As one of the most important weekends on the Christian calendar approaches, we want to share some resources for worship leaders. We hope these songs are helpful as you lead your congregation through the heaviness of Good Friday and the joyful celebration of Easter.

The cross and the resurrection cannot be separated; Good Friday and Easter are two sides of the same coin. But while they are irrevocably intertwined, we do well to celebrate them in different ways.

On Good Friday, more than any other day, we acknowledge the enormous weight of our sin and the suffering which Christ endured to lift that weight from us. And on Easter, more than any other day, we proclaim Christ’s vindication through his resurrection and our joy as we join him in his victory over Satan, sin, and death.

Good Friday and Easter are two sides of the same coin.

As we approach the time of year set aside to focus on these truths, I’d like to share some songs from Mars Hill Music that have been particularly helpful for our church as resources for Good Friday and Easter.

Good Friday

Kenosis

Depth of Mercy. This is a redone hymn, and I feel it captures well in tone the darkness that descended on that first Good Friday.

Dustin Kensrue

Suffering Servant. This song is simply an adaptation of Isaiah 52:13–53:12, an amazing prophecy of what Christ, the Suffering Servant, would suffer to save us. Somber and epic in tone.

Ghost Ship

Lion Man. Also strongly influenced by the same Scripture, while drawing other references from the Old Testament referring to Christ as the Lion of Judah. Heavy vibe.

Joe Day

What Have We Done? A great simple and contemplative song that helps us to see our hand in the sufferings of Christ.

On Good Friday we acknowledge the enormous weight of our sin and the suffering which Christ endured to lift that weight from us.

Easter

Kenosis

All My Tears. A great song made most well-known by Emmylou Harris on the album Wrecking Ball. An old Mars Hill favorite.

How Deep the Father’s Love. Great adaptation of the modern classic into a 4/4 time signature. The spaces in the verse make the richness of the words easier to take in piece by piece.

Citizens

Nothing But the Blood. A spirited and upbeat version of the classic hymn.

In Tenderness. This has quickly become a Mars Hill standby. Great, fun, and energetic redone hymn.

Made Alive. By the title, you might guess that this is a great song for use in celebrating new life in Christ. From radio play it’s at this point the most well-known song from Mars Hill Music, so it could be a good one to first introduce to your congregation.

The Dispatch

The Solid Rock. One of my favorite hymns. It’s done with a simple but strong arrangement, bringing a good vibe that kills any stodginess this hymn sometimes falls into.

On Easter we proclaim Christ’s vindication through his resurrection and our joy as we join him in his victory over Satan, sin, and death.

Ghost Ship

Holy Holy Holy. This is one of those hymns that can feel like there has to be a chord change for every syllable. Ghost ship does a great job smoothing some of that out while not offending the melody. On top of that, they add a great repeating tag.

The Revelation of Jesus Christ. This song is by far my favorite song about our future hope in Christ as laid out in the book of Revelation. It’s almost straight Scripture from Revelation 21.

The Modern Post

Just As I Am. Before I worked at Mars Hill, this was one of my favorite hymns that they redid. I did an arrangement of it on the Modern Post EP. Great for driving home the idea that we don’t clean ourselves up to come to Jesus, but come just as we are to the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

Before the Throne. Possibly my favorite lyrics to any hymn, and Vikki Cook killed it on the melody rewrite. This version puts the song in 4/4 and makes it one of the most celebratory songs we sing at Mars Hill.

Dustin Kensrue

It Is Finished. Great tie-in to Jesus’ finished work on the cross, while also drawing attention to the fact that we can bravely fight the battles before us because Jesus has won the war.

Grace Alone. Upbeat Americana hymn that outlines the Trinity’s work and the sufficiency of grace in both our salvation and our sanctification.

Rock of Ages. A rewrite of the classic hymn with an added chorus drawing out the fact that Jesus, who was invulnerable, became vulnerable for our sake.