Impossible

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. – Acts 2.23-24

‘Death cannot keep its prey, Jesus my Saviour; he tore the bars away, Jesus my Lord!

Up from the grave he arose; with a mighty triumph o'er his foes; he arose a victor from the dark domain,

and he lives forever, with his saints to reign. He arose! He arose! Hallelujah! Christ arose!’

These words are from the great hymn ‘He Arose’ written by Robert Lowry in the mid-19^th century. What moved Lowry to such thoughts? One day while he was doing devotions he saw the scene whey the angels asked ‘Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is risen!’ The full impact hit him – even death could not hold Jesus!

The world really thought they had won this one. Jesus was dead. The ‘great messiah’ was in the grave. The stone was rolled over the mouth of the grave. The grave was sealed and guards stood over the sealed tomb. There was nothing more to worry about. Done and dusted.

But that’s not where it ended. It was impossible for death to hold Him. He arose.

In Christ death is defeated. Because death could hold Christ and I am in Him death has no more power over me. Because death could not hold Him is lives today in me.

As the song puts it so well -

Death is crushed to death;

Life is mine to live,

Won through Your selfless love.