Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them. And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre. And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.
Luke 24:1–3
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Robert Lowry committed his life to full-time ministry at a young age and served faithfully as a pastor for many years. Though his health often limited his ability to preach, his love for Christ found expression in another way—through hymn writing. Lowry penned several hymns that are still sung today. While serving as pastor in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, in 1874, Lowry wrote one of the most beloved resurrection songs ever written:
Low in the grave He lay, Jesus my Savior,
Waiting the coming day, Jesus my Lord!
Vainly they watch His bed, Jesus my Savior,
Vainly they seal the dead, Jesus my Lord!
Death cannot keep its prey, Jesus my Savior;
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!
The pivot point in all of human history is the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He did actually die on the cross, and He was placed in a newly-hewn tomb. Because of the expense and effort involved in preparing a burial place, it was common in those days for multiple bodies to be buried together. But the tomb in which Jesus was placed had never been used before: “Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid” (John 19:41).Â
In the end, Jesus only borrowed this new tomb. On the third day, it stood empty—not because death had prevailed, but because Christ had risen. He lives forever.
