Matthew 28:5-7: But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you.” 

As Christians, all that we believe rests on the truth found in these verses of our Holy Bible – that Jesus is risen. He is no longer dead. Without this truth, all else that we believe would crumble. Without His resurrection, He would have been just another dead leader of another pointless movement. Instead, we worship a risen Savior and Lord!

Every Easter (when Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ), my church, which is located in rural South Georgia, holds a Sunrise Service. It is a time we get together as believers and worship through songs, prayer and the reading of God’s Word on the steps of our church building, as the sun rises over the South Georgia pine trees. It is my favorite worship service.

As my family and I drive out to the church every Easter morning, we are greeted with a dark night sky that begins to give way to the light of the sun as it rises over the horizon. It is as if the earth comes alive at that moment. I am reminded of the light and the life Jesus brought into this world. I am thankful that He called me out of the darkness and into His marvelous light. That He reached down and gave me life, when I was dead in my sin. That’s what Jesus does. He comes down into the miry muck of sin in which we reside and rips us free from the chains of bondage. We no longer are slaves to sin. We have a new master, and His name is Jesus!

Once again, I look forward to this Sunday morning to worship my risen Savior as the sun climbs into the early morning South Georgia sky. And I am reminded of the words of Matt Maher‘s song Christ is risen:

Sing it, o death, where is your sting?
O hell, where is your victory?
O church, come stand in the light
Our God is not dead, He’s alive, He’s alive!