Sometimes a word in a worship song leaps out at you in an unexpected way. You have one of those glorious penny-dropping moments of fresh revelation about God that catches your spirit and your attention anew. And that happened for me recently, and the word that leapt out – Alive.

It suddenly hit me, “Oh yeah, Jesus really is alive!”

And this surprised me, because I did think I had this one down. I mean it’s foundational stuff. Remove it and we are left with very little upon which to base our gospel hope, but it struck me afresh and made me go “Woah!” Perhaps I hadn’t fully grasped it after all.

It was as if the wonder of Him being very present suddenly became clear. He was there, in the room, with me. In that moment. I felt an incredible comfort in knowing that the God of the universe, the all-powerful and all-knowing One, the One who ultimately holds the whole world in His hands, is indeed alive and well. It was like a huge weight was lifted off – I hadn’t appreciated how much worry and fear about the mess that the world is in had gotten its grip on me. But then that simple re-realisation that Jesus is a living person – as alive as the person sitting next to me, was just a huge balm for my soul. Indeed, you could argue that as both ‘the life’ and the source of all life, Jesus is somehow more alive than the person sitting next to me!

I mean doesn’t it change everything to know that He is right there, hearing our worship, listening to our prayers – and that He is the sovereign God, in control, over and above all the chaos. He is still the way, the truth and the life – and He is still very present, relevant, mighty and good. Phew. What a profound sense of relief and peace.

“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” John 14: 18.

There is a wealth of historical evidence for the existence of the man Jesus of Nazareth 2000 years ago, from both Christian and non-Christian sources, and so we can have a high degree of confidence that he was a real person. And He is still a real person now.

Admittedly, we don’t generally see Him as the people did back then – as a man walking the streets, but He is just as alive. Just as Jesus heard and listened when His followers and others came and talked with Him, so He hears us now when we call out or come to Him – we are speaking with a living person. He is not an abstract force or an impersonal power that we approach with our requests and hope that the supernatural slot machine in the sky pays out in our favour. Nor is He a long-gone saviour who did something wonderful a long time ago, but having finished the job, backed off and now rests in perfect peace whilst awaiting the tenacious amongst us to join Him in the afterlife.

“Christ Jesus, who died – more than that, who was raised to life – is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.”  Romans 8:34

Jesus is right now at the right hand of God and is interceding for us. Present tense.

Just stop and think about this for a moment. Perhaps you, like me, could do with more fully grasping this truth. He conquered death. He lives. He intercedes for us. Ponder this truth and all that it means. Let it sink in. There is fresh revelation in the significance and magnitude of this to be found.

Why not picture Jesus sitting next to you next time you talk to Him. Remind yourself that He is very real and very much in the room with you. You are not talking to someone who is not there or into a void filled only with wishful thinking. He is there and He loves you. Let that assurance wash over you, strengthening you and filling you with peace. Our hope is real and alive.