And There Was Darkness

Introduction

Welcome / Easter Egg Hunt / 10:00 service / PFT / encourage LTC

Series: The Passion of Jesus - we’ve followed Luke’s narrative from the Last Supper to his crucifixion, where (as we saw last week) he was extending forgiveness and promise to the last and least. Our reflection stopped just short of Jesus’ death.

Our text begins with with an unusual occurrence: darkness in the middle of the day.

friend from United Arab Emirates (located in the Middle East, in a region prone to violent dust storms) described his first experience of a West Texas Dust Storm as terrifying.

When it goes dark in the middle of the day — no matter the cause —

There is something unsettling about darkness in the middle of day.

But that’s—as we say—life: unexpected darkness / unsettling interruptions

Examples:

What to you do when it all goes dark? Our text today speaks to us our dark days.

Our text today speaks to us our dark days.

Read

The Buried Body

Let’s look first at what Joseph did, then we’ll look at Jesus. (Good example / Good news.)

Joseph of Arimathea buried the body of Jesus. We don’t often linger here long enough. Knowing the gospel as we do, we can already see the dawn of resurrection. But, we need to let this dark moment have its say. Jesus is dead. We have moved from a narrative about him to a narrative about it.

A touching act of honor and dignity recorded in all four gospels.

Jewish people took burial very seriously. Roman practice—leave them on the cross or throw them in a pit. But, to maintain peace, they would allow the Jewish people their burial customs.

The Jewish custom was to bury—even crucified criminals. And they were required to do it before the sunset. () But who will do it?

Shockingly, a member of the Sanhedrin—the council of the most prominent Jewish men. These were the ones who decided that Jesus should be crucified. Joseph, however, had “not consented to their decision and action; and he was looking for the kingdom of God.” Matthew tells us that he was a “rich man and a disciples of Jesus” ().

spoke to Pilate, requested the body, took Jesus body down, wrapped it in linen that he had bought (), and laid the body in his own new tomb (). John tells us that Nicodemus was there too — with about 75 lbs. of myrrh and aloes.

the women, seeing how the body was laid, decided they would need more. 75 lbs. just won’t do.

The whole scene is about “doing it right,” no… better than right. There is great love. This is no ordinary burial—this is a burial fit for a king. I’m moved to serve Jesus with greater love.

Serve Jesus with great love even when all seems lost.

Joseph of Arimathea - “a good and righteous man…looking for the kingdom of God” / curiously similar to the description of Simeon in the beginning of Luke’s gospel (). Simeon took the infant Jesus in his arms and blessed God for letting him see the salvation prepared by God as light for all peoples. Nicodemus, a man like Simeon, took Jesus in his arms with all light apparently extinquished. Simeon’s voice echoes.

has come to mind several times. When the wicked bend the bow and fit the arrow to the string to “shoot in the dark the upright in heart.” The last verse:

Psalm 11:7 ESV

For the Lord is righteous; he loves righteous deeds; the upright shall behold his face.

ps

Serve Jesus with great love even when all seems lost.

The Red Letters

Matthew and Mark tell us that Jesus cried out “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me” while on the cross—quotation from which runs parallel to the crucifixion in its entirety. After that, both Mt and Mk tell us that he cried out again with a loud cry. Luke tells us that with that cry he quoted another psalm (31:5): “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” … “And having said this he breathed his last.” () It has become the dying prayer of believers through the centuries:

It has become the dying prayer of believers through the centuries:

Psalm 31:5 ESV

Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.

He dies with confidence in the Father.

“Jesus was a Master even in his death” - Pilate was surprised to hear that Jesus died as soon as he did ().

Jesus’ death manifests itself as a shout. We don’t have to lean in close to listen to the raspy and faint whispers of a dying man. It is not the whimper of defeat; it is the shout of something finished—the shout of victory.

The way he died had profound effect on those who watched. Some left “beating their breast”—clearly troubled by it all. The centurion saw this as no ordinary death — he praised God, saying: “Certainly this man was innocent (just / righteous).” Mt. and Mk. tell us that he uttered an astounding truth: “Truly this man was the Son of God!”

Colossians 2:15 NIV

And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

The most unsuspecting witness of Christ’s death stands awestruck and convinced by his death.

Don’t let anything rob your confidence in the Lord.

The well-known author George MacDonald:

The Son of God suffered unto death, not that men might not suffer, but that their suffering might be like his. - George MacDonald

Psalm 11:3–4 ESV

if the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” The Lord is in his holy temple; the Lord’s throne is in heaven; his eyes see, his eyelids test the children of man.

Psalm 11:3–4 ESV

if the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” The Lord is in his holy temple; the Lord’s throne is in heaven; his eyes see, his eyelids test the children of man.

Ps 11

Story of Mark and Martha - diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) / “black hole of despair” / They memorized every verse they could about God’s Care: “We attempted to find ways to beat into our hearts the love and faithfulness of God. We planted our feet in the truth we understood even though everything in our lives seemed otherwise.” / Mark felt like an athlete being sidelined; got the sense that God was saying: You’ve been on the sidelines; you’re only now going into the game.”

8 of 10 years with ALS, Mark had no voice but sang hymns in his mind - was particularly helped by those that gave an expression of suffering. The “sweetness of life with God” in these years was something he would not trade for years.

Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs are not just what we sing when we gather here; they are the songs God gives us for the night seasons ().

The Torn Curtain

One last detail to consider this morning: in the dark moment of Jesus’ death:

Luke 23:45 ESV

while the sun’s light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two.

The sky was dark, the earth shook, rocks were split, and the curtain torn (the last of those doesn’t sound as impressive; though actually it is the most significant). Matthew adds the detail that it was torn from top to bottom ()—an act of heaven.

The holiest places of the Temple were separated by a curtain / a veil—an important separation going all the way back to the Tabernacle in Exodus. There was a curtain at the entrance of the holy of holies, the place where God made his presence dwell. Once a year, on the day of atonement, the high priest would enter and offer sacrifice for the sins of the people.

And here at Christ’s death the curtain is torn:

Possible symbolism: God has left the building / ending of the temple system

More obvious: a way was made for us into the presence of God

Hebrews 10:19–22 ESV

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

Heb. 10:19

In chapter 6, the Hebrew writer described Jesus entering the inner place behind the curtain as a priest forever, and therefore giving us “a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul.” Jesus has anchored us to the presence of God forever.

The life of man upon the earth is a life away from the Presence, wrenched loose from that ‘blissful center’ which is our right and proper dwelling place, our first estate which we kept not, the loss of which is the cause of our unceasing restlessness. The whole work of God in redemption is to undo the tragic effects of that foul revolt, and to bring us back again into right and eternal relationship with Himself. —A.W. Tozer

Edward Mote - a somewhat neglected son of pub owners who was raised in an environment where he didn’t even know there was a God. Was introduced to Christian teaching and baptized as a teenager. Later, in his mid-fifties he would become a minister, but spent the first half of his adult life as a cabinet maker. During those years when he was about my age, he wrote this song, the chorus while walking to work and at least two of the verses while building cabinets.

My hope is built on nothing less /Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness; / I dare not trust the sweetest frame, /But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;

I dare not trust the sweetest frame,

But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

When darkness veils His lovely face, / I rest on His unchanging grace; / In every high and stormy gale, /My anchor holds within the veil. /

I rest on His unchanging grace;

In every high and stormy gale,

His oath, His covenant, His blood / Support me in the whelming flood; /When all around my soul gives way, / He then is all my hope and stay.

My anchor holds within the veil.

His oath, His covenant, His blood

Support me in the whelming flood;

When all around my soul gives way,

He then is all my hope and stay.

When He shall come with trumpet sound, / Oh, may I then in Him be found; / Dressed in His righteousness alone, / Faultless to stand before the throne.

Oh, may I then in Him be found;

Dressed in His righteousness alone,

Faultless to stand before the throne.

Refrain: On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand; / All other ground is sinking sand, / All other ground is sinking sand.

On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;

All other ground is sinking sand,

All other ground is sinking sand.

Conclusion

Good news for dark days: our Anchor holds within the veil.

Press on in: draw near to the presence of God.

anchor holds within the veil

Joseph and the women in Service

The curtain torn in two