The Darkest Day
Darkness enveloped the hill just outside the gate of Jerusalem. Lightening and thunder bellowed the displeasure of God Himself. The whisper of demons could be heard throughout the crowd pressed around the cross where a man, naked and dying, hung gasping for every agonizing breath.
The man’s disciples were nowhere to be found. Only John knelt at the foot of the cross with the man’s mother, comforting her as sobs shook her frame. The others had disappeared, perhaps crouching among the outliers or holed up somewhere, fearful of their lives.
The man on the cross was Jesus, a carpenter-turned-rabbi who had attracted the attention of thousands over the last few years. Everywhere he had gone, crowds had pressed against him. They even called him the Messiah, the one who was to deliver them from Roman oppression.
But here he was, hanging on a cross. As the throng looked on, he pulled against the nails one last time, filled his lungs with air, and cried out, “It is finished!”
A clap of thunder punctuated the statement and sobs rent through the crowd. Others cheered, their evil purposes finally realized. What they didn’t know was that this day was not the darkest day in earth’s history. What they didn’t know was that this cross was not a symbol of torture and death. What they didn’t know was that Jesus’ cry was not an acceptance of defeat.
What they didn’t know was that Jesus’ cry was not an acceptance of defeat.
Sunday morning, not much had changed. Jesus had been buried in a generous man’s tomb. His disciples were still hiding, afraid for their lives. The mood of all those who had believed in him was dark and depressed. Yet, something happened that changed everything.
One hundred soldiers had been stationed around the stone that was sealing Jesus in his tomb. As the first rays of light began to appear in the East, an angel streaked out of the sky and struck the ground just in front of the tomb. Overcome with the glory of the angel, the soldiers passed out. Strolling towards the massive stone, he tossed it aside as if it were a pebble.
With a loud, clear voice, he commanded, “Son of God, come forth; Thy Father calls Thee.” Immediately, Jesus steps out of the open tomb. His face is radiant and his clothes are brighter than the sun. Standing to his full height he proclaims, “I am the resurrection and the life!”
“Son of God, come forth; Thy Father calls Thee.”
Looking back, we see that the day Jesus died was not the darkest day in earth’s history, but one of its brightest. Looking back we see that the cross, so long a symbol of torture and death, became a symbol of hope and everlasting life. Looking back we see that Jesus’ cry of “It is finished” was not an acceptance of defeat but a cry of victory! Looking back we see the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus as proof that God can take the darkest moments, the most impossible situations, and turn them around for good.
Looking back we see the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus as proof that God can take the darkest moments, the most impossible situations, and turn them around for good.
It’s easy to become blinded by the darkness and hopelessness that surrounds us. It’s easy to hide from our problems, just as the disciples did so many years ago. Don’t! God has a plan. No matter what we’re going through, He can and will turn it into something for our good.
And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. ~ Romans 8:28
I don’t know what you’re going through or how hopeless your circumstances look. But this I do know. The same God who died on a cross two thousand years ago has His hand over your life. If He could bring good from that situation, He can do the same for you. Won’t you give Him a chance?
