The Darkest Hour

There is an old saying, “it is darkest just before the dawn.” Metaphorically this means, things are at their worse before they get better.

This is the darkest day in human history. For 6 grim hours Jesus hung on the cross dying, yet these are the most significant hours mankind has ever witnessed. When man was at his worst God was at His best!

Envision the ladies (40-41) standing at a distance watching the grim scene, the disciples were in hiding… perhaps watching from a far off roof top. They thought it was over and there was no hope left in the world. But God was completing salvation and in three days they would see the dawn’s shinning light as Jesus arose from the grave.

CPS: When things seem their worst God is working for our best!

I. The Son’s Judgment 33-36

The Crucifixion of Jesus was a grim scene, at 9 am Jesus was nailed to a cross. The first three hours Jesus hung there was full of mockery and ridicule. The pilgrims, religious leaders, and even those crucified with Him hurled insults at Him. They said “He saved others, but He can’t save Himself.” Truer words haven't been spoken! Jesus saved other’s and could not not save Himself. It wasn't because of the nails that held Him (He was God) it was because LOVE held Him! Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

At noon the ridicule stopped and darkness fell over the land! Darkness is the Greek noun skotos, it means lack of light. When the sun should have been its brightest it could not be seen! The Historian Phlegon of Tralles wrote “at noon in turned to night and the stars were seen in heaven.” This was not a solar eclipse (Full Moon), it wasn't a dust storm, and it wasn't a rain! It was a supernatural act of God, (750 BC) Amos 8:9 “It will come about in that day,” declares the Lord God, “That I will make the sun go down at noon And make the earth dark in broad daylight.” God used the heavenly dimmer so that there was darkness over the whole land of Judea!

ILL: Diogenes, an Egyptian philosopher living at that time said, “Either the deity Himself suffers at this moment, or He sympathizes with one that does.” BOTH WERE TRUE!

Can I tell you that God judges sin and at that moment the judgement for sin fell on Jesus! This was the sign of Judgment and it announced that God’s beloved Son, the Lamb of God, was giving His life for the sins of the world. During these three hours Jesus became sin and bore the wages of sin for each of us! In the darkness Jesus cried out, “My God, my God why have thou forsaken me.”

Jesus had been abandoned by His friends now He is abandoned by His Father. Jesus always called God “Father.” But here alone He calls Him God. Jesus stood in judgement, abandoned by God. How prolific a statement, God abandoned by God. Here we see Jesus surrendered to the God head, obedient to death and all alone on the cross.

In all eternity Jesus had never been separated from fellowship with God! But hell came to Calvary that day as Jesus bore the sins of man and Holy God could not look upon what His Son had become! God turned away and Jesus experienced the ultimate loneliness, HELL, forsaken by God!

Hell is the absence of God and the darkness that fell was the wrath of God unleashed on the Christ. It was an accouncment that judgment had come on the Son but it was also an announcement that judgment was coming for man and he better be prepared!

Not only was there darkness over the land but there was darkness in the minds and hearts of the people. When Jesus cried out their wicked hearts thought He cried for Elijah to save Him! If He came then they would believe Jesus! Jesus could have called all the host of heaven to save Him but then Salvation would be left undone.

Friends, your sin will be judged upon Calvary’s cross or upon your soul. For the unrepentant sinner judgment is coming for you! You too will be abandoned by God unless you repent of your sin and turn to Jesus in faith! 2 Cor. 5:21 “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

He took our place and drank the bitterness of sin so that we may be made right before God! During those dark hours God’s glory was working so that we could be saved by grace through faith in Jesus! Now we can say, “in all things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.

II. The Son’s Sacrifice 37-39

Jesus’s time on the cross was short compared to most. He suffered six agonizing hours on the cross and drank the cup of wrath that He prayed would pass over Him. But He is the Passover Lamb and at the right moment in time Jesus cried with a loud voice then died. Cried is the Greek verb aphiēmi, in our text it means to produce or give. John 19:20 tells us what Jesus said, “it is finished!” Note, Jesus did not say “I am finished.” This was not a cry of defeat but a shout of victory! Jesus had finished the work He was sent to do thus atonement was made and paid in full by the blood of Jesus! In that moment salvation was complete and since salvation is a finished work, we dare not add anything to it, or take anything from it!

I find it interesting, that aphiēmi is used 146 times in the N.T. (37 MK) and is often translated forgiveness. Jesus used it in Mark 2:5 “And Jesus seeing their faith said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Once it was finished and forgiveness was accomplished, then and only then Jesus died.

Jesus’ death is miraculous. As God He could not die but as man He had to die. Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

It’s important that you understand this, Jesus’ life was not snubbed out, it was freely given by Him. Luke’s (Lk. 23:46) Gospel adds “Father, into your hands I commit My Spirit.” (Psalm 31:5a)

At that moment as the priest were tending to the sacrifices God became accessible for all mankind. The earth quaked, and the temple veil was torn in two. It was believed that God lived behind the temple veil and He was unapproachable except for by one man one day of the year and that was to offer atonement for sin. But Jesus broke the barriers that had once separated man from God.

This veil was 60 feet tall and 30 feet wide, it was a thick as your hand. The veil separated the holy place from the holy of holies. It is quite impossible that man could tear it from top to bottom, but God told man that there was no more need for sacrifice and every man by grace through faith could now approach God.

The Gentile who was once limited to the court of the Gentiles now had direct access to God. The ladies who once were constrained to the ladies court could now approach God. The Jewish men who were limited to the court of Israel could now come into the presence of God. When Jesus, Emanuel, God with us died He made God accessible by all mankind.

It was the darkest day of humanity, the Lamb of God had been slain, but the Glory of God had worked for our good leaving nothing undone, It is finished and man simply enters into a relation with God based on faith!

Of all those standing by watching, it was a Roman centurion, who understood. When He saw the way Jesus had died He said “Truly this man was the Son of God.” And Mark ends the ministry of Jesus how he began.. Jesus the Son of God! Some of us here today need access to God, the only way to meet God the Father is to know Jesus the Son through faith!

Con: It was a dark day when Jesus died, man was at his worst but God was at His best and by grace through faith I can honestly say, Romans 8:38-39 “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

It is darkest before dawn is quite true, things looked bad as Jesus died and entered into the place of the dead but dawn was coming and on the third day our Hope was settled as the Son rose again!