Good Friday message entitled "Darkness before the Dawn" (based on Luke 23:44-56)

The time was noon, just when the sun should have been at its brightest, and the light at its most potent. Yet, we read that ... “darkness came over the whole land” for the next three hours. What the world was doing to Jesus, despite what Jesus had come to do for the world, was a dark deed for sure. We could also look at this “darkness” in terms of the darkness of sin that Jesus was bearing. In either case, “darkness” is certainly appropriate, for it would be so difficult for God to look upon this scene of unjust torture.

Yet Jesus himself showed complete commitment to his cause and absolute trust in God, saying, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit”. Jesus quotes this from Psalm 31 verse 5. Here, in one phrase, is both a lament and a thanksgiving; a lament for the horrible circumstances of his death, yet a thanksgiving for how God would use this sacrifice for the salvation of so many. Jesus was hoping that he would be the forerunner of many of us who would likewise commit our spirits to God’s cause. This would be possible as we embrace the forgiveness being offered to us by Jesus from the cross. This forgiveness brings the new possibility of a harmonious relationship with God as seen by the temple curtain being torn in two. We’ll come back to the significance of this in a minute.

In our Luke reading, we see various onlookers at the cross. What did these onlookers make of all this?

· The Roman centurion (verse 47), involved in putting Jesus to death, now considered Jesus to be “innocent” and praised God; he would no longer be silent in simple solidarity with the dark and oppressive Roman authorities. To deem Jesus to be “innocent” or “righteous” is to agree that Jesus was who he said he was – the ‘Son of God’. This Roman officer now knew that Jesus was not a disreputable criminal like most of those who went to the cross, but an innocent man who endured undeserved suffering. Thus there had to be more to this than met the eye! There would be much to go home and think about.

· Then there was “all the crowds” who watched (verse 48) – just like a football crowd at the MCG who’d come out to see the match of the day. We read that they dispersed back home “beating their breasts”. What was this about ... what were they feeling? First the crowds from some five days earlier had yelled “Hosanna”; then in a big about-face had yelled “Crucify Him”; now they didn’t know what to think. If in “beating their breasts” they were grieving, it was likely, given their recent track record, that they were grieving for their own lost opportunity, rather than for the death of Jesus. They were likely disturbed and second-guessing themselves: Was this a mistake ... were they wrong to cry out for Jesus’ death? Where does this leave them?? Maybe Jesus is worth another look! One wonders how they will react to Jesus next, when they are confronted by his resurrection, and the preaching of the disciples on the day of “Pentecost”? Dawn will follow the “darkness” that they have witnessed, but will the true meaning of the events before them really ‘dawn’ on these people?? The same question is put to us!

· Jesus’ own “acquaintances” remained standing at a distance taking all this in (verse 49). We know some of these were the women who had become devoted to Jesus, but surely some of the male disciples were here to, standing at a safe distance. They understandably would not want to be so connected with Jesus that they would risk suffering the same fate. Interesting that they were only called “acquaintances” here ... the jury was still out as to whether they would continue as disciples or not. They were starting to sense even more danger involved in going forward as part of any Jesus movement ... fishing certainly would be easier! They were still trying to make sense of it all; why had someone so obviously sent by God finished up like this? Peter and the others would not hear of it when Jesus had told them that this was going to happen. Time will tell!! Eventually women in this group showed solidarity by going to the tomb (or cave) in which Jesus had been laid, and by preparing spices and ointments to be later applied to Jesus’ body (verses 55-56).

· Then there was Joseph of Arimathea (verses 50-53). We wonder about the motivation behind his actions. According to Matthew, this was the tomb set aside for himself that he was giving over to Jesus. This request to Pilate would avoid Jesus’ body being thrown into a common grave as usually happened to those crucified. For this Joseph, there likely would have been some guilt that he, as probably the only voice of reason within the ruling council, could not save Jesus. There might have been some desire to make a stand that he, Joseph, had not been a part of this injustice. As we read, we can sense real compassion in Joseph of Arimathea for a man so badly tortured and executed (when he had really been innocent). Joseph of Arimathea, through actions like this, would no longer be silent. He had been open-minded for the truth, he had been “waiting expectantly for the Kingdom of God” – now he was receiving it!

Decisions, decisions – what do we make of Jesus?

Despite the “darkness”, there is mention here of a unique happening – “the curtain of the temple was torn in two”. This curtain separated God’s symbolic dwelling place (the “Most Holy Place”, the “Holy of Holies”) from the rest of the temple. [Blood sacrifices were made behind the curtain on an altar on the ‘day of atonement’.] Access beyond the curtain was limited only to the high priest once a year (on this ‘day of atonement’), when he would go behind the curtain to pray for the forgiveness of the sins of Israel. The curtain represented the division that existed between humanity and God ... a division that was due to humanity’s sin. Could it be that this tragic sacrificial death on the cross meant a whole new era in religious affairs was about to dawn? Absolutely yes!!! From God’s point of view, this one sacrifice, being made by Jesus on the cross, will be the only sacrifice required and effective for the forgiveness of all sins for all time.

We know that there needed to be a complete renovation when it came to the temple (which represented the centre of religious life) ... a spiritual overhaul and a far more inclusive attitude. The attitudes and priorities taught and modelled by Jesus over three years would now be paramount. And now God was ushering in a movement that included all the nations of the earth. This new “temple” would not have curtains or blinds or even walls, and certainly no ugly fences. Rather it would be open with free admittance. This new ‘function-centre’ would be called the Kingdom of God, and it would exist, not just in one place, but, within and around the followers of Jesus (wherever they gather in community).

We will have to wait to see how this pans out ... just a couple of days!! We have this inkling though, that God is about to turn this “darkness” on its head! And not for the first time!! For, “In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth ... darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. Then God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light” (Genesis 1:1-3). Light will return. Jesus is the light of the world, and we sense that he is not done with yet, far from it!

Jesus himself was content in trusting God for the right outcome, in fact he confidently stated to all those present (according to Luke), “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit”. As we said earlier, this was a statement of complete and absolute trust in God. All of what Jesus was doing was going to be used mightily according to the will of God.

Don’t let us all get complacent over this cross scene, just because we’ve seen it all before! Don’t let’s move on quickly back to normal comfortable life unaffected!! Let us ask ourselves some questions about how this event should impact us and even change us. I certainly don’t want any of this suffering to be wasted. Maybe for the first time today, some of us will be prepared to say: “Loving God, into your hands I commit my spirit”. Then it will be, that this is the last breath that we will take only in our own strength – each breathe from now on will be breathed with Jesus firmly in our lives.