April 15, 2022

It seemed like the darkest of times –

It had been 400 years since the prophetic voice had been heard through Malachi;

the iron boot of the Roman Empire trampled down the known world;

the shadows of Greek philosophy left the mind unenlightened;

the maze of pagan superstition choked the heart;

the robes of religious ritual and legalism smothered the soul;

the chains of sin and ignorance bound man in his guilt and shame.

Yes, it was the darkest of times. But what we see as the darkest of times, God saw as the fullness of time. Paul the Apostle tells us that in the fullness of time God sent forth His own Son born of a woman, born under the law.

The angel Gabriel came to a young virgin living in the hill country of Judea. He greeted her and told her that she would conceive and bear a Son and that she was to name Him Jesus, He would save His people from their sins and God would give Him the throne of His father David and of His kingdom there would be no end.

Mary was astonished at these words and wondered how these things could be in that she was a virgin. Gabriel told her that the Holy Spirit would come upon her and that the power of the Most High would overshadow her and the Holy Child shall be called the Son of God – for nothing is impossible for God.

Her fiancé Joseph heard that she was pregnant and considered divorcing her, but an angel told him that this was the hand of God. They married and journeyed to Bethlehem where Jesus was born. The Light of the World didn’t make His entrance as a blazing fireball from Heaven, but as a Spark – a Spark born in a stable, in a backward hamlet, in a forgotten corner of the Empire.

Angels cheered and shouted “Hallelujah”; shepherds wondered and worshipped; wise men brought gifts and bowed before Him; kings quivered; Satan shuddered – and the world was changed forever.

As Jesus grew from a baby to a boy to a man, His glory increased. As the Spark was fanned into a Flame, the Light of the World was gradually revealed to Israel. His glory was seen at His baptism when the Holy Spirit, in the form of a dove, lit upon Him and God from heaven said, “This is My beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased.” The light of His glory increased as He taught and healed throughout Israel. Crowds clamored after Him and wondered if He was the Messiah promised to Israel. The brilliance of His Light continued to permeate the thoughts and consciousness of the nation. The Light of Jesus reached its highest peak at the raising of Lazarus from the dead and His triumphal entry into Jerusalem where He was celebrated and received as the Messiah promised from God.

The dark hearts of the chief priests and other leaders of the nation hated Jesus and were waiting for the right season of time to kill Him. Judas, one of Jesus’ 12 disciples, conspired with the chief priests to betray Him to the Jewish and Roman authorities. When Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, the Light surrendered to the Darkness. He said to the Roman and Jewish authorities, “…this hour and the power of darkness are yours.” Luke 22:53

The Spark that was nurtured into a Flame that grew to be a Raging Bonfire was delivered over to the powers of darkness. The Flame that was Jesus Christ was slowly snuffed out as He was beaten and tortured and crucified and buried. The stone rolled across the mouth of the tomb and the Light of the World was sealed away. No one even considered that the Light of the World was destined to be the Sacrifice for the World.

Good grief! Good Friday.

Be blessed and stay healthy and follow Jesus – Pastor Tim