It has been said, “Jesus Christ did not come to make bad people good; he came to make dead people alive.”

Good news: MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! MUCH GLADNESS! Give this classic gospel hymn a listen, then come back and we’ll talk about drama found in opposing plans and story lines.

Two VERY different plans

This song takes us into the breath-taking, gut-wrenching moment of collision that would decide between God’s plan for man and the devil’s plan for man.

At stake was whether mankind would live or die.

The Players:
God, who is all powerful, all loving and all good.
The devil, who is all evil, all hate, a liar and murderer. The devil is no match for God. Not now, not ever.

Since God is all powerful, and the devil is no match for Him, where is the spell-binding drama in this story?

Enter one other player: mankind. From the beginning, God’s man has had freedom of will. (I’d be tempted to think of man’s freedom of will as being a monkey wrench in God’s all-powerful status —- EXCEPT that it was God’s idea, so I’ll be quiet, listen, and learn some more.)

It is the uncertainty of how men will use their freedom of will that makes the drama of the gospel story so captivating.

Christ Arose

Even before hearing today’s song, I imagine most of you dear readers already knew how this story ends. No need to give you a spoiler alert. Yet, hearing the story of how Jesus Christ won the victory for mankind continues to move — even shake — people to the core. It is not unusual, and it is completely understandable to rehearse this story and be overcome with amazement, humility, thanksgiving, awe, joy and wonder.

For a while, back in the beginning, Adam had freedom of will, and was without sin, and was “worthy” to live as long as he chose to stay that way. But Adam used his freedom of will to turn his back on God. By doing that, he opted out of life, thus choosing the only alternative: certain death. Adam did not have the ability or standing to recover what he had lost.

Many years later Jesus Christ arrived, also with freedom of will and without sin. Jesus used his freedom of will to obey God, even unto death. (He prayed to the Father, “Not my will but yours be done.” Remember?) He could have played the “freedom of will monkey wrench” card — he could have walked away. He could have quit before salvation was won. That very possibility drove the devil to TRY to defeat God by getting Jesus Christ to abandon his mission. (Indeed, the devil had been trying to destroy mankind and kill off the Christ line ever since the Garden of Eden.) Our song brings us to the devil’s last-ditch effort to kill God’s promise. But Jesus Christ willed to remain faithful and obedient. JESUS CHRIST OBEYED GOD AND WON THE VICTORY.

Why did he do it? Part of the answer is that Jesus Christ so loved God, and so loved us. For the joy set before him, he endured. Absolutely amazing.

Will there be a sequel?

This story of Jesus Christ’s life, death and resurrection continues to be told and continues to move people. What about a sequel? Does this story move forward? OH MY, does it!

For those who accept Jesus’s invitation, the day is approaching when this fragile but precious life we now have gets changed into a new kind of life — one that will never end and to be lived in unimaginable joy and peace. We get glimmers of it now, but the fullness is still on its way.

Until then, we can live meaningful lives because there is Kingdom work we’ve been born again to do. Remember “Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven”? Some say that’s for another time under other circumstances. But these words were spoken by Jesus to people who were not even born again. His words were punctuated by signs, miracles and wonders which Jesus did — and which he enabled his disciples to do even before Pentecost. And … then … Pentecost arrived, when the ability was first made available to all who call upon the name of the Lord to actually “do the works that I do and greater works” as Jesus described it. Today is the day to get after this Kingdom work. Don’t let anyone talk you out of it. God is moving, and opportunities to serve abound.

Jesus is ALIVE NOW. He occupies the throne he was given by the Father. He’s the head of the body — which is the church — this very day. “We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life.”

Dear Ones, we all hold the monkey wrench — freedom of will. Will we decide to align with God and honor the victory Jesus won, and go with LIFE? Will we be faithful and remain engaged?

Our job is to believe Jesus Christ has done what the Bible says he has done, and decide to follow him. Today each of us can do what we’ve been built to do. The hard part has already been done once and for all — Christ arose!

God bless you lots!
-Dale R.

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LYRICS: Christ Arose
Words & music by Robert Lowry (1874)

Low in the grave He lay,
Jesus my Savior,
Waiting the coming day,
Jesus my Lord!

REFRAIN:
Up from the grave He arose; (He arose!)
With a mighty triumph o’er His foes; (He arose!)
He arose a victor from the dark domain,
And He lives forever, with His saints to reign.
He arose! (He arose!)
He arose! (He arose!)
Hallelujah! Christ arose!

Vainly they watched his bed,
Jesus my Savior,
Vainly they sealed the dead,
Jesus my Lord!

Death could not keep its prey,
Jesus my Savior;
He tore the bars away,
Jesus my Lord!

Your thoughts?

Please add to what I said. What would YOU tell other people who might read this? Please jot a note in the “Leave a reply” spot below.

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First posted April 10, 2020. Reposted with new song video and revised article April 18, 2025.