Reflect on the Hope of the Risen Christ

For Christians, the Resurrection changes everything. The reality of Christ’s defeat of sin and death is not just the focus of our greatest annual festival—it is the core of our faith. What if there were no Resurrection? That thought prompted St. Paul to express one of his most compelling arguments:

And if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins. In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost! And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world. But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died.

—1 Corinthians 15:16–20 (NLT)

Over time, however, enough music and worship preparation and a surfeit of alleluias can make the message—even the miracle—of Easter become just another moment in the spring line-up: big music, check; extra musicians, check; tuning scheduled, check; antihistamines for the lilies, check; let’s get through this.

But, what if…? Think how different our lives would be if the Resurrection were only folklore, if the disciples found the tomb undisturbed, or if Christ’s body had in fact been stolen to start a miracle myth. If Christ had not been raised, we would have no credible reason for hope in this life, let alone for what lies beyond our own grave.

With this in mind, let me introduce you to an Easter hymn you might not have discovered yet. The text, based on 1  Corinthians 15, was written by Christopher Idle, a poet, author of over 300 hymns, and Church of England priest. In simple language, this hymn answers the very important question we’re considering: what if?

If Christ had not been raised from death, our faith would be in vain,
our preaching but a waste of breath, our sin and guilt remain.
But now the Lord is risen indeed; he rules in earth and heaven:
his gospel meets a world of need—in Christ we are forgiven.

The first stanza considers the immediate fallout of a world without a risen Savior. Faith would be pointless, preaching and worship would be a total waste of time, and there certainly would be no plausible assurance of God’s ability (or desire) to forgive our sin and alleviate our resulting suffering and guilt.

Because of the Resurrection, we have the certainty of our faith and Good News to share. We know God’s power is more than sufficient to conquer any and all evil, including death itself. We know Christ is who he claims to be, and we can begin to consider what that alone can mean in 2026. A risen Christ meets the need of our contemporary world head-on—not only as the promised Way, Truth, and Life, but as Light in our current darkness, peace in the midst of war, and the promise of God’s justice for all who are now suffering. Most intimately, a living Christ is the One who speaks grace and forgiveness into our hearts when we repent.

The personal impact of the Resurrection goes beyond forgiveness in this current moment to define any hope we have for what lies ahead. Without the Resurrection, we have nothing to say when we stand at a grave, no comfort as we mourn the death of someone we have loved, no assurance of anything beyond this life as we contemplate our own mortality. Later in 1 Corinthians 15, Paul quotes from two earlier prophets:

“Death is swallowed up in victory.
O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?”

For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.
—1 Corinthians 15:54–57 (NLT)

This is the focus of Idle’s second stanza:

If Christ still lay within the tomb then death would be the end,
and we should face our final doom with neither guide nor friend.
But now the Savior is raised up, so when a Christian dies
we mourn, yet look to God in hope—in Christ the saints arise!

As we approach Easter 2026, we are surrounded by death—the casualties of war, the victims of terrorist attacks and domestic violence, ideological confrontation that escalates into violence, the alarming rise in adolescent suicide. Into the unbelievable pain of this world we have the opportunity to sing the songs of life—proclaiming without hesitation that death is not final, hope is real for those who are in Christ!

So, if nothing else, there’s the reason for Easter—justification for every “alleluia” we can find. Our world desperately needs to know the reality of the risen Savior. The people of our world desperately need to discover and follow the One who cares more about them than they care about themselves.

That’s what celebration of the true Easter is for. How dreadful it would be if we had nothing to proclaim! Idle’s third and final stanza is clear: “If Christ had not been truly raised … his words deserve to die.”

If Christ had not been truly raised his Church would live a lie;
his name should nevermore be praised, his words deserve to die.
But now our great Redeemer lives; through him we are restored:
his word endures, his Church revives in Christ, our risen Lord.

I challenge you to use this hymn to reinforce the importance and urgency of the Resurrection on Easter—or any of the Sundays that follow. It’s commonly sung to KINGSFOLD, which works with anything from a soloist and guitar to a full congregation, but it also works well with dozens of other 8.6.8.6.D tunes. In the US, you can find text and music in Worship and Rejoice (Hope), Lutheran Service Book (Concordia), Worship-4^th Edition (GIA) or Singing the New Testament (Faith Alive).

If Christ Had Not Been Raised from Death by Christopher Idle, © 1985 Jubilate Group (admin. Hope Publishing Company)