Eric Reece
As we approach Easter, hymns and songs about the resurrection of Christ from the grave fill my heart. I love the Easter hymns “In the Garden” and “Up from the Grave He Arose.”
The most popular Easter song is Charles Wesley’s hymn, “Christ, the Lord is Risen Today.” He wrote this hymn for Easter day in 1739 and it was first sung in church. The “Alleluia” responses reflecting praise to God were added by later editors.
The hymn’s title is a reminder that the historic event of 2,000 years ago is an ongoing event in the hearts and lives of believers today – and every day.
I was blessed to hear a newer Easter song you do not find in hymn books. Around Easter, Dolly Parton’s video performance of, "He’s Alive" from the 1989 CMA awards is posted abundantly on social media. I was not familiar with this song until it was recorded by Dolly on her 1989 album, White Limozeen.
When I first heard Dolly sing, “He’s Alive” with a church choir backing her, I thought she had written another beautiful song. Come to find out, this was written by another artist and already a well-loved tune in other circles.
In the late 1970s, Don Francisco was a contemporary Christian artist who wanted to write an Easter song. He was inspired to write “He’s Alive,” and it became the Contemporary Christian Music Song of the Year in 1980 and earned him a Dove award. He used the resurrection story from the Gospel of John 20:3-10 as the framework for his song.
John 20 tells us about the first Easter morning, when Mary Magdalene came to the tomb, found it empty and Jesus’s body gone. Afraid, she ran and told Simon Peter and John. Peter and John took off running to the tomb.
Peter, bold as ever, took off sprinting and soon had to slow to catch his breath. John, like a marathon runner, passed Peter and arrived at the tomb first looking in – but did not go in. Peter arrived and entered the tomb – John joined him and seeing the tomb empty and the linen clothes laid aside – believed.
They returned home not fully understanding Christ’s word that he would rise from the dead to set us all free. Mary arrived and weeping, looked into the tomb and saw two angels. The Lord Jesus appeared to her, but she didn't recognize him at first. After she explained why she was upset, the Lord called her name and she recognized it was Jesus.
Jesus said, “But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary hurried to her fellow disciples and said, “I have seen the Lord,” and she told them that He had said these things to her.
He’s Alive!
Have a joyous Easter this year. He is Risen! He is Risen indeed!
Eric Reece is the faith columnist for The Graham Star. He is pastor of Robbinsville United Methodist Church and can be reached via email, ereece@wnccumc.net.