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April 23
CHRIST THE LORD IS RISEN TODAY
Charles Wesley, 1707–1788
I am the First and the Last, I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! (Revelation 1:17, 18)
What a glorious truth to ponder—Jesus is not the “Great I WAS” but rather the “Great I AM!” He is not only a historical fact but a present-day, living reality. The whole system of Christianity rests upon the truth that Jesus Christ rose from the grave and is now seated at the Father’s right hand as our personal advocate.
“Christ the Lord is Risen Today” has been one of the church’s most popular Easter hymns since it was first written by Charles Wesley just one year after his “heart-warming” experience at the Aldersgate Hall in London, England, in 1738. The first Wesleyan Chapel in London was a deserted iron foundry. It became known as the Foundry Meeting House. This hymn was written by Charles for the first service in that chapel.
Following his Aldersgate encounter with Christ, Charles began writing numerous hymns on every phase of the Christian experience, some 6,500 in all. It has been said that the hymns of Charles Wesley clothed Christ in flesh and blood and gave converts a belief they could easily grasp, embrace with personal faith, and if necessary, even die for.
If all of our eternity is to be realized on this side of the grave, we are hopeless and to be pitied (1 Corinthians 15:19). But for the Christian, the resurrection assures us of God’s tomorrow. This anticipation makes it possible to live joyfully today, regardless of life’s circumstances.
Christ the Lord is ris’n today, Alleluia! Sons of men and angels say: Alleluia! Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia! Sing, ye heav’ns, and earth reply: Alleluia!
Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia! Where, O death, is now thy sting? Alleluia! Dying once He all doth save, Alleluia! Where thy victory, O grave? Alleluia!
Love’s redeeming work is done, Alleluia! Fought the fight, the battle won, Alleluia! Death in vain forbids Him rise, Alleluia! Christ has opened Paradise, Alleluia!
Soar we now where Christ has led, Alleluia! Foll’wing our exalted Head, Alleluia! Made like Him, like Him we rise, Alleluia! Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, Alleluia!

For Today: Matthew 28:1–9; Acts 2:24–28; 1 Corinthians 15:4, 20; 55–57

The message of the resurrection is to “come and see”—to personally experience the transforming power of the living Christ. Then—“to go and tell.” Carry this hymn of triumph with you—

April 22
THE STRIFE IS O’ER
Anonymous Latin hymn from approximately 1605
English translation by Francis Pott, 1832–1909
Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:55, 56, 57)
The thrilling news from the empty tomb is that life has triumphed over death! This is a message that dispels our fears and gives us the sure hope that because Christ lives, we shall live also (John 14:19). Alleluia!
This inspiring Easter hymn first appeared anonymously in a Jesuit collection, Symphonia Sirenum, published in Cologne, Germany, in 1695. It was more than 150 years after its writing, however, before this hymn was used by English-speaking churches. In 1859 the translation was made by Francis Pott, an Anglican minister. The music is an adaptation from the “Gloria Patri,” published in 1591 by Palestrina, the great 16th century Catholic composer and director of the performing choir at St. Peter’s church in the Vatican. This musical arrangement was made by Dr. William H. Monk for inclusion in the well-known Anglican hymnal Hymns Ancient and Modern, 1861 edition. In making this musical adaptation from Palestrina’s work, Dr. Monk used the first two phrases, repeated the first phrase and added original alleluias for the beginning and the end. (Alleluia is a Latin form of the Hebrew Hallelujah, which means “praise the Lord!”). It is interesting to note the interplay between the statements of fact related to Christ’s resurrection that are contained in the first half of each stanza and the personal response to these factual truths as expressed in the last half of each verse, concluding with the jubilant “AIleluia!”
The strife is o’er—the battle done, the victory of life is won; the song of triumph has begun: Alleluia!
The pow’rs of death have done their worst, but Christ their legions hath dispersed; let shouts of holy joy outburst: Alleluia!
The three sad days have quickly sped; He rises glorious from the dead; all glory to our risen Head! Alleluia!
He closed the yawning gates of hell; the bars from heav’n’s high portals fell; let hymns of praise His triumphs tell: Alleluia!
Lord, by the stripes which wounded Thee, from death’s dread sting Thy servants free, that we may live and sing to Thee: Alleluia!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

For Today: Isaiah 25:7–9; Romans 1:4; 6:9–10; Revelation 19:1, 2

Allow your soul to vibrate with the resounding “Alleluias” for all that the empty tomb means to you. Use this fine hymn to help realize—

April 21
THE DAY OF RESURRECTION
John of Damascus, early 8th century
English translation by John M. Neale, 1818–1866
Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ. (2 Corinthians 2:14 KJV)
This hymn from the early eighth century is one of the oldest expressions found in most hymnals. Its origin is rooted in the liturgy of the Greek Orthodox Church. It was written by one of the famous monks of that church, John of Damascus, c. 676–c. 780.
The celebration of Easter has always been a spectacle of ecclesiastical pomp in the Greek Orthodox Church. Even today, as a vital part of the ceremony, the worshipers bury a cross under the high altar on Good Friday and dramatically resurrect it with shouts of “Christos egerthe” (“Christ is risen”) on Easter Sunday. With this announcement begins a time of joyous celebration. Torches are lit, bells and trumpets peel, and salvos of cannons fill the air. The following account describes such a scene:
Everywhere men clasped each other’s hands, congratulated one another, and embraced with countenances beaming with delight, as though to each one separately some wonderful happiness had been proclaimed—and so in truth it was; and all the while rising above the mingling of many sounds, each one of which was a sound of gladness, the aged priests were distinctly heard chanting forth a glorious hymn of victory in tones so loud and clear, that they seemed to have regained the youth and strength to tell the world how “Christ is risen from the dead, having trampled death beneath His feet, and henceforth they that are in the tombs have everlasting life.”
John M. Neale is generally regarded as one of the leading translators of ancient hymns. He was recognized as one of the most learned hymnologists of his day and had a knowledge of twenty languages.
The day of resurrection! Earth, tell it out abroad—the Passover of gladness, the Passover of God! From death to life eternal, from this world to the sky, our Christ hath brought us over with hymns of victory!
Our hearts be pure from evil, that we may see aright the Lord in rays eternal of resurrection light; and, list’ning to His accents, may hear, so calm and plain, His own “All hail!” and, hearing, may raise the victor strain.
Now let the heav’ns be joyful, let earth her song begin, let the round world keep triumph and all that is therein; let all things seen and unseen their notes in gladness blend, for Christ the Lord hath risen, our joy that hath no end!

For Today: Matthew 28:1–9; Acts 2:24; 13:29, 30; 1 Corinthians 15:54–58.

Determine to make this Easter a spiritual highpoint celebration in your life and in the lives of your family members. Reflect on this portion of the hymn—

April 20
ALL GLORY, LAUD AND HONOR
Theodolph of Orleans, 760–82l
Translated by John M. Neale, 1818–1866
The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to meet Him, shouting “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.” (John 12:12, 13)
The triumphant procession began after the disciples obtained the colt (Luke 19:30). They were implicitly obedient in following their Lord’s command, even though it no doubt seemed to be a trivial request. And still today—obedience is the key to our effective service for God.
The Palm Sunday procession also teaches us that our Lord is still leading His people—“bringing many sons to glory” (Hebrews 2:10), our heavenly Jerusalem, “whose architect builder is God” (Hebrews 11:10). Our responsibility is to be His faithful follower and to extol His name with our daily praises.
This Palm Sunday hymn was written approximately a.d. 820 by Bishop Theodolph of Orleans, France, while he was imprisoned at the monastery of Angers. Theodolph was well known in his day as a poet, pastor, and beloved bishop of Orleans. When Emperor Charlemagne died in 814, the bishop was put into a monastic prison by Charlemagne’s son and successor, Louis I the Pious, for allegedly plotting against him. A well-known legend has long been associated with this hymn. It is believed by many that a short time before the bishop’s death in 821, Louis was visiting in the area where the bishop was imprisoned and by chance passed under his cell. The bishop is said to have been singing and worshiping by himself. When the emperor heard this particular text being sung, he was so moved by the incident that he immediately ordered the bishop’s release.
All glory, laud and honor to Thee, Redeemer, King, to whom the lips of children make sweet hosannas ring: Thou art the King of Israel, Thou David’s royal Son, who in the Lord’s name comest, the King and blessed One!
The company of angels are praising Thee on high, and mortal men and all things created make reply: The people of the Hebrews with palms before Thee went; our praise and prayer and anthems before Thee we present.
To Thee, before Thy passion, they sang their hymns of praise; to Thee, now high exalted, our melody we raise: thou didst accept their praises—accept the praise we bring, who in all good delightest, Thou good and gracious King!

For Today: Matthew 21:1–17; Mark 11:10; Luke 19:37, 38; John 12:1–16

During this special week, let us consider seriously whether we truly love and serve Christ for any other reason other than for who He is. Let us exalt Him with this hymn—

JUNE 21

Reading 172

VISIONS OF THE END Daniel 10–12

“He will exalt and magnify himself above every god and will say unheard-of things about the God of gods. He will be successful until the time of wrath is completed” (Dan. 11:36).Among the great movements of peoples and armies described in this chapter, the character of God’s opponents stands out.

Overview

Daniel’s persistent prayer was answered (10:1–21). He gained further revelations concerning future tribulations under Antiochus (11:1–35) and Antichrist (vv. 40–45). Daniel’s book concludes with a picture of the final Tribulation and triumph of God’s Old Testament people (12:1–13).

Understanding the Text

“Since the first day . . . your words were heard” Dan. 10:1–12. After 21 days of fasting, the aged Daniel’s prayer was answered by the appearance of an angelic messenger. Daniel was first complimented (vv. 10–11), and then encouraged. It had not taken 21 days for God to pay attention to Daniel’s prayer, nor had He delayed His answer. What a verse to hold on to when God seems to delay His answer to our prayers. As soon as our prayers are uttered, God does hear and answer. It may take time for that answer to arrive. But we need not doubt either the love of God, which moves Him to listen, or the power of God, which guarantees His ability to do whatever is best. “The prince of the Persian kingdom” Dan. 10:13–21. The angel who spoke to Daniel provided a fascinating insight into the unseen world. His mention of Michael makes it clear that the “princes” of this text are also angels of significant status. Even more can be deduced from the ability of the angelic “prince of Persia” to prevent the messenger from reaching Daniel until Michael intervened. The incident suggests, first, that angels are of different rank and power. Second, Satan’s fallen angels are actively opposing the intent of God. Third, an invisible war between angelic armies even now is taking place on hidden battlefields. Fourth, what happens in that warfare can and does have an impact on events here on earth. Yet the future is “written in the Book of Truth.” All the efforts of Satan’s minions will ultimately prove futile. How does all this relate to you and me? It reminds us of what the Book of Hebrews says about the role of angels. They are “ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation” (Heb. 1:14). The prize in God’s invisible war with Satan is not just final victory. It is the good or harm done to persons whom God loves. And God’s angels, a great host, actively minister to you and me, guarding us from the harm that God’s great enemy and ours seeks to do. “I tell you the truth” Dan. 11:1–35. Daniel had been granted a vision of a terrible future war, and begged God for more information. The angel messenger was sent to explain. The Hebrew word for “truth” is rooted in the concepts of faithfulness and reality. What the angel revealed would surely come to pass, and be worked out in Daniel’s world of space and time. In outline, the angel briefly related what would happen from that time to the death of Alexander (vv. 1–4), described wars that would be fought between the Ptolemies of the south and the Selucids of the north (vv. 5–20), and then focused on the terrible persecution of the Jews to be conducted by Antiochus Epiphanes in the 160sB.C (vv. 21–35). All this is now past history. But the scene then shifts, as it frequently does in prophecy, to an analogy of Antiochus. Even as Antiochus persecuted the Jews, his end-times counterpart, the Antichrist, will ravage the final generation of Jews (vv. 36–39). But his initial triumph will end in rage and frustration, and “he will come to his end, and no one will help him” (vv. 40–45). “A time of distress such as has not happened” Dan. 12:1–13. The final chapter returns to the great end-time Tribulation (v. 1). Though many elements of the prophecy are “sealed” (not to be known or understood beforehand), the angel did go on to give a specific timetable. From the time the Antichrist sets up an abominable image (cf. Matt. 24:15–27) in a yet-to-be built Jerusalem temple, only 1,290 days (3 1/2 years by the Jewish lunar calendar) remain until the end. We play a little game in our family. While waiting to be served at a restaurant, we’ll say, “How long till the food gets here?” Each of us makes a guess, and we watch closely to see who’s right. Or we’ll be driving, and guess just how many miles it is to our destination. We announce our numbers, and then, because the best we can do is guess, we wait and see who comes closest. There’s no such hesitancy here. No guessing. Specific numbers are announced. God knows His numbers exactly. He knows what, and when. We may not understand the sealed elements of Daniel’s visions today. But we do know, from the very specificity of Scripture, that the future is known by God, and is securely in His hands. “Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake” Dan. 12:2. This verse is one of the Old Testament’s clearest expressions of the hope of personal resurrection. The dead will rise, to meet their Maker and face judgment. Then some who awake will inherit “everlasting life,” and others “shame and everlasting contempt.” It is a characteristic of the Old Testament to focus on the plans of God as they relate to this earth and the earthly future of His Old Testament people. Thus the Old Testament prophets seem preoccupied with the culmination of history, with great battles to be resolved by the appearance of the Messiah, and to the blessings of a peaceful existence here in a world ruled at last by Israel’s God. On the other hand, the New Testament looks beyond this heaven and earth, and focuses our attention on an eternity in which individual believers experience personal transformation, and spend eternity with the Lord. In a way, Scripture’s visions of what will be are like a kaleidoscope. Each turn of that toy causes colored bits of glass to fall in a different way, constantly revealing complex new patterns. The view from one perspective may be different than the view from another. But each view is valid: Each shows another aspect of God’s complex and variegated purposes, and impresses us anew with the wisdom and awesome complexity of God’s eternal plan.

DEVOTIONAL

Successful, Until(Dan. 11)

Put in a nutshell, the theme of this chapter is the struggle of exceptional men to excel, at the cost of world peace. The theme is developed as God’s angel messenger traces for Daniel the intense competition to exist between the generals who divided up the lands conquered by Alexander the Great. Their drive to excel and that of their successors was marked by a fierce competition for territory, wealth, and glory. In describing the struggles of these ancient rulers, the biblical text gives us insights into the character of those whose goal in life is to “succeed,” no matter what the cost. Such men “stir up” their strength and courage to attack and compete with others. With “hearts bent on evil,” they lie and scheme. Using flattery or force, they corrupt others to gain their personal ends. The prime example of this kind of man is seen in verses 36–40. Driven by irresistible passions, this “king will do as he pleases,” exalting himself “above every god.” With no regard for deity or moral restraint, he “will exalt himself above them all.” It may seem strange, but something about such people seems to make for achievement. They are driven, yes. They use others, yes. They are amoral, yes. And these very traits give them an edge over those with less intense desires, greater consideration for others, and a habit of weighing choices morally. What troubles us is that while critical of such traits, all mankind seems to applaud their success. Most of history’s dictators were men like these; most business barons whose concern was solely the bottom line were like this too. For all too many people, success and sin seem to be twins, always found in each other’s company. Of course, there’s a footnote in Daniel 11’s portrait. It’s found in verse 36, and radically changes our evaluation of the man at the top. The verse says, “He will be successful until the time of wrath is completed.” Successful. Until. Yes, sin’s methods work for the man who is driven to achieve. But they only work for a time. They only work “until.” Until God intervenes. Until the day of His wrath appears. Then, at the completion of that day, the driven man’s success will crumble into dust, and all humankind will know that the truly successful person is that humble individual whose desire is to do God’s will, rather than to impose his own.

Personal Application

Measure success not by what a man achieves, but by how he achieves it.

Quotable

“As church people, we sometimes assume that we are immune to the temptations of power. We don’t make much money. Society gives us so little power that we think ambition—the drive to succeed, achieve and have prestige and influence over others—is a problem only for people in business or politics, not for people like us. We thus sometimes fail to see how we get caught up, for the very noblest of reasons, in the same ambitions that motivate everybody. Eventually, the people climbing to the top of the body of Christ can look just like those scrambling to the top of General Motors. Often you can’t tell much difference between our leaders and those of the Gentiles.”—William H. Willimon