He Who Lives

I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death. 

Revelation 1:18

Jesus lives. As John begins the revelation of Jesus Christ, he receives from Him clear understanding of Christ’s identity and current status. Our text summarizes both of those things. Christ lays emphasis upon them, most particularly His being alive from the dead. This inevitably leads us  to a discussion of the resurrection of the dead, and of His resurrection. Paul writes at some considerable length about the resurrection. In I Corinthians 15, he ties the fact that there is a resurrection from the dead to Christ’s resurrection when he says, ‘But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.’  He goes farther to tie His resurrection, to the resurrection of all the redeemed by saying, ‘For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming.’ The whole prospect of our eternal future hinges on Christ’s resurrection. In Revelation, Christ speaks directly to John saying, ‘I am He who lives, and was dead,’ thus reconfirming the fact that He has indeed risen from the dead. It is of the utmost importance to us that we serve a living Savior. He is alive, well, and active. We are the eternal beneficiaries of all He is and is doing as the Living One.  

Our Glorious, Living Savior, 
we rejoice that You have risen from the dead. 
We praise You that 
Your resurrection guarantees ours. 

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning