Scripture Verse

Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 1 Corinthians 15:20

Introduction

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Carolyn W. Gillette (1961–)

Words: Ca­ro­lyn W. Gil­lette, 2007. The words were writ­ten at the Mas­sa­net­ta Springs Bi­ble Con­fer­ence in Har­ris­on­burg, Vir­gin­ia, where Gil­lette at­tend­ed a sem­in­ar led by Dr. Charles Buz My­ers of Get­tys­burg Col­lege.

Music: Beach Spring from the Sac­red Harp, by Ben­ja­min F. White, 1844 (🔊 pdf nwc).

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Benjamin F. White (1800–1879)

Lyrics

Listen, sis­ters! List­en, bro­thers!
To the news that we pro­claim.
Spread the word, and tell your neigh­bors
We have life in Je­sus’ name.
All be­cause God loves us dear­ly,
Jesus died for all our sin.
On the third day, God showed clear­ly,
Love has con­quered, death can’t win.

What could be our pro­cla­ma­tion
If our Lord had not been raised?
For with­out his re­sur­rect­ion,
What could give hope to our days?
But, in fact, our Christ is liv­ing;
First to live, of those who’ve died.
For as all are lost through Ad­am,
So in Christ, we’re made alive.

What is sown will sure­ly per­ish;
What is raised will still en­dure.
What is sown is sown in weak­ness;
What is raised will die no more.
Flesh and blood can­not in­her­it
That great king­dom God will bring.
God will change us, ne­ver fear it!
Death, de­feat­ed, has no sting.