Set Free

The tomb stood cold and silent,
Sealed by a heavy stone.
He, whom death held as captive,
Lay perished and alone.
The crowed of mourners gathered,
Each with his flowing tears;
Oh, how they'd sought the Master,
Beseeching with their prayers
That He would come deliver
Their brother from death's grip.
Yet, in their grief they watched him
From them slowly slip.
When all was said and done
And hope's last ray was gone,
The Savior was not finished--
His work had just begun.
A word he could have spoken
To roll the stone away,
Instead, He spoke to them
A word they could obey.
Then piercing through the darkness
And melting death's cold chain,
The Savior brought a dead man 
To life in Him again.
He that was dead, now living
Came forth to walk in light.
Yet, though from death he'd been freed,
Still grave's clothes bound him tight.
The Savior didn't promise
Those clothes would soon wear off,
Nor did He blush and offer
To cover up that cloth.
Turning to His disciples,
The ones who followed Him,
The ones He'd taught and nurtured,
Who had been cleansed from sin--
To these He gave instruction
To 'loose, and let him go,'
To help remove the hinderance
That kept the new as old.
None but the Master could
From death's hard clutches save,
But their's it was to help one
Walk in the life Christ gave.

Another grave once guarded
Its victim fast and sure,
The cold stone placed upon it
Was sealed and quite secure.
But cruel death lost its sting,
The grave its victory,

As God Almighty, The I Am
Broke forth triumphantly!
He needed no one else
To roll away the stone,
Unbinding His Own grave's clothes,
he placed them all alone.
The very Lord and Savior
Who brought life to the dead,
He IS the resurrection,
Yet He it was Who bled.
The life He gives to others
Was that which He laid down,
Then in His glorious power
He rose with victory's crown!
He rolled away His Own stone
And other's He could part,
Yet it is us He's bidding
To touch a hardened heart,
To gently move the stone
That's covering the hole
Of sorrow, shame, and darkness,
Where death has taken hold.
Then he can pierce the gloom
With His eternal life
And bring a soul from darkness
Into his glorious light.
Yet, though from death they're free,
We, as the Lord's disciples,
Are called upon to loose
The garments that still stifle,
Helping to remove things
That hinder Christian growth,
Unwinding lies and teaching them
How to walk in Truth.
And all would be in vain
If he Who gave them life
Had not unrolled His Own stone,
Laid His grave's clothes aside.

Copyright © Elisabeth Linzey 2014