The Story Behind the Song
“Because He Lives” is one of the most popular hymns of modern origin. Written in 1971, just under 50 years ago, it was recognized as Gospel Song of the Year for 1974 by the Gospel Music Association and the American Society of Composers and Publishers (ASCAP). Its first publication in a hymnal was in the 1975 edition of Baptist Hymnal, and it has continued to appear in the subsequent 1991 and 2008 versions. When the 1989 United Methodist Hymnal was being compiled, “Because He Lives” was one of the five most requested songs to be included in the book. As of 2020, it has been published in over 43 hymnals and collections.
This upcoming Sunday millions of Christians around the globe will celebrate the resurrection of our Lord. One will state with conviction: “He is risen!” and a fellow believer will reaffirm: “He is risen indeed!”
The sure knowledge that Jesus is alive has energized his followers since the first Resurrection Sunday. It turned quaking disciples hidden away from the world into earth-shaking evangelists who turned the world upside-down. That assurance has gladdened those dancing on the mountaintop and has strengthened believers trudging through the valley.
In Kenneth W. Osbeck’s “Amazing Grace: 366 Inspiring Hymn Stories for Daily Devotions,” Bill Gaither, who co-wrote “Because He Lives” with his wife Gloria, shared the circumstances from which the song emerged:
“We wrote ‘Because He Lives’ after a period of time when we had had a kind of dry spell and hadn’t written any songs for a while. …at the end of the 1960’s, our country was going through some great turmoil with the height of the drug culture, and the whole ‘God is dead’ theory was running wild in our country. Also it was the peak of the Vietnam war.
“During that time our little son was born—at least Gloria was expecting him. I can remember at the time we thought, ‘Brother, this is really a poor time to bring a child into the world.’ At times we were even quite discouraged by the whole thing. And then Benjy did come. We had two little girls whom we love very much, but this was our first son, and so that lyric came to us, ‘How sweet to hold our new-born baby and feel the pride and joy he gives, but better still the calm assurance that this child can face uncertain days because Christ lives.’ And it gave us the courage to say, ‘Because Christ lives we can face tomorrow’ and keep our heads high.”
Brothers and sisters, choose to live in hope, not in fear. Decide that you will not only believe in Jesus, but you will also believe him who said, “Because I live, you also will live” (John 14:19). There is “strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,” and that strength and hope has a name—Jesus!
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Anastasia Music 