Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death, And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again (Matthew 20:18-19).
Today, most of the Christian world celebrated the resurrection of Jesus Christ on the holiday Easter. I do not remember much about most of my past Easters yet I do remember Easter 1978. That service at Southwest Baptist Church, located in Kingston Tennessee, was the first time I heard the rather new Christian song, Rise Again. The song tells about the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
We know from accounts in the Gospels that Jesus foretelling in Matthew 20:18-19 were fulfilled.
And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him. But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you (Mark 16:6-7)
Rise Again also tells of the resurrection of Christians in the last verse. As born-again people our hope is in the resurrection through Jesus Christ. If Jesus had not rose from the grave what hope would we have.
Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept (1 Corinthians 15:12-20).
Yet, Jesus Christ did rise from the grave and He is our blessed hope.
Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works (Titus 2:13-14).
Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this (John 11:25-26).
But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14).
If you are not a Christian, that is, you have not ask Jesus to save you, then you are condemned to everlasting punishment in hell.
And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt (Daniel 12:2).
Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation (John 5:28-29).
And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:13-15).
Have you ask Jesus to save you? Have you placed faith in Jesus Christ alone? Please read the books of John and Romans. I leave you with Romans 10:9, That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Dallas Holm wrote the lyrics and music for Rise Again, which was published in 1977. Dallas Holm gave this account for how he came to write the song.
“While traveling with Evangelist David Wilkerson, I decided to form a praise band. I realized that I would need to write some new material. I knew that the music should be different from the things I had often written. I had a disciplined approach to songwriting and have written some of my better songs in that frame of mind. But this particular day I couldn’t come up with a single idea.”
“I began to pray, which I should have done in the first place, and in the course of my praying I remember saying, ‘Lord, if you were singing, what would you sing?’ That thought really stuck in my mind. I didn’t know if I had ever heard a song from a first-person point of view. As hokey as it may sound, I had this mental image of the Lord, dressed as we often picture him in our minds, standing on a street corner with a guitar, singing. It was as if you could translate Jesus into modern times, with singing as his form of communication. What would he sing?”
“As soon as I focused in on that approach to my task, I began to write as if I were taking dictation. I wrote the music and the words in about 10 minutes – no changes. I titled it ‘Rise Again.'”
“As I finished I looked at the song and realized that this didn’t come out of my head. I have often said that God wrote the song, and I only delivered the message. That describes the way I feel about the experience.”
“That location on an album of songs is the worst place, and generally referred to as the graveyard of songs. We basically did everything wrong. However, if God puts his finger on something, and if he anoints it, it doesn’t make any difference if all of the right marketing plans and promotional schemes are used. Having Christ say, in the song, ‘Go ahead and drive the nails in my hands…’ impacted the listener. The song stayed on the music charts for four years. As far as we know that has never happened before or since.”
St. Augustine Record
Go ahead, drive the nails in my hands.
Laugh at me where you stand.
Go ahead, and say it isn’t me,
The day will come, when you will see!
‘Cause I’ll rise again.
Ain’t no power on earth can tie me down.
Yes, I’ll rise again,
Death can’t keep me in the ground!
Go ahead, and mock my name.
My love for you is still the same.
Go ahead, and bury me,
But very soon I will be free!
‘Cause I’ll rise again.
Ain’t no power on earth can tie me down.
Yes, I’ll rise again,
Death can’t keep me in the ground!
Go ahead, and say I’m dead and gone,
But you will see that you were wrong.
Go ahead, try to hide the Son,
But all will see that I’m the One!
‘Cause I’ll Come again.
Ain’t no power on earth can keep me back.
Yes, I’ll come again,
Come to take my people back!
Sources: St. Augustine Record, All Gospel Lyrics, King James Bible
LWB Community
Hymns in My Heart 
Thanks for introducing me to this lovely song which I’d never heard before, Mike. I’m always touched by that scripture… “tell his disciples… and Peter….” The words “and Peter” speak volumes about the Lord’s loving forgiveness. Praise God for the victory and power of the resurrection, for His mercy which endures forever and for His forgiveness.
Thank you for honoring Mark 16:7 as you daily tell others about Christ: “But go your way, TELL his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you.”