By Rev. Dr. Thomas R. Ahlersmeyer
Greeting: Christ is risen! Alleluia!
Response: He is risen, indeed! Alleluia!
History tells us that Christians have greeted one another with these triumphant words since at least the fourth century. They remain the heartbeat of Easter morning, echoing beyond sanctuaries into narthexes, hallways, parking lots, and front steps — wherever believers gather and depart in joy.
I remember one dear parishioner, now resting in the risen Lord, who would call out the Easter greeting the moment we stepped from our cars into the cool, pre-dawn darkness for the sunrise service. Before the sun had risen, his voice proclaimed the greater Light: Christ is risen! And it felt as if creation itself was answering back.
As a self-professed grammar nerd, I have long been struck by one feature of this greeting — the present tense.
Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed!
Why “is” if the resurrection happened 2,000 years ago?
Because Easter is not locked in the past. It is living reality. The present tense does more than describe — it declares. It draws us in. It invites us to stand inside the event itself. Easter is history with a living heartbeat — past event, present power, and future promise.
The present tense is a powerful tool. It does more than tell a story — it pulls you inside it. Instead of watching events unfold from a distance, you experience them as they happen. Writers will use the present tense so that they and the reader stand on the same ground, sharing the moment together. That is why movies and television can move us so deeply; they place us inside the action. We see it. We feel it. We live it.
Easter is that — and infinitely more.
Easter is not a faded scene from long ago. It is a past event with present power. The resurrection of Jesus is not merely remembered; it is lived. It is, as the hymn says, “Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow” (“Great Is Thy Faithfulness” LSB #809). Our Lord is the same “yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). The risen Christ is not confined to history. We live now in what He accomplished then, even as we await the glory still to come. As Paul declares, “I press on … because Christ Jesus has made me his own” (Philippians 3:12b). Past grace. Present strength. Future promise — all held together in Jesus Christ, crucified and risen.
Easter speaks in the present tense because the living Christ promises to be with us always (Matthew 28:20), including now — with power, with peace, and with unending joy.
The same living grammar shapes our Baptism. I was baptized on the Fourth of July in 1954. That moment lies in the past. Yet, I do not say merely, “I was baptized.” I confess with joy, “I am baptized.” God’s promise joins me now to Christ’s death and resurrection (Romans 6:3-5). His victory animates my present and secures my future.
Marriage works similarly. God joined together Janet and me on August 11, 1979, in Redondo Beach, Calif. That day is part of history, but I do not say, “I was married.” I say, “I am married.” A promise spoken then remains alive today and continues forward — until death do us part.
So, we sing our alleluias this Easter — present, past, and forever:
“Jesus Christ is ris’n today, Alleluia! Our triumphant holy day, Alleluia! Who did once upon the cross, Alleluia! Suffer to redeem our loss. Alleluia!
“Sing we to our God above, Alleluia! Praise eternal as His love, Alleluia! Praise Him, all ye heav’nly host, Alleluia! Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Alleluia!” (“Jesus Christ Is Risen Today” LSB #457)
Easter speaks in the present tense because the risen Christ lives in the present — for us. And for this living, reigning reality, we give eternal thanks to God.
Christ is risen! Alleluia! He is risen, indeed! Alleluia!
This month’s study text:
Straining Toward the Goal
12 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. 16 Only let us hold true to what we have attained.
17 Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. 18 For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. 20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.
Philippians 3:12-21
Reflection Questions:
When we say, “Christ is risen,” what are we really confessing?
Why do you think Christians speak in the present tense instead of saying, “Christ was risen”? As you reflect on Hebrews 13:8 — that Jesus is the same “yesterday and today and forever” — how does that steady truth shape the way you face this season of your life?
How are you living today from what Jesus accomplished long ago?
Paul writes in Philippians 3:12 about pressing on because Christ has made him His own. As you look back over the years, where have you seen the cross and empty tomb give you strength for hard days and hope for the future?
This Bible study compares Easter to stepping inside a story rather than simply watching it unfold.
In what ways have you experienced the resurrection not just as something you believe, but as something you live? Where have you felt especially drawn into Christ’s risen life — in worship, in prayer, in the fellowship of other believers?
Do you ever say, “I am baptized”?
Instead of only remembering the day it happened, what does it mean to claim your Baptism as a present reality? As you read Romans 6:3-5, how does knowing you are joined to Christ’s death and resurrection steady your heart today?
Jesus promises, “I am with you always.”
At this stage of life, where does that promise matter most to you? How does knowing the risen Christ is with you now — not just in the past and not only in heaven someday — bring you peace, courage, and joy?
Prayer:
Living Lord Jesus Christ,
You are my Help in ages past, my Hope for years to come, and my living Lord today. Grant that I may walk each day in the joy and strength of Your resurrection, knowing that Your victory is not only remembered but present and powerful now. Sustain me in trial, fill me with courage and peace, and by Your Spirit make me a blessing to others; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
The Rev. Dr. Thomas R. Ahlersmeyer is the pastor at Mount Calvary Lutheran Church in Fort Wayne, Ind., and serves as a pastor on “Worship Anew.”