Three Enter, One Leaves Alive

"Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?" 1 Corinthians 15:55

In the Easter story sin, death and Jesus entered the tomb and only one came out alive.

Jesus defeated sin and death on the cross.  The victory was final at the cross as Jesus cried "It is finished!"  But the story reads as if Jesus, sin and death went into the tomb for one final battle royale and only Jesus came out alive.

He is risen!  He is risen indeed!

On Easter we celebrate His victory over sin and death.  We celebrate that the grave could not hold Him.  That He is a defeater, not defeated.  This morning we sang songs that celebrated this.  We sang songs like: "Christ is Risen", "Resurrection Hymn", "Christ the Lord is Risen Today" and "Forever."  We sang and announced His victory with lyrics like these:

"Christ is risen from the dead,
Trampling over death by death."- Christ is Risen

"Oh, death!  Where is your sting?
Oh, hell!  Where is your victory?
Oh, Church!  Come stand in the light!
The glory of God has defeated the night!"- Christ is Risen

"Death is dead,
Love has won,
Christ has conquered!"- Resurrection Hymn

"Lives again our glorious King!  Alleluia!
Where, O death, is now thy sting?  Alleluia!
Once He died our souls to save!  Alleluia!
Where, thy victory, O grave?  Alleluia!"- Christ the Lord is Risen Today

The Son of God in darkness laid,
A battle in the grave,
The war on death was waged,
The power of Hell forever broken.

The ground began to shake,
the stone was rolled away,
His perfect love could not be overcome.
Now death, where is your sting?
Our resurrected King,
has rendered you defeated!"- Forever

He is risen!  He is risen indeed!  And sin and death have been defeated.  Three entered the grave and one came out alive.  Praise God for the resurrection today.