Sunday Morning

These are the lyrics to a brilliant and inspiring rap written by my friend Stephen (aka Carbon).  There isn’t really a substitute for hearing it performed, but in the absence of a recording this will have to do.  I hope you enjoy it anyway!  Happy Easter.

Sunday morning, its gone dawn and
She’s upset, her tears are pouring;
She came out for the sake of mourning
And the whole of Jerusalem is talking

In a garden, with a tomb and a grave
where a man was buried and laid in
But, the body’s gone it’s moved –
a man standing there says “Why you weeping?”
Assuming he’s the gardener, she says
“Where’ve you put him? Did you move him?”

Now it’s the third day
Since he died and was taken away
He was crucified before their eyes,
hung on a cross and left to die,
Confused and they’re mystified
Is this God’s king that they call Christ?

What’s happening? What’s dawning?
This weren’t no normal morning
The One who died is walking
Risen from the dead he’s talking (x2)

This man he weren’t no gardener, tourist or random passer
It’s him that died and was laid
She knows it as he calls her name
Jesus Christ, he’s alive again
He walks and he talks – what can they say?
He’s up like a sunrise, a morning bright star
And he shows himself to his people after

Now this weren’t the ideas of a man
Or some carefully thought through plan
No, it was all part of God’s plan
He died so our sin wouldn’t stand
But we’re still guilty for all of our sin
We’re still responsible for the nails in his hands

And this is what Isaiah meant
Hundreds of years before this incident
A man being led like a lamb to the slaughter
Silent like a sheep stood before its shearers

What’s happening? What’s dawning?
This weren’t no normal morning
The One who died is walking
Risen from the dead he’s talking (x2)

Death couldn’t hold him
The grave couldn’t keep him
He rose from the dead like a man that was sleeping
Rose and visit your people when they were grieving
That’s like the sun blasting at ten in the evening
All they saw was this Lord of Glory
Dead but now breathing, talking and eating
To the degree that they thought they had seen a ghost
You said “Look at me! Touch my flesh and bones.”

So he died on the cross to deal with my sin
He’s alive and we are being made alive in him
Like a girl from the slums that got married into the royal family
You will raise us: share all life and live with him.

So death where is your sting?
Who can bring a charge against us?  Who can say a thing?
It’s God that justifies, Jesus Christ who died
Who is raised to life, at the Father’s side.

And now we can reign in him forever
As we put our hope in this house that stands all weather.

What’s happening? What’s dawning?
This weren’t no normal morning
The One who died is walking
Risen from the dead he’s talking (x2)