On Easter morning, Christians greet one another with “He is risen” and “He is risen indeed!” We know that the skeptics and atheists say God is dead but the people of Christ know otherwise. He is ALIVE. And for that reason we celebrate Easter. Today I take a step back to the beginning of this alphabet devotional looking at who God is and what He does and go to the letter A.
In the OT, alive and living refer to having a dwelling place. For the Lord God, it is usually said to be heaven where God listens to the pleas of His people when they pray, and when He hears, He forgives. (2 Chronicles 6:21).
But God does have an earthly dwelling too. Even though He is transcendent and omnipresent, the OT says He is “enthroned between the cherubim” above the ark of the covenant and also “enthroned in the praises of His people.”
To be living is a common NT description. When it comes to God, the same word is used to describe Jesus’ resurrection life. The disciples first “heard that Jesus was alive” but didn’t believe it (Mark 16:11). The news came from the women who had taken anointed spices to the tomb only to discover that His body was not there. Then two angels said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead?” (Luke 24:5) and they hurried to tell His disciples.
When they saw the empty tomb, Peter and John realized something wonderful had happened; Jesus was raised to physical life from physical death . . .
Acts 1:3. He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.
Jesus walked with them, ate with them and invited them to touch Him. He was indeed alive, never to die again. He is the same yesterday and today and forever — alive. However, He does not dwell in buildings or temples made by man . . .
Acts 17:24–25. The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.
Instead, He lives in the hearts of His people and as God’s people, we who have faith in Him know the reality of His presence with us. Sometimes, if we get caught up in worldly living like the church in Corinth did, we need a reminder . . .
1 Corinthians 3:16–17. Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.
Yet He never forsakes us as Jesus promised: “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
GAZE INTO HIS GLORY. The Cross is empty. The tomb is empty. Because He LIVES, and because I know Him, walk with Him, talk with Him, my heart is full.
JESUS HAS RISEN! HE HAS RISEN INDEED!
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