Shattering the Darkness
Reflection
When I was probably 10 or 11 years old, my family spent Easter with my grandparents, attending their church on Easter morning. We were dressed in our Easter clothes and the sky, for upstate New York, was blue and sunny. My family walked into the familiar sanctuary, but everything was different. It was dark inside with barely any lights, and all of the beautiful stained glass windows were covered in heavy black plastic. Even as a young child, I knew this was not right. As the service started, the pastor spoke about Good Friday and Christ’s crucifixion. He talked about the borrowed tomb and the anguish of Christ’s family and followers.
But then he said, “But on Sunday, the world bore witness to His resurrection!” At that cue, the black coverings on every window were yanked down in one fell swoop. The pastor announced, “He is Risen!” just as the room filled with light. I think of this every Easter! The stark difference between the darkness as we entered and the light-filled space with the declaration of Jesus’ resurrection made an impact on that young girl.
Application
Hung on a cross between two thieves, Jesus, who was without sin, was preparing to be crucified. Even one of the criminals next to Jesus realized the enormity of the circumstance and rebukes his fellow thief,
“Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since we are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” (Luke 23:40-41)
A few verses later, we read that darkness covered the earth from noon to 3 in the afternoon and that the sun stopped shining. Imagine the literal and figurative darkness at midday, signifying the darkness of the sin in the world. There was no light that would shine in those dark hours. And there is no light in the darkness of our sin.
But just as Jesus proclaimed,
“I am the light of the world.” (John 8:12),
He shattered the darkness when He gave His life for ours. 2 Corinthians 5:21 describes the exchange,
“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
Easter ushers in the hope and light of God’s great gift - one we don’t deserve and one that costs Jesus everything.
Closing/conclusion
As you settle into a seat at church on Easter, I pray that you will consider the darkness of sin in your life that was shattered because of the death and resurrection of Jesus. He is risen and is the Light of the World!