Review of “Oh Death” by MercyMe

“Oh Death” by MercyMe offers a strong reminder of the believer’s victory over death because of the finished work of Jesus Christ. The message is biblically grounded, drawing directly from passages like 1 Corinthians 15:55 — “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” — and Psalm 23:4, which speaks of walking through the valley of the shadow of death without fear because God is with us.

The song confidently declares that death has lost its power because of Christ’s resurrection, using lines like “You ain’t nothing but a stone that my Savior rolled away” — a clear reference to the empty tomb. This captures the essence of the gospel: Jesus’ victory over sin, death, and the grave. The chorus boldly celebrates this truth:

“Oh death, I will not be afraid. In the end, you will lose.”

This is solid biblical truth, not wishful thinking.

Strengths:

• Theological Accuracy: The song rightly identifies Christ’s resurrection as the reason death holds no fear for the Christian (Hebrews 2:14-15).
• Scripture Reflections: The imagery of death being defeated matches both Paul’s teaching in 1 Corinthians and the assurance of Psalm 23.
• Hopeful Tone: The song encourages believers to stand fearless in the face of death — because of what Christ has already accomplished.

A Minor Caution:

Tone & Language: Some of the phrasing (“I’ll dance on your grave” or “set you straight”) is modern and bold — possibly even brash for more traditional listeners. However, this mirrors Paul’s triumphant taunt against death in 1 Corinthians 15, so while strong, it’s not unbiblical — just creatively expressed for today’s audience.

Conclusion:

Overall, “Oh Death” is doctrinally sound, gospel-centered, and biblically faithful. It offers a bold and hopeful declaration that, through Christ’s death and resurrection, the fear of death is broken forever. There is no hint of false teaching or doctrinal error here — only a celebration of the victory every believer has because of Jesus.

As far as modern Christian music goes, this is a song that speaks truth with clarity and conviction.