In Christ Alone

In Christ alone my hope is found He is my light, my strength, my song.
This Cornerstone, this solid ground Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease.
My Comforter, my All in All Here in the love of Christ I stand.

This is easily one of my all time favorite songs. It's so full of hope and triumphs. I've always appreciated songs that take you through the whole gospel, because it adds a field of depth and perspective that it might not otherwise have.

This verse is definitely a comforting verse. No matter what's happening, Christ is there for us. It's a topic we talk about a lot, a topic we sing about a lot, and a topic I blog about a lot. "Depths of peace", "fears are stilled", "firm through the fiercest drought and storm", these words so beautifully portray what Christ has provided for us in this life. But this song, this song doesn't end there.

In Christ alone, who took on flesh Fullness of God in helpless Babe.
This gift of love and righteousness Scorned by the ones He came to save.
Til on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied,
For every sin on Him was laid Here in the death of Christ I live.

We all know the story of the virgin birth. Somehow God was born in a feeding trough? Yes, I know, that's Christmas, but it's also part of the story. And Christ wasn't just born. He then grew up, lived... and died.
The Cross was the ultimate alter, where the ultimate sacrifice was paid. The Cross was where Jesus saved-- not those who were begging for mercy-- but those who scorned Him. The Cross is the most beautiful mystery in the history of the world, because on it, God reached out to man. It's different than any other religion for two reasons. First... it's true. But second because of the manner of sacrifice. In the end, we didn't sacrifice to make ourselves right with God. God sacrificed to make us right with God. How long must we think and ponder it to realize how incredibly shocking that is?
If God never did anything for us ever again, this one act should be enough for us to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God loves us.

There in the ground His body lay Light of the world by darkness slain...

So now what? Christ died to save us. But what if that was the end of the story? The disciples thought it was the end. Why is it that they were still the same frightened disciples ready to go back to their fishing nets at this point? Hadn't Jesus just saved them?
Well... who are we talking about here? Jesus, the man who claimed to be the Son of God, just died. God just died. When Jesus just died, like any other criminal, that was probably enough to prove to most of the disciples that He wasn't who He said He was. God doesn't just die.
And where's the hope in that? Even if He was who He said He was, death just conquered the Messiah. Where does that leave us?
But that wasn't the end.

Then bursting forth in glorious Day, Up from the grave He rose again.
And as He stands in victory, Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me.
For I am His and He is mine, Bought with the precious blood of Christ.


Acts 2:23-24
"Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it."

What did the resurrection accomplish?
First, it declared Him to be who He said He was.

Romans 1:3-4
"concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead."

Jesus' resurrection proved that He was everything He claimed to be. The very Son of God who would free us from sin and death. Something He could do, and something He did do when He rose again.

Second, it gave us hope and something to live for in this life. We serve a risen and reigning Savior. We don't honor some old dead guy who lived a pretty good life, took care of some people, wrote a book and then died. We serve our Redeemer, and our Redeemer lives. He is pleading before the throne for us. One day He will return and reign.
Jesus isn't dead, Jesus is alive.

1 Corinthians 15 lays all of this out very clearly, but it is also very long, so I'm going going to include select verses.

"And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.

But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death."

The last enemy destroyed is death. He has already conquered death and in the end He will destroy it. Our alive, risen Savior reigns. So then... what have we to fear?

No guilt of life, no fear in death, This is the power of Christ in me.
From life’s first cry to final breath, Jesus commands my destiny.
No power of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand,
‘til He returns or calls me home, Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand.