Light out of Darkness

Intro:

This is a precarious day in which this is the first Resurrection Sunday that churches are not having church. Normally this building would be full of new clothes, new hairdo’s, visiting family members, and folks who haven’t been to church since this time last year. However it is a sacred day all over the world. Many celebrate this day in different ways. Some have sunrise services emulating the risen story. Many cities and communities would have easter egg hunts. Others would observe elaborate ritualistic services laden with theological rhetoric and high liturgical flair. Some would re-inact the passion story. But almost every sermon would end with He Got Up! Although in my pragmatic practical praxis I too love that beloved traditional ending, but before the great getting up morning there was something that we all have to wrestle with and that is the darkness. All of us are dealing with or have dealt with our own darkness. Darkness is simply a place in which there is little or no light. In this hour we are all wrestling with the darkness of this pandemic. The economic outlook is dark. The amount of life loss is dark. The prognosis of our seniors graduating in traditional format is dark. Sports and entertainment is dark. Stores and restaurants are dark. When I drive into work and even church I look at so many places that used to active and lively, but now they are dark. Church can I just remind a few of us who know that our lives was once dark, but thanks be to God that the light showed up in our lives. I declare that no matter how dark it gets and no matter how long it is dark God eyes is still on the sparrow, because I know he watches me! If God is watching me then he knows where to send the light!

Suffered:

The scriptures teach us that there was no remission of sin except the shedding of the blood. Jesus took on darkness for us, because of the sins nature that started back in Genesis. The act in which Adam and Eve committed caused a breach in the communal contract between man and God. In order to reconcile this relationship someone had to suffer. The problem is not just anyone could suffer. It had to be a Lamb without spot blemish or any such thing. In Matthew 26 around verse 62-67 they took him before the Sanhedrin court. Isn’t it funny that the church had its own court? Yeah even in the first century the church was judging people, because up until Rome took over they were supposed to be a theocracy, but became a dark pit of vile disgust to judge only those who threatened their authority not God’s authority. I digress, however while he was at the church the church judged him and accused him of blasphemy in that kangaroo court. The bible says they spat on him, beat him, and mocked him. This happened in the church y’all. This all really came about because of a couple of things. One he claimed to be the Messiah, but did not meet their standard of messianic promise. They were looking for a King to overthrow Roman rule, but Jesus came to revive humanity back to God. Second after his Triumphal entry on Palm Sunday he went in threw out the money changers and crooks in the church. Jesus was alright until healing the sick and raising the dead. He was alright cleansing the leapers and giving sight to the blind. He was alright causing the lame to walk and the mute to talk, but when he threatened church folks authority and messed with those who were profiting off of poor people He Had to go. They wanted to make an example out of him, so they spat on him, beat him, and mocked him to let everyone know what will happen if you challenge us. Somebody say he suffered! If that was not enough then the Jewish leaders turned him over to a corrupt and crooked government. Sounds a little familiar don’t it? Let me keep moving they sent him to Pilate. He said nothing, Pilate heard he was Galilean and said let me get this dude off of my hands and sent him to Herod. Herod scorned him and made fun of him in public display, and sent him back to Pilate. Kangaroo court sounds familiar huh? Pilate being convicted a little and concerned because his wife warned him tries to squeak out of it giving the church folks an option. They chose Barabbas and demanded that Pilate and the Roman empire crucify him. I watch even today people who claim to know Christ do this very thing. We allow crooks and murders in suits, ties, and uniforms to go free while the innocent is demanded to be killed by execution. I can convincingly say that is not Jesus. They took him into the Praeatorium and mocked him placing purple on him and called him King of the Jews. They beat his head with a reed and twisted thorns and pushed it on his head. They beat him unrecongnizable with that cat with nine tails pulling tissue and sinew from his body. It was dark and ugly! He didn’t suffer for anything he did, because the writers said they could find no fault in him, but they still wanted to kill him. So he suffered for us. Here is the righteous judge the son of God allowing mere mortal men to do this to him, but is was all because of us. Somebody say he Suffered!

Close

As we approach our close this morning. The world was dark because the from the the 6th hour to the ninth hour the sun refused to shine. Which meant either there was a full eclipse or a lunar eclipse which signified in the celestial realm that change was on the way. The bible says that darkness covered the earth. Many began to get nervous. It would have been just a mere cloud if it lasted a little while, but this lasted three hours while our saviour was hanging on that old rugged cross. The bible declares that there will be signs in the earth, under the earth, and above the earth to signify our saviour. So the Sun refused to shine, the earth shook, and about the sixth hour after asking God to forgive them for they know not what they do and saving an insurrectionist who hung next to him. The signs were so strong even the Centurion said this must be the Son of God. Bible says around the 9th hour or around 3 o’clock he cried with a loud voice and gave up the ghost! Somebody say it was dark! I am so glad that God does great things in dark places church. In Genesis the book says that the earth was dark and without form. In Exodus it was dark because God’s chosen people were in bondage. It was dark when David showed up on the scene, because the Philistines had taken the Ark of the covenant or God’s glory from the people. It was dark with the prophets as God’s people were in captivity because of their sins. It was dark for over 400 years from Malachi, and John the baptist. Somebody say it was dark! The women got up early to anoint his body. According to John’s account they got there it was still dark, but when they looked for his body they could not find. That’s what I love about Jesus even though he came in a dark time, dealt with dark people, died a dark death, and was buried in a dark tomb he still knows how to shine.

Tell the story! about going to Israel!

But every time things got real dark God shows up and shows out! When the earth was void and without form and dark God said let there be light and there was light and the light was very good! When the children of Israel was in a dark place God showed up as fire in a burning bush and told Moses to tell Pharoah to let my people go! The light y’all! When the Ark of the covenant was taken God to the son of a prostitute and anointed him King, and after killing wolves and bears he Killed giants unified the states and brought back the presence of God in the Ark of the Covenant. When the people went into captivity and the temple was burned to the ground. The prophet spoke and said “5 “Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; A King shall reign and [a]prosper, And execute [b]judgment and righteousness in the [c]earth. 6 In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell safely; Now this is His name by which He will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

The light is on the way! Over 400 hundred years later when John the Baptist hit the scene he said I am not the Light but I come to bear witness of the Light. The writer of Hebrews said there was a board meeting in Heaven and God asked who will go down and redeem man back to us and Jesus said prepare me a body and I will go and redeem man back. Thank God for the light. So while we are in a dark place right now let us not forget who the light is. The light is not the government, the light is not the CDC, the light is not the news media outlet, the light is not your political affiliation. The Light is Jesus, and things under the earth has to bear witness. Things in the earth have to bear witness. Things above the earth have to bear witness of this light. Can I tell you why the sun couldn’t shine, because God would not allow anything to take his glory. God waits on the darkness to show the light of his grace! Can say it like I feel it