Featured song: Sunday’s On The Way by Carman, from his 1983 album of the same name.
One thing that we will never know (until perhaps when we see the Lord face-to-face) about the first Easter is exactly why the Devil would take the step of getting people to crucify Jesus, when Jesus had already stated several times that He would rise again from the dead. I mean, how could Satan be so very stupid? To allow this event to happen may have been his big gamble, that God in human form would shrink back from this very terrible event, and complete the transaction of the authority of the earth to permanent, never-ending evil. If that was the case, it was a gamble that did not turn out the way the Devil wanted.
And during those three days that Jesus was amongst the dead, before He rose, what did He do? Was He tormented by the Devil beyond what had been done during the crucifixion and the events leading up to it, or was it the Devil himself who was the tormented one, realizing that events were working ever more powerfully against him?
Carman’s classic song, Sunday’s On The Way, takes a humorous look at the nail-biting that Satan must have done, waiting for that third day to come.
The demons were planning on having a party one night
They got beer, Jack Daniels, and pretzels,
A little red wine, and some white
They were celebratin’ how they crucified Christ on that tree
But Satan, the snake himself, wasn’t so at easeWell, he took his crooked finger
And he dialed the phone by his bed
To call an old faithful friend, who’d know for sure if He was dead
“Hey Grave,” Satan said, “tell me, did my plan fail?”
Old Grave just laughed and said, “Hah, the dude is dead as nails”Oooooh, on Friday night, they crucified the Lord at calvary
But He said, “Don’t dread,
In three days I’m gonna live again, you’ll see!”
When problems try to bury you, and make it hard to pray,
It may seem like Friday night, but Sunday’s on the way!A tranquilizer and a horror flick didn’t calm Satan’s fear
So Saturday night, he called up Grave
Scared of what he’d hear
“Hey, Grave, what’s going on?”
Grave says, “Man, you’ve called me twice,
and I’ll tell you one more again boss, the Jew’s on ice.”Devil said, “Man, remember when,
Lazarus was in his grave?
You see everything was cool, then four days later
BOOM, he was raised!
Now, this Jesus is much more trouble
Than anyone has been to me
And it’s got me shook, cause He says
He’ll only be there three!”On Friday night, they crucified the Lord at calvary
Oh, but He said, “Don’t dread,
In three days I’m gonna live again, you’ll see!”
Yeah, when problems try to bury you, and make it hard to pray,
It may seem like Friday night, but Sunday’s on the way!Sunday morning Satan woke with a jump,
Ready to blow a fuse
He was shaking from the tips of his pointed ears,
To the toes of his pointy shoes
He said, “Grave, tell me, is He alive? I don’t wanna lose my neck!”
The Grave said, “Your evilness, maintain your cool; you a wreck!”Grave said, “Ah, now, cool your jets, Big D;
my sting is still intact
You see Jesus is dead forever
Man, He ain’t never coming back
So just mellow out man, go drink up or shoot up,
But just leave me alone
And I’ll catch you la… eh,
Oh no, man! Oh no! OH NO!
Somebody’s messin’ with the stone!”And the stone was pushed away,
And it bounced a time or two,
And an angel stepped inside,
Said, “Hey, I’m Gabriel, who are you?
If you’re wondering where the Lord is,
At this very hour,
I tell you he’s alive and well, with resurection power!”Oh, on Friday night they crucified the Lord at Calvary
Oh, but He said, “Don’t dread, in three days, you count em boys,
I’m gonna be kickin’ again, you’ll see!”
When problems try to bury you and make it hard to pray,
It may seem like Friday night
But I say Sunday
I’m here to tell you Sunday’s on the way!Hallelujah!
 |
Anyone who grew up in a church that had Sunday school classes for children was exposed at a young age to stories from the Bible. There were stories from the New Testament about Jesus, but there were also those great stories from the Old Testament about the encounters that people had with God over the thousands of years before Jesus came to earth.
Jesus told his disciples many times why He had come to earth, and what He ultimately had to do. Despite this, it is remarkable how in this most important of His actions, the death of Jesus on the cross seems to have taken them all by surprise. The writers of the Gospel accounts don’t explain or defend the cluelessness of even Jesus’ closest friends; they simply document it. 