Because He Lives

In the world of hymns, the very popular Because He Lives is somewhat of a newcomer. Bill and Gloria Gaither wrote this song in 1971, and it was awarded the recognition of Gospel Song of the Year for 1974 by the Gospel Music Association and the American Society of Composers and Publishers (ASCAP). Over the past 50 years, Because He Lives has since been translated into almost every language and become one of the most requested hymns to be included in hymn books.[1,2]

What better song could we feature in our hymn series than this wonderful favorite that strengthens your soul when you sing the truth and implications of the Resurrection?

“… because I live, ye shall live also.” – John 14:19

You will want to read Gloria’s reason for writing the song down below. Plus, you can hear the performance of several as well.

Because He Lives Lyrics

CCLI: 2819853

The Theology

Oh the wonderful implications of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The song begins with the story of Jesus. It reminds us that Jesus came to buy our pardon, a reference to the sacrificial atonement of Jesus Christ. It then ends the first verse with, “an empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives.” This line brings tears to my eyes as I reflect on it. What incredible joy to know that Jesus’ atonement was accepted; Jesus is the Lamb of God Who took away the sins of the world. The resurrection proves it.

Verses two and three consider the confidence the knowledge of a living Savior provides for each of us. In verse two, as you will read below, Gloria reflected on the birth of her third child Benjy. As she reflected on the crazy days in which she lived, she could calmly trust God because of the resurrection. Further, her confidence could extend to death as well. Whether it is living life today or considering that future day when we die, both are impacted because Jesus lives.

As I write this morning, my grandson sits on my lap, and I rehearse the same confidence that Gloria had when she wrote these words in 1971. Who would have known what the word would have been like now in these days?

The Author and Story of the Song

In Gloria’s words, “Bill’s sister was going through a divorce, and we’d never had divorce in either of our families. It was very painful because she was in trouble and in a situation that was quite volatile and could have been dangerous. Bill got mononucleosis at that same time and became physically weak. There were circumstances in our life we couldn’t control. There we were so happy, yet we had this contradiction of things that we couldn’t fix. There was the paradox of writing about peace and joy and contentment in the face of this, asking, ‘How does all this work?’”

Swirling around them was the unrest of a generation in the midst of war. It was 1969. Gloria explains, “Our whole life and the external world were all in flux and in chaos: the Civil Rights movement was going on, Watts had just burned to the ground, and the whole country split apart over the Vietnam War. We’d just found out we were having our third baby and thought, ‘Who would bring another baby into this world?’ We were disturbed by the whole thing.

After the baby was born and talking with a good friend, Gloria became more confident. “It dawned on us that the Resurrection is a true thing. It’s true in every situation. It’s true in the world to come. God’s got a plan. Resurrection is a fact of life and I think it was built into the earth as a metaphor for Christ in the very beginning of Creation. It’s the principle that life wins. If we put our trust in Him, we are victors. What if the world blows up tomorrow? Our destiny and our life and our future do not depend on circumstances. This song has that sense.” [3]

Gloria wrote the text of the song; Bill Gaither wrote the music for it.

Enjoy This Media

Some groups singing the song from YouTube:

This is Bill Gaither singing the song with his wife Gloria and son Benjy. I’ll admit, this is pretty powerful.

Because He Lives sung by Allison Durham Speer, Bill Gaither, and the Homecoming Group.

Another beautiful rendition of this song from Carrie Underwood, including all three verses.

Classic congregational singing of all three verses.

I enjoyed singing this song for many years from The Hymnal (pictured above). Here it is from Sing Joyfully #275 [5]:

Link to Other Blogs in this Series