Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

The Paschal Greeting is one of the most ancient Christian traditions by which disciples of the risen Lord Jesus Christ around the world confess and celebrate His glorious resurrection and victory over death.

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

I’m amazed at how many LCMS Lutherans know and joyfully make use of this ancient tradition, and also how many Roman Catholics don’t know the “password” when a fellow Christian calls out: “Christ is risen!” even though it is used in their liturgies. Sadly, most of our Protestant brethren have never been taught this laudable custom. Eastern Christians are certainly familiar with it, as are our Lutheran brethren from the former Soviet Union.

Wikipedia has a helpful article on it, citing the fact that the angel at the empty tomb started it in the first place (Matt 28:5-6). The Paschal Greeting is found in every language on the planet. The oldest one may well be the Greek: Χριστὸς ἀνέστη! Ἀληθῶς ἀνέστη! The Latin version is: Christus resurrexit! Resurrexit vere! forming a chiasm. It is even used in the international auxiliary constructed language, Esperanto: Kristo leviĝis! Vere Li leviĝis!

The Paschal Greeting is appropriately used at the conclusion of the committal service (Pastoral Care Companion, p. 135).

I love the Paschal Greeting, and it is always the cause of great joy to say it for the first time when Holy Saturday yields to Easter Sunday. I use it to greet my congregation during the entire season of Eastertide. I begin and end my sermons with it, and my congregation cheerfully weighs in with the response. We say the “Alleluia” together.

I believe that every time Christians strengthen one another’s faith by means of this ancient and catholic confession between them, Satan shrivels up just a bit more inside, and the demons howl - but the heavens erupt triumphantly in praise of Him who won the victory for all of creation. Let us repeat this Paschal Greeting again and again. Let the little ones hear it over and over. Let the elderly hear it resound in their ears as a bulwark against the fear of death. Let all Christians around the world confess it, believe it, and continue to joyfully proclaim it together.

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!