Lyrics
Verse 1
God and man were crucified
The day the Promised One had died
It seemed that heaven's love had lost
As Jesus hung upon the cross
Verse 2
His broken body laid to rest
As Earth was filled with hopelessness
'Til the son of man began to wake
And the tomb became an empty grave
Oh, the tomb became an empty grave
Chorus
It was the death of death when You rose to life
When the dark surrendered to the risen Light
O praise the Savior, Jesus Christ
It was the death of death and our victory
Verse 3
The war is won, the work is done
And hope for all the world has come
The victor never lost his crown
'Cause hell and grave can't hold Him down
No, hell and grave can't hold Him down
Chorus
It was the death of death when You rose to life
When the dark surrendered to the risen Light
O praise the Savior, Jesus Christ
It was the death of death and our victory
It was the death of death when You rose to life
When the dark surrendered to the risen Light
O praise the Savior, Jesus Christ
It was the death of death and our victory
Verse 4
It was the greatest gift, Your life for me
And fear has finished, my future bright
You gave it all, my heart the prize
It was the death of death and my victory
It was the death of death and our victory
Whoa-ohh
Chorus
It was the death of death when You rose to life
When the dark surrendered to the risen Light
O praise the Savior, Jesus Christ
It was the death of death and our victory
It was the death of death and our victory
Video
Meaning & Inspiration
This Easter song retells the cross and the empty tomb, and its refrain gives the title phrase: "It was the death of death when You rose to life." The first verses begin with the day the Promised One died, when it seemed "that heaven's love had lost," and move through the silence of the burial to the moment the tomb became an empty grave.
The chorus describes the dark surrendering to the risen Light and calls on listeners to praise the Savior, Jesus Christ. The third verse declares that the war is won and the work is done, and that "hell and grave can't hold Him down." The last verse becomes personal, naming the cross as the greatest gift and saying that fear has finished and the future is bright.
The central claim, that the resurrection ends the power of death, is close to Paul's words in First Corinthians about death being swallowed up in victory, and to the letter to the Hebrews, which says Christ shared in human nature to break the power of death. The song keeps both the sorrow of Friday and the triumph of Sunday in view.
Related Scripture
- 1 Corinthians 15:54-57 Death is swallowed up in victory through Jesus Christ.
- Hebrews 2:14 Christ shared in humanity to break the power of death.