Temporary Tomb

It was only ever meant to be a temporary tomb
A place to lay his body ’til the Passover was through
It belonged to their friend Joseph and it hadn’t long been hewn
It was empty, it was close, it was a temporary tomb.

They left their saviour’s body safe inside that temporary tomb
and went away to spend the next day mixing spices and perfume
Getting ready to return to Jesus’ body and resume
The preparations for his proper burial in a proper tomb

Very early in the morning, through the darkness and the gloom,
As the rising sun filled the horizon with a thousand hues
Of red and yellow, gold and orange, amber, crimson, bronze and blue
They made their way back through the garden to the temporary tomb.

They were surprised when they approached the stone and saw it had been moved
And squeezing in they were amazed to see an angel in the room
who said “he is not here, he’s risen, go tell everyone the news,
that this was only ever meant to be a temporary tomb!”

Now every day since then the sun has filled the sky anew
And every month since then the night is brightened by the moon
And every Spring the blossom grows and flowers in their beauty bloom
And since then every single tomb has been a temporary tomb.

Because the Easter hope is this, and we believe that it is true,
That God raised Jesus from the dead, and with him raised us too
so all the darkness, death, despair with which our fragile world is strewn
will be no more because of Jesus, and that temporary tomb.

(c) Rich Clarkson, Easter 2022