Happy Easter! He is Risen!

EASTER

Emmanuel

Alive again

Son of God

Third day

Everlasting life

Risen Savior!

  

Risen Remembrance

 It feels like spring,

and that morning rings

within my mind

of when behind

me all my troubles, worries, woes

were banished when the Savior rose.

Three days before

I’d seen the war

between my Lord

and Satan’s hoard,

though then it made no sense to me,

for in the flesh my eyes did see.

The Messiah I knew Him to be,

until the place Gethsemane,

where by His own disciple’s lips

our Master fell to staves and whips.

I tried to fight, to save my Lord,

but Jesus bade me sheathe my sword.

And then we fled our dearest Friend,

left Him there to meet His end.

We fast forsook Him there that night.

O how we ran at terror’s sight!

Shame’s weight was tripled next on me,

as denied Him I ere cock’s decree.

Then with bitter tears I wept,

as to Golgotha’s hill I crept,

there to see my Lord on high—

hanging on a cross to die.

We watched as hands that healed the soul

by nails were pierced with rugged holes.

Glory’s face of He who reigns

was crowned with thorns, by blood was stained.

Then with cry and utter gasp,

Life itself had breathed its last.

The crowd just mocked and raged and railed,

while we all thought our Lord had failed.

He was the King, the prophesied.

How possibly could He have died?

We placed His body in a tomb

and hung our heads in bleakest gloom,

then slunk our way back to our homes

while faith and hope laid with His bones.

Then came that morning, third day bright,

a knocking at the day’s first light,

and there stood Mary Magdalene,

who told us of a wondrous scene,

but while the others scoffed and mocked

John and I ran to the rock

and found it lightly rolled aside,

so bending down we looked inside.

There was no body to be found,

just the wrappings that had bound

Him while in graveyard cold He lay,

until that greatest of all days.

Then when He to us appeared

our joy outran our deepest fears.

Behold despair turned to delight!

Behold our darkness turned to light!

Do not doubt; He lives today,

the Risen King, salvation’s way!

And now for Him my life I live,

until in death to me He gives

the gift of my eternal home,

a place to praise around His throne.