Hope Arisen
After Jesus had been horrifically crucified, his body was prepared and placed in a tomb, with a large stone sealing the entrance, along with a guard. On the morning of the third day, Mary Magdalene and Mary, said to be weeping and crying, went to the tomb to anoint Jesus with spices. To their surprise, they discover that the tomb entrance was open and Jesus was no longer in the tomb. Although the women were in distress, an angel appeared to reveal that Jesus had arisen and to share the news with the disciples. With fear and excitement, they faithfully ran to tell the disciples. Doubt from the disciples was soon overtaken by belief upon seeing Jesus appear in the flesh with their own eyes. (Mark 16:1-10 - Read here)
What was the significance of Jesus rising from death? Was it a big deal? Indeed, the fundamental crux of the Gospel and the Good News centers around the crucifixion and the resurrection. As humans (after the fall of Adam/Eve), we are(were) imperfect creatures who sinned against God, either outwardly or inwardly. Because of our sin, we were unable to have a personal relationship with God due to His perfect Holiness. In order for restoration to occur, there needed to be a holy perfect sacrifice. A special sacrifice that could wash away the vast amount of sins of all humans, past present and future. Jesus, the son of God, who lived a perfect blameless human life, was the only one worthy enough to carry the weight of all human sins. Thus through the crucifixion and death of Jesus, we were rescued. This good news is truly inseparable from the crucifixion. The resurrection of Jesus also needed to occur to complete the Gospel story. The resurrection demonstrated the power of God, the truth about the divinity of Jesus, and also fulfilled countless stories within the Scriptures. It provides us with the beautiful message and gift of HOPE that God has freely given us. We now have the freedom to accept the gift and choose to live a life to try to have a personal relationship with God. What good news!!
Glimpses Into the Writing
The beginning notes of the song represent the early dawn on the morning of the resurrection. As the rays of the sun are starting to rise across the horizon, I chose instrumentation that would create the impression of glimmering rays of sunlight, casting a soft glow over the opened tomb entrance. When the violas come in, Mary Magdalene and Mary astonishingly discover that Jesus is no longer in the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary are then met by the angel who tell them that Jesus has risen from the dead and to go and tell the disciples. When the violin solo and first set of horns come in, it is in this moment that Mary Magdalene and Mary, in a state of fear and wonder, faithfully travel to announce to the disciples that Jesus is alive. When this news is heard, there is obvious disbelief at this notion after just witnessing his death a few days ago. But as Jesus begins to reveal his face to his disciples to prove he is alive, the beautiful angelic choir comes in, symbolizing the heavens and disciples rejoicing that Jesus has arisen. A moving string line begins to create a sense of excitement and urgency, as the joyous news is beginning to be shared. As the song culminates into the finale, you will hear a changing of the drum rhythm, joined by the prominently majestic horns, heavenly choir, strings, and violin line, coming together as ONE body, singing together to share the good news to the world. Hallelujah, Jesus has arisen.
Some fun things to note about the song… First, I wanted the rhythm to be in 3/4 time, or triplets, to represent the TRINITY; three in one, representing God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Second, it felt important for the song to have a live choir to represent the heavenly angels rejoicing! God blessed with me with a wealth of gloriously talented angel friends to sing on this track: Lisa Rono, Katie Pearn, Mary Gimness, Gabriel Lovin, and Olivia Ghaw. Floating over the top of the choir is Holly Ashjian, an amazing sopranist, who sings in unison with my violin line.
Inspirational artwork: Oana Seman
Heavenly Choir: Lisa Rono, Katie Pearn, Mary Gimness, Gabriel Lovin, Olivia Ghaw
Soaring Sopranist: Holly Ashjian
All music composed and played by: StoryLight Strings
Engineered by: Chris Bethea