Death has no hold! -

It is early on Sunday morning, and I just pulled a pan of Hot Cross Buns from the oven, their steamy aroma filling my house with bakery smells of Cardamom and sweet bread.

a faint hum filled my head, the words obscured until I realized what I was inwardly singing -

"Low in the grave He lay. Jesus my Savior. Waiting the coming day. Jesus my Lord."

I felt giddy. Like it was my wedding day, and I was dancing around the kitchen in excitement, SO FULL is my joy on Easter Sunday! It's like holding back in quivering hope, drawing in that deep deep breath, eyes sparkling with what's to come, hands clasped in anticipation, you breathe in and THEN -

"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!"

It's impossible not to feel the deepest most incredible joy on Easter, even if you are mourning or grieving the loss of a loved one, or knowing you soon may have to say goodbye for now....

This JOY AND KNOWLEDGE runs over all that and floods over everything that we know and hold dear in these words that "Christ arose, death is swallowed up in victory!"

He is RISEN and has promised us life everlasting that begins when we end upon this earth, this brief short life is the little while before the grave, then after the grave, we awake to life in fullness and everlasting of Heaven and Risen fully, made new and pure and holy!

On Resurrection Sunday, our lives as children of God was sealed with the blinding knowledge that the grave could not hold the Son of God, Christ has conquered Satan and death and all!! Our most joyful day is this upon Earth, why God sent Jesus for Good Friday, to ransom His children to be with God forever! Let it amaze and astound you to the deepest part of your soul! Let you sing and rejoice, for you are redeemed forever, and we can never be parted from our Lord!

~ Hosea 13:14 ~

"I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death.

O Death, I will be your plagues! O Grave, I will be your destruction!"

"Up from the Grave He Arose"

"1. Low in the grave He lay -

Jesus, my Savior;

Waiting the coming day -

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!

2. Vainly they watch His bed -

Jesus, my Savior;

Vainly they seal the dead -

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!

3. Death cannot keep his 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!"

"He is not here; He has risen, just as He said." Matthew 28:6

I do not recognize this hymn, but the words are too precious and true to pass by!

"This Joyful Eastertide" #284 Trinity Hymnal

1. "This joyful Eastertide, away with sin and sorrow!

My Love, the Crucified, has sprung to life this morrow.

Had Christ, that once was slain,

ne'er burst His three-day prison,

our faith had been in vain:

but now has Christ arisen, arisen, arisen, arisen!

2. My flesh in hope shall rest, and for a season slumber,

till trump from east to west shall wake the dead in number.

Had Christ, that once was slain,

ne'er burst His three-day prison,

our faith had been in vain:

but now has Christ arisen, arisen, arisen, arisen!

3. Death's flood has lost its chill, since Jesus crossed the river;

Lover of souls, from ill my passing soul deliver.

Had Christ, that once was slain,

ne'er burst His three-day prison,

our faith had been in vain:

but now has Christ arisen, arisen, arisen, arisen!"

He is Risen, He is Risen Indeed!! Our Lord and King liveth forever, and so shall we!

Hallelujah, what a Savior!!! A joyful Eastertide to you, my dearest friends.

~ Jean Marie ~

Our Easter Sunrise Service at the river - what glorious rejoicing!