"Well might the sun in darkness hide, and shut its glories in, when God, the Mighty Maker, died for man the creature's sin." He had already been suffering in agony for three hours. I have never known why the Good Friday Services are only 3 hours long. "There was darkness over all the land," because "the sun refused to shine." But the "darkness" of my sin had Our Savior suffering, bleeding, bearing my, "sins in His Body on the tree," for three hours prior to the recorded, "....darkness over all the land...." Sobering, to know that it was my sin which caused, "....darkness over all the land...."
Notice that right after our Lord, "Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His Spirit," we read a giant, "....BEHOLD...." Of course we have all read what I read yesterday for my Gospel reading. But because the, "God-Breathed," Words are, "alive and active," still breathing the Breath of Jesus into my being, I experienced a fresh "energizing." First of all, "The veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom." Of course, "The Christ Event," was a, "from top to bottom," event. It was all the Godhead, everything, in His Heart from before the foundation of the world. My tears could not have torn that veil, nor my prayers, nor all the good things I could ever think of or do. "For what the law could not do..., God did"! And let us be very clear; It is equally true that what you and I, "could not do..., God did."
Furthermore, there was "an extra added attraction." We read that, "....the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, and the graves were opened; and many...," arose after Jesus arose. Now, I'm thinking here that the earth quaking and the rocks splitting and the graves being opened, all set the scene for, "....the saints...coming out of the graves after His resurrection." For the Bible tells us that Jesus is, "the Firstborn from among the dead"; therefore, the dead saints had to await Resurrection Sunday. But can you imagine what swept through Jerusalem when, "....the graves were opened..."? There were no, "....bodies of the saints," yet appearing, but it was as though a mighty procession, a mighty "pomp and circumstance" was about to take place, indeed, a prelude, if you will, of the great Day of the "general resurrection of the dead."
I'm sorry that my devotionals seem to be turning into books. But I pray that you allow, "The Word of God," to produce the same energy and joy in you today as He as in this writer.
Father, in Jesus' Name, Glorious, "....darkness over all the land...," glorious shout, "It is finished", glorious rending of, "the veil of the temple...," and glorious anticipation of That Day when You, "descend from Heaven with a shout, a glorious command...," and we all arise. Amen.
When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
Hebrews 12:2
Hebrews 12:2
