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Low in the Grave He Lay


RETIREDFAN1

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Low in the Grave He Lay

 

This is one of the first songs I can remember hearing when I was a kid and we went to Pine Street. It’s a good song with a very valuable lesson. Today is the day the rest of the world celebrates the resurrection of Jesus. We see this great day memorialized for us in the Gospels.

Matthew 28: 1 - 7

 

True New Testament Christians celebrate His memorial every first day of every week as our example from the New Testament authorizes.

Acts 20: 7

 

We sing this song sometimes as we are preparing to take the Lord’s Supper and remember His death, burial, and resurrection every first day of every week. The Lord’s Supper is the memorial established by Jesus for us to remember Him by, not a once a year worldly celebration day. 

I Corinthians 11: 23 - 26

 

When we eat the bread, we should be remembering His body, which was extremely abused by the Romans as He was being prepared for the cross, then nailed to that cross. When we drink the fruit of the vine, we should be remembering His Blood which was shed as He was beaten and crucified. 

Eating the bread and drinking the cup is the Christian’s proclamation of His death, burial, and resurrection. 

 

We should have nothing on our minds during the Lord’s Supper but the sacrifice made for us. We should be examining ourselves and recognizing that without this sacrifice, we would have nothing to look forward to but an eternity in hell. 

I Corinthians 11: 27 - 29

 

The unworthy manner being spoken of by Paul is being focused on something other than the Lord’s sacrifice. It is being taken in an unworthy manner if you are thinking about worldly things and not His sacrifice. If you are checking texts while the bread or cup is being passed to others, you are partaking in an unworthy manner. If you are thinking about anything else besides His sacrifice, and how important it was for us, you are partaking in an unworthy manner. This time is called communion because it is to be done together. I remember a sermon from Glen Melton many decades ago. He said it was not OK to be tearing out your check for the contribution once you finished drinking the cup. Wait and allow everyone to finish. That is the definition of communion. We must partake of this memorial in a worthy manner. 

 

The song “Low in the Grave He Lay” is also a proclamation of Jesus’ victory over death. 

I Corinthians 15: 54 - 57

 

All four of the Gospels tell us about Jesus’ resurrection. Matthew gives additional information that the others don’t. Matthew tells us about the guards at the tomb, which belonged to Joseph of Arimathea. They had sealed the tomb so thieves couldn’t take the body of Jesus.  

 

Mark tells us how Pilate was surprised that Jesus had died so quickly. It usually took days for crucifixion victims to suffocate in agony. 

 

Luke tells us that Joseph of Arimathea was on the Sanhedrin and did not consent to the actions taken by them. 

 

John tells us that Nicodemus, another Sanhedrin member, helped Joseph with the body and that there was a garden near Golgotha where Joseph owned the tomb Jesus' body was placed in. 

 

All four tell us that He arose. 

 

One verse in our song mentions He was waiting the coming day. That day is recorded in Matthew. 

Matthew 12: 38 - 40

 

Jonah was a prophet from the area of Nazareth and Cana. He tried to run away from God because of God’s grace and mercy. 

Jonah knew that God would turn from His wrath toward Nineveh and forgive them. Jonah wanted Nineveh destroyed, so he ran to Tarshish. God prepared a great fish that swallowed Jonah and he spent 3 days in the belly of that fish. Jesus tells His disciples about His death, burial, and resurrection. This is known as the coming day. He told them many times. 

Matthew 16: 21

 

The disciples did not understand what Jesus was trying to tell them about His coming death and resurrection. They were all taken by surprise when it happened, even though He had warned them plenty of times it was going to happen. When it did, we know, like the song says, “up from the grave He arose.”

 

That’s because they could not seal Him in. Nothing could keep Him in the grave. His death and burial was both a Jewish and a Roman affair. The Jews could not carry out executions due to Roman law forbidding anyone but Romans from executing people. They needed Rome in order to execute Jesus. They needed Rome to seal the tomb. Rome sent guards.

Matthew 27: 62 - 66

 

The Jewish leaders knew about Jesus saying He would rise on the third day. They wanted guards to make sure the disciples couldn’t steal the body and claim He had arisen. Pilate gave them a group of soldiers with the authority to seal up the tomb. Now His death was part of the official Roman record and His tomb was sealed with a Roman seal. He arose anyway. 

 

Like the song says, “Death cannot keep his prey… He tore the bars away”.

Mark 16: 1 - 6

Luke 24: 1 - 8

John 20: 1 - 10

 

The opening of the tomb must have been something to behold. An earthquake. An angel sitting on the stone looking like lightning and dressed in complete white. The guards were in a catatonic state. They were shocked and awed, as we say today. The use of overwhelming power and spectacular displays of force paralyzed the Roman soldiers and destroyed their will to fight. This was all done so it would be noticed. We know that Jesus did not need the tomb to be open for His resurrection. The tomb was opened so that people could see it was empty. He appeared to many people after He arose to prove that He was alive once again. 

I Corinthians 15: 3 - 8

 

He Arose! What a proclamation of the Gospel, He arose! “Up from the grave He arose with a mighty triumph o'er His foes”

Every time we sing this hymn, we teach one another about Jesus’ resurrection. We teach about His victory over

Death! 

His resurrection guarantees our resurrection IF we believe His Word. IF we repent of our sins. IF we confess our belief in Him publicly. IF we have been immersed in water to have our sins washed away. IF we remain in faithful service and obedience to Him unto death. 

 

Hallelujah! Christ arose!

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  • 1 month later...

"He arose a Victor from the dark domain....And He lives forever with his Saints to reign."   I remember this song very well from my childhood in the First Baptist Church.  There are many hymns coming back to mind in these latter days that we as the Body of Christ will be singing again......together in churches across America in a national revival that has NEVER been before nor  will ever be again.   AMEN.

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Just now, regaleagle said:

"He arose a Victor from the dark domain....And He lives forever with his Saints to reign."   I remember this song very well from my childhood in the First Baptist Church.  There are many hymns coming back to mind in these latter days that we as the Body of Christ will be singing again......together in churches across America in a national revival that has NEVER been before nor  will ever be again.   AMEN.

It will be the Last Exodus of the children of God, and will be absolutely MASSIVE!   Get Ready......it's coming soon and has already begun.

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The Latter Day Prophets are prophesying and the writers are writing......kind of like you, RF1.  It will take me some time to catch up to your posts and absorb them.  I have been busy absorbing all I can of late......on many alternative media channels.......from true believers shouting to the masses to get down on our knees in prayer for the redemption of our sins and those of our nation.  AMEN.  It's coming.......the power is alive and will overcome all evil in the world.  The sowers will reap their harvest.....both good and bad like God's two-edged sword promises.

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One of the oldies that is one of my favorites is "Onward Christian Soldiers"........so appropriate for today and it is not by coincidence that I love this song.  I am a Christian Soldier......marching as to war, with the cross of Jesus going on before.  Remember that powerful song.......it is our anthem for today.

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4 hours ago, regaleagle said:

The Latter Day Prophets are prophesying and the writers are writing......kind of like you, RF1.  It will take me some time to catch up to your posts and absorb them.  I have been busy absorbing all I can of late......on many alternative media channels.......from true believers shouting to the masses to get down on our knees in prayer for the redemption of our sins and those of our nation.  AMEN.  It's coming.......the power is alive and will overcome all evil in the world.  The sowers will reap their harvest.....both good and bad like God's two-edged sword promises.

Hopefully you'll see that there are no "latter day prophets"....

 

 

Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.

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  • 2 months later...
5 hours ago, regaleagle said:

My prayer is that one day I will have the depth of understanding in God's Word that RF1 has recieved.  Amen.

Read and study The Bible....God gave it to us along with the intellect to understand it with some studying.......

 

 

 

 

 

 

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