurrection and the Life

   Written by on November 3, 2016 at 9:50 am

logo-hevenerHank Williams, a popular country music singer in the mid-20th Century, is remembered for his projection of sincerity and deep emotion.  He, one of my favorite country singers (along with Jim Reeves) recorded a song whose theme was man’s inability to overcome his enemy, death! Williams later died tragically in his car on his way to present a show in Ohio.  The first two stanzas of the song are as follows:

Now you’re lookin’ at a man that’s gettin’ kind-a mad

I had lot’s of luck but it’s all been bad

No matter how I struggle and strive

I’ll never get out of this world alive.

My fishin’ pole’s broke the creek is full of sand

My woman run away with another man

No matter how I struggle and strive

I’ll never get out of this world alive.

Sadly, apparently the writers of this song (Fred Rose and Williams) did not understand that there is a way to “get out of this world alive.”  In John 14:6, Jesus, speaking to Thomas, said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”  Not only did Jesus claim to be the Source of life, He also demonstrated this by rising from the grave on the third day.  In addition, He raised Lazarus from the grave after Lazarus had been there for four days. (John 11:43.)

The Bible records a number of people being given life after death through Divine power.  Here are a few examples:

The prophet Elijah raised the son of the widow of Zarephath . (1 Kings 17.)

Jesus raised the son of a widow from the dead. (Luke 7.)

Jesus raised the twelve year-old daughter of Jairus. (Mark 5.)

The Apostle Peter raised Dorcas from the dead. (Acts 9.)

The Apostle Paul gave life to a young man who had fallen out of a window. (Acts 20.)

The Apostle Paul promises that those who accept and follow Jesus, will also rise from the grave on resurrection morning.  With the exception of Jesus, those mentioned above did die later.  However, Paul promises that those who have followed Christ will receive immortality at His second coming, never to die again. In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul writes:” 12 But tell me this—since we preach that Christ rose from the dead, why are some of you saying there will be no resurrection of the dead? 13 For if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised either. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless. 15 And we apostles would all be lying about God—for we have said that God raised Christ from the grave. But that can’t be true if there is no resurrection of the dead. 16 And if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins. 18 In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost! 19 And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world.

20 But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died.

21 So you see, just as death came into the world through a man, now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man. 22 Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life. 23 But there is an order to this resurrection: Christ was raised as the first of the harvest; then all who belong to Christ will be raised when he comes back.”

Yes, there is a way to get out of this world alive.  That way is to trust your present and eternal future to the One Who demonstrated that He is the Source of life because of His victory over death.  Up from the grave He arose!

Until next week, may God richly bless you and yours.

©Fillmer Hevener, 2016.

Leave a Reply