Allelulia! Love Is Alive!

Jesus Christ is alive!

Jesus Christ is the embodiment of love. He lived his life demonstrating acts of love and mercy as an example for us all. As a reward for his love, he was crucified. Little did his executioners know or understand that his death, necessary to redeem our sins, heralded the Kingdom of God. Blinded by their own power and ambition, they were unable to interpret the prophesies which said Christ would rise after three days. After three days, our redeemer Jesus did rise from the dead, and now - he is alive!

Steve Agrisano, Jesse Manibusan and Sarah Hart co-wrote the song "Alleluia! Love Is Alive," which calls us to praise God for fulfilling his promise of a savior, who would break the chains of sin, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

This is such a cool song.

The rhythm and the fiddle almost give the song the feel of an Irish jig, a happy dance. It's difficult to stand (or sit) still while listening to it - your body has to move! The rhythm also conveys the feeling of joy which is emphasized by the lyrics. The very first verse invites us into that joy, welcoming us, the people of God, to a new day. Wake up! Run to the tomb! The empty tomb! Jesus is not dead, but alive! Imagine yourself seeing the empty tomb and hearing two angels ask "Why do you seek the living one among the dead?" (Lk 24:5), whereupon you realize that Jesus is alive and with us still. Now that is a reason to be joyful and sing Alleluia! Jesus, by his resurrection, has conquered death and sin. He died and rose from the dead for us all. We have been saved. Sing Alleluia!

The second verse again prods us to joy. Don't be afraid. Our chains have been broken. Lift your hearts to the Lord. The prophecies and promises have been fulfilled. It is really true - Jesus is alive.
After singing both the first and second verses, the composers have added a brief interval where there is no music, no lyrics, no sound. To me, this short period of time gives one the opportunity to reflect on the lyrics and to catch your spiritual breath.

The third verse is quieter than the first two, drawing more attention to the lyrics. We, the people of God, are called to spread the good news of the Gospel, and the good news that Jesus is here with us now, giving us hope and strength. The last lines of this verse sum up the message of the song: "every heart singing as heaven proclaims: He is Lord! He is Lord! He is alive!" There is joy in the hearts of the people as the heavens shout that Jesus is Lord, and he is alive.

Listen to the song. Okay, you can stand and dance if you'd like. Read the lyrics and ponder what they truly mean to you. Feel the joy inherent in the song and the joy of the resurrection of Jesus.

---

A blog dedicated to understanding Christian rock