I dig John Mark McMillan.

This is the same guy that wrote How He Loves and one of the things I love about his songs are that they use non-churchy words to explain theological concepts. He does a great job of explaining his creative process and inspiration here, so check that out first.

On Sunday, we’re going to be singing Death in His Grave. As a worship team, we don’t want anything we do to get in the way of you worshiping. When learning a new song, it’s sometimes tough to sing along if it’s the first time seeing the words. With Death in His Grave, the words are so poetic we don’t want to miss the truth that those lyrics hold. The song is called Death in His Grave, but if we miss the fact that it’s Jesus putting death to death, we miss the whole song.

I’m going to post the lyrics with links to Bible passages that relate to what McMillan is talking about (some are different than his explanation, but we think they’re still relevant). I know Jeremy is planning on doing the same thing on his site. Hopefully we can get the lyrics out to enough people so we can look at some/all of the references and get a really cool picture of who Jesus is.

These references are a result of the Body in action. Jeremy, my mother-in-law, and I sat in the conference room at church and worked together on this.

Death in His Grave by John Mark McMillan

Though the Earth cried out for blood

satisfied her hunger was

Her billows calmed on raging seas

for the souls of men she craved
Sun and moon from balcony

turned their head in disbelief

Their precious Love would taste the sting

disfigured and disdained

On Friday a thief

on Sunday a King
Laid down in grief

but awoke with the keys
To hell on that day
the first born of the slain

The Man Jesus Christ

Laid death in his grave

So three days in darkness slept

the Morning Sun of righteousness
But rose to shame the throes of death

and overturn his rule
Now daughters and the sons of men

would pay not their dues again
The debt of blood they owed was rent

when the day rolled anew

He has cheated

Hell and seated

us above the fall

In desperate places

He paid our wages

One time once and for all

Hopefully that helps. Here’s him singing it, if you want to listen while reading:

Today my oldest sat with us during the sermon. Last summer, in the family Sunday School class, we learned a technique of taking notes during the sermon with our kids. I modified it and, frankly, it helped me pay attention, too.

I always am encouraged when I see parts of Jesus’s life fulfilling centuries-old prophecies. It’s always a reminder that God knows what He’s doing.

So, John was talking about some cool stuff from the Passover feast (and all the rituals that went along with it).

You would need a lamb for your sacrifices:

The main supplier of lambs? You would herd them up from Bethlehem.

You would bring them in through the Sheep Gate:

(Nehemiah was one of the people who helped rebuild Jerusalem in ~400 BC.)
When would you bring in the sheep?

Sheep selection day was the week before Passover. Like, Palm Sunday/”Hosanna!”

You gotta make sure your sheep isn’t all jacked up. You need to inspect for faults:

This is also when the Pharisees and Sadducees starting questioning Jesus about paying taxes to Caesar and marriage after you die. (I drew a Pharisee pointing a finger and Pilate saying, “I find no fault.”)

Lambs were sacrificed at 9am and 3pm and the shofar (old school vuvuzela) would signal the ritual completed. Check Mark 15:33 and when Jesus was saying, “Eloi! Eloi”

The Amidah are a collection of eighteen prayers that are said at many Jewish festivals. Check out the sixth and fifteenth and picture people praying that during the Passover.

During the events of the crucifixion was also the Festival of Unleavened Bread:

and the Firstfruits ceremony:

I think that this is my first attempt at serious song-writing. Normally my lyrics involve switching around words for a parody and to make my family laugh. Most of the time that devolves into jokes about burping; if that’s what you came here for today, you may be disappointed. Come back tomorrow. (Or later tonight, depending on how Mike’s show goes.)

I only have experience with lyrics in the same sense that I think most dads have. Both my father and father-in-law are notorious for lyric-swaps. (Slade – “It’s now or never…” What’s the next line to dad’s song?)

All of those ridiculous qualifying statements aside, here are some lyrics remixed from Psalm 39 and Psalm 40 (and HEAVILY borrowed (like “Ice Ice Baby”/”Under Pressure” bass line heavily borrowed) from Isaac Watts‘ notes on those chapters).

DUST

Teach me the measure of my days,
Thou maker of my frame;
I would survey life’s narrow space
And learn how frail I am.

A span is all that we can boast,
An inch or two of time;
None but vanity and dust
In all our flower and prime.

See the race of mortals move
Like shadows o’er the plain;
They rage and strive – desire and love
But all the noise is vain.

What should I wish or wait for then
From creatures, earth, and dust?
Expectations trampled on
In disappointed trust.

You raised me from a horrid pit,
Where mourning long I lay,
And from my bonds released my feet,
Deep bonds of miry clay.

Firm on a rock you have me stand,
You teach my cheerful tongue
To praise the wonders of your hand
In this, my thankful song
In this, my thankful song.

You raised me from a horrid pit,
Where mourning long I lay,
And from my bonds released my feet,
Deep bonds of miry clay.

Firm on a rock you have me stand,
You teach my cheerful tongue
To praise the wonders of your hand
In this, my thankful song
In this, my thankful song.