death in his grave: a line-by-line commentary
“Death in his grave” is loosely inspired by Steve Turners Poem “The Morning That Death Was Killed” and the folk song “Jesse James”. “Jesse James” was originally recorded in 1924 by Bascom Lamar Lunsford but later versions by Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan sometimes included Judas in place of Robert Ford and Jesus as Jesse James.
Here is an excerpt of the Jesus / Judas version:
Jesus was a man, a carpenter by hand
His followers true and brave
One dirty little coward called Judas Iscariot
Has laid Jesus Christ in His Grave
I liked the idea of writing a similar song about Jesus and Death. I felt strongly that I wanted to write a whole song around the line “The Man Jesus Christ laid death in his grave”. It sounded like a great idea, but honestly, I almost didn’t finish this song because the weight of this subject matter. Plus I wanted to make it somewhat accessible without making light of the issues or coming across as trite. Still I knew this song belonged on “The Medicine” and through much blood and frustration I hammered it out.
There are 3 different types of language used when writing a song of this particular subject matter. There is theological language, common language, and poetical language. I enjoyed incorporating all 3 kinds of language in the writing of this song. The song has strong theological implications. At times it directly references scripture, however it’s not a sermon. It’s poetry (as a song should be) and uses quite a bit of simile and metaphor as well as certain instances of personification. People who have a “hang up” with this song generally do so because they either don’t like, or don’t understand the personification of the earth, death, sun and moon etc. I understand if people don’t fancy these elements but there is no good reason not to use them. After all, the Psalms, which I’ve always understood to be our blue print for these types of expressions, are chocked full of poetic language. Check out Psalm 19 for a great example of personification.
One other hang up people may have with this song is the colloquial feel of the lyrics. I purposely wanted this song to feel old and I thought a good way of accomplishing this was to use some older southern mannerisms. Once again I understand why people wouldn’t “get” this, but Jesus had no problem using colloquial phrases in his own stories and addresses so I didn’t feel like there was any reason to abstain from these myself.
Here is a breakdown of what I may have been thinking about and feeling while I wrote these words.
Enjoy!
Though the earth cried out for blood
The earth or “the world” speaks of the gravity of all things temporary and the sin that binds us to a dying universe. Paul tells the Ephesians “you were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world“ (Eph 2:2)
The “course of this world” is a course that is passing away and by clinging to the things of it, we too are destined to pass away with it. This idea of “the world” is what the apostle John speaks of overcoming by faith in 1 John 5.
The earth is also where our bodies return when they die. The world is unforgiving, unrelenting, and cold. For these reasons I decided to personify the Earth (aka the grave) as a hungry person or animal with an insatiable appetite for the souls of men.
satisfied her hunger was
When the blood of Jesus fell upon the earth and his body was placed inside of it (the tomb), he paid our passage from this passing world to the eternal world and created a “new and living way” (Heb 10:20).
I felt an interesting illustration of this could be to personify the earth as tasting perfection in the blood of it’s creator thus no longer desiring lesser blood, or the grave having eaten its fill in the sinless body of Christ. Certainly our mortal bodies still go into the earth, but because the blood of Jesus satisfied the demands of the law, we are no longer subject to the gravity that binds us to the eternal consequences of sin.
Her billows calmed on raging seas, for the souls of men she craved
I wanted to touch on the fact that the earth itself awaits it’s own redemption and even groans like a woman in labor in expectation of that time (Rom 8). It’s like creation could see an end to this agony through the blood its own creator shed to reverse the effects of “the fall” that had thrown it into utter chaos and disrepair. Obviously there are still storms and the world is still a dangerous place, but the Bible speaks of a day when the lion and the lamb will lay together and children will play beside cobras. This ultimate peace is the end result of the sacrifice of Jesus.
Sun and moon, from balcony turned their head in disbelief
Their precious love would taste the sting disfigured and disdained
The Bible talks about the sky going dark when Jesus was crucified. I saw this like the heavens turning their eyes at the sight of what was happening to the center of their very universe. Almost like one part of creation sickened at the sight of another part of creation destroying the one they had been created “by, through and for”.
“Disfigured” and “disdained” are words used to describe the literal event taking place during crucifixion.
On Friday a thief on Sunday a king
Jesus obviously wasn’t a thief, but he was crucified between 2 thieves and thus treated like a thief on one day yet risen as a king only a few days later. I wanted this line to express the contrast between the 2 perceptions of Jesus that changed so quickly in a short amount of time. The colloquialism allows for a little exaggeration and helps me make this contrast more apparent.
Laid down in grief but awoke with the keys to hell on that day
Once again, more contrast, but this time playing on what Jesus says of himself in Revelation 1:18: “I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.”
First born of the slain
In Revelation 5 Jesus is called the “the firstborn from the dead”. In Romans 8:29 he is called the “first born among many brethren”. This says to me that in resurrection Jesus become not only our redeemer but also our new model. He is the first of the ‘new creation’.
“But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” (Rom 8:8)
I love the implications of these verses. Plus slain rhymes with grave, which is important.
The man Jesus Christ
Romans 5:15
“For if many people died as the result of one man’s offense, how much more has God’s grace and the free gift given through the kindness of one man, Jesus Christ, been showered on many people!”
It is important that we understand the humanity of Jesus. Jesus lived like we live, and felt like we feel. He was “tempted in every way”. He suffered like a man and he felt sorrow as well as joy. Most significantly, he died like a man. Jesus regularly referred to himself as the “son of man” because I think he felt it was important for us to know that we have a God who can sympathize with our infirmities (Heb 4:15). I believe Jesus was both completely God and completely man. I believe he knows us, not just because he created us, but because, in many ways, he is us. I am NOT, in any way, saying “we are God” but I am saying that God lived as we lived.
Laid death in his grave
I love irony. It was in the death of Jesus that death itself died. A man named Joseph laid Jesus in his tomb, but it was Jesus who would ultimately put death itself away for evermore. Some people sing this line as though death was left in Jesus’ own tomb, but I always thought of it as Jesus laying death in the grave. Putting death away for good.
So 3 days in darkness slept the morning sun of righteousness
In Revelation Jesus calls himself the “Bright and Morning Star”. I wanted to paint this picture of a new day dawning and Jesus rising from the darkness of the grave like the sun rises from the darkness of the horizon.
But rose to shame the throes of death and overturn his rule
I liked the illustration of death personified as a tyrannical ruler to whom Jesus came to over throw.
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 a new
The “debt of blood” refers to the blood sacrifice that men and women were previously required by law to offer for sin, but also to the idea that a person would pay for their time on earth by their own death. Jesus paid the debt we owed, and became the blood sacrifice upon the alter of all time. This is the blood that Paul said is more powerful than the blood of animals and to attempt to pay for our own sins again would be like trampling the blood of Jesus under foot.
He has cheated hell
This is more Colloquialism. In the south, when something doesn’t work out the way we expect we often say “we’ve been cheated”. Also there is the expression “to cheat death” which means to have a close call. With Jesus it was more than close, but I like the way the word “cheated” sounds rude when pertaining to death. I like the idea of Jesus turning his nose up at the whole situation and making an open spectacle of this tyrant.
And seated us above the fall
Ephesians 2:5-6
“even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus”
Earlier in Ephesians, Paul says that Jesus sits above all principality and power. If we have been made to sit with Jesus, then we too sit above every dominion, every influence, and every circumstance.
In desperate places he paid our wages
Referring to Romans 6:23 “The wages of sin is death but…”
One time once and for all
Romans 6:9-10
“Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. 10For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.”
This line needs little interpretation in my opinion.
(After posting this yesterday I wanted to add this note to clarify a couple things)
A note on the songwriting process:
Some people have ask was I really thinking about all this when I wrote the song? My short reply would be “no”, but a more accurate answer would have to be more like something I heard Springsteen say one time: “I wasn’t thinking about any of it but I was feeling every bit of it!”
This is beautiful. Thank you.
thanks
Thank you. Loved seeing you guys in Cleveland, OH on the tour… amazing.
This is awesome! It’d be great to see more of these 😉
Thank you for passionately laboring over and thinking through the content of this song. The Gospel is vividly depicted with careful rhetorical attention given to the songs communication of the theology of the cross. Thank you for not being so concerned with radio play, or mass appeal that you water down content or creativity.
Incredible bro. God has gifted you in speaking of such deep heavy truths with such beautiful language that paints such vivid pictures and moves the spirit. Love ya man…keep it up!
Nothing to say but, “beautiful” really appreciate the message with the verses. Thank you!
Been listening to this song in particular the last few weeks, and mulling over a lot of these themes….such depth to the song, really is outstanding. Thank you for putting your thoughts and feelings out in terms of what’s behind it, much appreciated.
‘effin Brilliant dude.
really
Thanks for this, John Mark. I have been engaged by this song many times since hearing it a year ago for an Easter service. I l
Thanks for this, John Mark. I have been engaged by this song many times since hearing it at an Easter service a year ago. I am impressed by your poeticism and ability to slam images into my mind. Jesus and his storytelling have done you well!
Wicked…thx for doing this. We are doing this song for Easter at Mosaic…so good.
Thanks for posting this. A lot of artists don’t like to explain their songs for fear that they lose some meaning, but this enhances it.
I’m glad to see the sincerity of a Christian songwriter, explaining in a simple way out as the verses of a song as sincere and profound as that! This is the way!
Fantastic. This song really resonated with me becuase of the line “in deperate places he paid our wages.” To me, “desperate places” describes a pitched battle between Jesus and satan between death and ressurection. He fought for us. It’s a beutiful line that caught me.
such a beautiful easter song
Thanks so much John! I was planning on using this song and lyrics in my class Sunday morning on Easter and walking them through the scriptures with it. Cannot wait now that I have this resource as well. Keep up the great work. Excited to share this with my young adult class.
Pingback: Todays blog post….. | oakhillscollege
This is the song that originally blew me away when I discovered your music. I heard Crowder’s cover of HHL and thought it was his song (but I’m not a big Crowder fan, so I never really dug into it). I saw a youtube clip of some little kid singing your original version of HHL in the car with his dad, and I really liked it, so I dug some more. The first clip I pulled up was the version of “Death” you posted above and it moved me, deeply. It was like “THIS is what I’ve been looking for!”. It’s still one of my favorites and I can listen to it anytime.
Thanks a ton for posting this. I had a pretty good understanding of most of the song, but this is very helpful with clarifying some of those mystery spots. One thing I always thought of on the “on Friday a thief” line was not only was Jesus murdered as a thief, but God the Father actually looked upon His Son as a thief… and a murderer, rapist, and all other vile sins we commit, all on our behalf.
Hopefully you decide to do this some more… perhaps “Daylight” or “Sheet of Night”… or whatever. 😉
Love ya dude…
I ran across this quote from one of the earliest recorded Easter sermons:
He who hung the earth [in its place] is fixed there, he who made all things fast is made fast upon the tree, the Master has been insulted, God has been murdered, the King of Israel has been slain by an Israelitish hand. O strange murder, strange crime! The Master has been treated in unseemly fashion, his body naked, and not even deemed worthy of a covering, that [his nakedness] might not be seen. Therefore the lights [of heaven] turned away, and the day darkened, that it might hide him who was stripped upon the cross. (Melito or Sardis, Homily on the Passion, 96)
Thank you! This has been my favorite song on The Medicine, and to have a line by line explanation of what it means to you is beautiful. Love it!
Pingback: death in his grave: a line-by-line commentary (via johnmarkmcmillan) « Frank Gil
John Mark,
Thank you for tackling the weight of this subject manner and birthing this song.
I resonate with it, and I sat with it yesterday, contemplating the events we remember and celebrate this week.
We are singing it for our Resurrection services. Can’t wait.
Thank you, and keep going.
Thanks for this! I, too, would love to hear more. For example, I’ve been wondering what the promenade is. It’s in a couple of your songs.
Thanks John for doing this. Ever since I saw you were going to be doing this earlier this week on your facebook, I have been eagerly waiting for it. This is by far my favorite song you do. I saw you in Greenville a few weeks ago and this song was just amazing live as it was in the video you posted above. The chorus of this song is HANDS DOWN one of the most poetic, picture painting, storytelling choruses I have ever heard. Seriously.. How can you beat the line “On Friday a Thief, On Sunday a King.” One of the lines that also really spoke to me the first time I heard it was “The debt of blood they owed was rent when the day rolled anew” It just says how much changed with the death of Jesus on that cross.
I cannot imagine how far you deep you had to dig for this song, but thank you for your obedience in writing it. It is one of my favorites and is one of those songs I can listen to over and over and never get tired of it.
By the way, I love the way your songs come across in these live videos. I hope you do more. Watching others worship with you during these videos is just amazing and has taught me what true worship should be about.
It’s not very often the listener gets this kind of “inside hearing” of a song. Thank you so much for adding layers to what I already loved!
JMM
Thanks for posting this. I’m a worship leader and am sharing this song with my church Friday night for Good Friday service along with a quick testimomy of what God has been doing in my life through this song. Your words have helped me to develop a deeper and richer understanding of what it means to be a new creation (2 Cor 5:17)…not a better creation, but a new one through the laying of death in the grave for good. This allows me the freedom to walk in the victory and righteousness of Christ rather than continuously try on my own power, forming my own subtle Law. It’s by being covered by His blood and righteousness that I am saved…replaced. Thanks for the beautiful words and great music!
JMM:
I’m listening to the song right now. I can’t help but tear up and cry of gratitude. God has truly blessed me through your deep, biblical songs. I am incredibly honored to be part of the same family as you…brother in Christ.
God Bless.
I’m in a coffee shop reading this post & the Jesse James song just came on the speakers! I’ve never heard it before in my life, except right as I’m reading about it! Very cool!
Also, we debuted this song at our church last Sunday and will sing it again on Easter Sunday! It’s fantastic, thanks for writing, recording and exegeting it for us!
Thanks so much, John, for posting this! It is one of my favourite songs on “The Medicine,” along with “Skeleton Bones.” I have actually used this song for worship with my Bible study, and absolutely love the depth that it has. Too many “Easter” songs don’t capture the depth of what Jesus has done.
Keep it up, we’re looking forward to many great songs in the future! All the glory to God!
Thanks for posting this. It means a lot to me, and many others I’m sure, that you took time to do this. I love seeing all of the scripture references and seeing what God revealed to you and how he revealed it. It is a great song with great implications. Blessings on you and your family.
Thanks for the commentary. I guess being the daughter of an english teacher, I loved the rich lyrics already. They’re like a classic piece of literature that make you think and feel, not just your heart & mind behind them, but also God’s. Ultimately they change my mindset & expands my grasp of Christ. I think all music should change you somehow, even just a bit, otherwise it’s not worth my time. Hearing how carefully you crafted every line makes me appreciate it even more. BTW you should thank your sister in law Molly, she tweeted about The Medicine when it came out on iTunes & that’s how I found it. I’m so glad I did! I wouldn’t have if she hadn’t mentioned it.
Pingback: bits and pieces | musings in montage
Thank you for being so honest John Mark. I look forward to seeing more of this! You are such a blessing to me, God works through you in a way that is so fresh (for lack of a better word).
Dude. So. Good.
dude, this song has ministered to me many times. In the however long it’s been since i heard it, “Death in his grave” has inspired a poem and a song from me. Keep it coming.
Thank you so much. I love hearing the artists thoughts and desires in birthing their art. This song is so powerful and my favorite on the album. Really enjoyed the show in Greenville, SC! You and your whole band are phenomenal and original!
I so much appreciate this thoughtful explanation. I’d been a little apprehensive to introduce this one because I want to always be authentic in communicating the heart behind our worship. This allows me to do just that with a fantastic dedication to our God. Again, thank for taking the time.
Every once in a while someone inspired by the Holy Spirit is able to put into words what many of us feel but don’t understand how to say, this song is that for me. It brought me to tears the first time I heard it. I’ve spent so much time worshipping Jesus using these words. Thank you!
Thank John!
I have loved this song for awhile….just changed my set to fit it in for the service I lead worship in. God is so good!
Hey John. I truly am amazed with the gift God has given you in songwriting and the anointing you are walking in with it.
I thank you for taking the time to explain what you are trying to convey through this song. Being a Worship Pastor & Song Writer myself I know how frustrating it can be sometimes getting asked the same questions over and over when the answer should be pretty clear.
One time your father visited our church and said you would most likely love to come visit. Lets make it happen. We’ll party and grow beards.
If He tasted death for everyone and has conquered death, then isn’t He the Savior of all mankind indeed?!
Lyrical masterpiece…thank you!
Your comments on people’s “issues” with phrasing is spot on. Even beyond the Psalms, we read about people’s honest and seemingly colloquial exchanges with God. That is intimate worship – the kind that Jesus talked about and said He desires.
Amen!
Love the commentary. As an aspiring author I totally love reading the thoughts behind an artist’s creations. So fascinating and enlightening and inspiring. Such a fitting song for this Easter season as well. Much love!
i feel it important to point out that the woody guthrie song mentioned and quoted is should actually be “Jesus Chris” not “jesse james” both are great however! just a heads up JMM! http://youtu.be/EDS00Pnhkqk
Awesome post. Thank you for your depth in songwriting. It really is refreshing. And I just love seeing video of people worshipping. It brings tears to my eyes.
Pingback: Top Posts — WordPress.com
Thanks. His victory has been expressed so magnificently!
Fantastic. Beautiful song. May God continue to bless the (creative) work of your hands.
I do believe this is profound. Yes, yes it is.
Dear John,
Thank you for your song “Death In His Grave.” What a beautiful testament to God’s faithful and unending love for us. Also, your commentary is great!! It’s funny because I am playing this song for Easter service and I was curious about about some of the lyrics and their meanings. For the lines “He paid our wages/ One time once and for all” I cannot help but think of 1 Peter 3:18 – “For Christ died for sin once and for all, the Righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God…” (NIV 1984) Thanks again. God bless and Happy Easter. He is risen!
Beautiful from beginning to end! I love how you have to think about the words…it’s like reading KJV, so much meaning
“Plus slain rhymes with grave, which is important.”
❤ it! lol
I now understand in a greater way why I like this song soooo much…. Because it’s based in truth and declares in lyric and rhyme the work He finished on the cross, by His death, His resurrection and ultimately His ascension and He is so worthy of our praises!
Pingback: Good Friday: Death In His Grave « jeremymaxfield.com
Impressive.
Also, appreciated.
Pingback: Friday. | bloglikeadog
Thanks for setting such an example. What a beautiful song for a Beautiful Savior.
Pingback: Good Friday Goodness « Acres of Hope
Pingback: As Sunday Draws Near |
Pingback: Good Friday | Observations by a Dependent Workman*
You are a truly anointed man. You inspire me. I wrote a post today, Good Friday, inspired by your song at http://jewelsincenseironandpearls.tumblr.com/.
Thank you so much!!!
Our church sang this for Good Friday, and I can’t wait to shout it for Resurrection Sunday.
Pingback: death has been killed. | The Salty Flashlight
This is great. Would love to see one for ten thousand. I Haven’t quite got my head around that one yet.
John,
I saw you in cincinnati. That night when I got home and went to bed I had a dream… In the dream you were playing in a packed mega-church and it was full of high-school to college aged kids. They were worshipping their asses off. To the church’s leadership they were amazing at what the kids were doing in the concert vs what they did on a normal sunday. I walked up to you and told you “your voice is a weapon.” I fell over in the power of the Holy Spirit.
For me I say what you are doing in a new light. I have seen how your music is bringing gospel or worship music to my non-believer friends. They love it. But what I saw in the dream was something I had never considered which was that you are “showing the house, THE HOUSE” from the outside the Lord is using you to restore worship to the establishment. Rock on.
Love this song. I totally connected to the lyrics with the same understanding you wrote here. God has given you such an amazing gift of lyracy. Oh and CARBON RIBS — I cry/weep everytime I listen to it and your explanation behind that song is just as amazing!!!!
Pingback: death in his grave: a line-by-line commentary (via johnmarkmcmillan) | In A Pit With A Lion
Pingback: Death In His Grave | Redemption Hill - Connecting Christ to Life
Pingback: Freedom » Blog Archive » Death in His Grave
Pingback: a touching song « Life@CF
john,
wouldn’t it be then more pertinent to say that Christ has defeated hell? wouldn’t that be more accurate? his life paid the price in full. isn’t that what the gospel is saying?
Love the song though. just wondering is all. maybe i’m misunderstanding the explanation. would love to have you maybe further explain that line, cause its something i’ve been wrestling with …
thanks
Pingback: Songwriting Analysis:
To clarify, Jesus is called the first born of the dead in Revelation 1:5, not Revelation 5. Not sure if that was clarified yet or not.
John Mark,
I love your songwriting and recordings! I got to see one of your concerts in Cleveland at the Beachland Ballroom last year. It was an amazing worship experience! I still have the recording on my phone of the whole room singing Murdered Son after you and the band left the stage. Love it! One of my favorite worship times from last year.
I’m the worship and creative arts pastor at a church plant in Cleveland. We are a church for people who hate going to church and as such, we try and craft our worship experiences so that anyone can come in and connect with God, even if they don’t know the stories from the Bible. If there are songs with references to things from the Bible that people wouldn’t know, we try and set some of that up as we introduce the song, which is a great way for people to learn the story of God. How He Loves is a song that we’ve done alot and that people connect with.
I don’t know if I have a real question here, but I am wrestling with doing Death In His Grave and Dress Us Up in our context. I love both of those songs and I love your writing here about Death In His Grave, but feel like there is so much to explain for this song (Death In His Grave) so that people will understand what they are singing as they worship that it becomes too cumbersome.
As I wrestle with this, I wondered if you would share how you approached thinking about people who don’t know the stories and imagery from your songs as you lead people in worship.
Thinking about the worship expressions in the Old Testament, people knew the stories so well – they did such a great job of passing those stories along to each other and incorporating them into their worship. Their worship was a celebration and re-telling of what God has done and it is so hard to capture that in our corporate worship today. We’ve got to do a much better job at this and that is why I wrestle with doing some of your songs that do a great job of incorporating everyday, poetic, and theological language. Your songs capture theology in a poetic way, but how do we help the people understand it in the context of 30 minutes of worshiping through music? I struggle with how to make each week’s service a celebration of what God has done in our own lives, in the life of our local church, and throughout history.
Writing about my Murdered Son experience made me go back and listen to that whole song and I love it as a way to celebrate and introduce people to the whole story of Jesus. Can’t say enough how much I am moved and appreciate your songwriting!
Thanks for advancing the Kingdom!
–james
Pingback: Death in His Grave « dailyportions