etcetera:

Mark 15:33-34

33 At noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. 34 And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”) 

I cannot imagine what it must have been like to have been in utter darkness for 3 long hours.  Can you?  Darkness for us is so oppressive, and it brings a sharp, painful sense of being alone.  

But the disciples- they had believed Jesus’ teaching and followed Him.  This was Jesus- the one who was The Life and Light of men – He was supposed to be the light that would shine in the darkness and the darkness would not overcome it.   (John 1:5; John 8:12)

So how could this be the reality? How could they be so fully surrounded by this heaviness, in the darkness of imminent death. Were His promises a lie after all?   

Jesus, knowing the Father’s face had turned away- while he was suffering the most unimaginable death- was completely alone in the darkness.   

And how did His followers feel as they experienced this unimaginable moment? Had they somehow been wrong? Was God doing more than they understood, or were His promises broken? The hopelessness they had to have felt would have been overwhelming.  

And Jesus … did He know it wasn’t hopeless as he cried out these words, “Why have You forsaken Me?!”  As He faced this ultimate rejection, did He know He would have victory over death?  

In the darkness we face, we have a King who truly IS our Light and Life of men – a King who intimately KNOWS the darkness we face. His promises are true, and in our pain, when we are rejected, He is intimately acquainted with the worst pain and rejection.  He knows all of our suffering.

Author, Melody Day. Holy Week 2024