Every fear I’ve ever had…just melted into peace.

Happy Easter!

As I write it’s Easter evening. You’re reading this, and Easter has passed…maybe by a few hours…maybe by days, weeks or months.

Though there are thousands of things I can share, I can’t get away from Easter. It’s said Christmas should be celebrated year round, but Easter truly is celebrated all year long. All of Christianity hangs on the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Same message…new form.

In our service Sunday, we used the below spoken word art by Propaganda for an illustration of the age-old Gospel message:

This message is nothing new. It’s the same message Paul preached and wrote about 2000 years ago. It’s the same message Constantine converted to 1700 years ago. It’s the same message Augustine wrote about 1600 years ago. It’s the same message Luther became radical about 500 years ago. It’s the same message John Wesley penned hymns about 300 years ago. It’s the same message I grew up with 30 years ago.

The same message in a completely different form.

The message I grew up with sounded more like a folk song. In fact, in doing research for Easter songs, we ran across a song familiar to those who grew up in 1970’s Christian culture. He’s Alive by Don Francisco.

Each week a group of our staff meet to construct our Sunday morning services. I’m not a regular attender, but I do pop in on occasion. This week, He’s Alive had just been played to polarizing results. The guys in their 20’s were completely appalled. The guys in their early 40’s waxed nostalgic.

In case you missed out on Don Francisco and He’s Alive, here’s a taste:

There’s no doubt about it. The song is dated. The sound is dated. The virbrato in Don’s voice is dated.

The message remains the same.

Fears melted away.

I listened to the song again tonight. In fact, I listened several times. Yes, I was taken back to my 10 year-old self, but it was more than that. I was moved.

The song’s message has a power than transcends time and space. Francisco wrote He’s Alive from the perspective of Peter. Peter has watched Jesus crucified and now dead and buried. To make the situation worse, Peter is living with the shame of denying Jesus 3 separate times in the hours leading to His death. Peter is crushed by the weight of his choices.

He’s Alive goes on to tell the story of Jesus appearing to Peter for the first time. This is Francisco’s interpretation of that moment:

Guilt in my confusion
Disappeared in sweet release
And every fear I’d ever had
Just melted into peace

He’s alive.

Yesterday we celebrated Jesus is alive. Again today we celebrate Jesus is alive. Tomorrow is another opportunity to celebrate Jesus is alive.

When that message sinks into our hearts and minds, confusion and fear melt away. In their place, we are left alone with peace.

This is the message of the Gospel. The form over the years will change. The message never does.

Today, live with peace. He’s alive.