“Because He lives, I can face tomorrow

Because He lives, all fear is gone.

Because I know He holds the future and

Life is worth the living just because He lives.”

“He is not here for He is risen.”  With those words, the angel proclaimed the Savior for all mankind; the fulfillment of the prophecies; the implementation of God’s plan of salvation.  The Apostle Paul later recounted the gospel, God’s plan of salvation, in I Corinthians 15, “that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that he was buried and that he was raised on the third day according to the scriptures.”

Through the risen Savior, we have the blessing of enduring hope.  The Apostle Peter said, “He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” (I Peter 1:3) The Apostle Paul told the Colossians they had a “hope laid up…in Heaven” of which they had “heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel.” He instructed them to “continue in faith…not shifting from the hope of the gospel.” (Col 1:5, 23)

Through the risen Savior, we also have the blessing of a spiritual family.  It is part of our human nature to desire to be part of something bigger than us.  We have that as part of God’s family, the body of Christ, to love us, encourage us and help us.  Jesus said, “whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother.” (Matt 12:50)  The Apostle Paul uses this type of terminology several times: “You are Christ’s body and individually members of it” (I Cor 12:27), “members of the household of God” (Eph 2:19), “the body of Christ” (Eph 4:12).

We worship together each week to commemorate Christ’s death, burial and resurrection.  Through the risen Savior, we are blessed with a spiritual family on earth for love, support and encouragement and we are blessed with an enduring hope to live with Christ in eternity.