Good Friday – the darkest day in history.

“Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sin! But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed.” – Isaiah 53:4-5 NLT

“Christ overcame all darkness after walking out of the grave.” Amen.

I kicked off a lesson in Isaiah 53 to students once with all the lights off in the room. Perhaps this is one of my favorite illustrations to deliver because it’s real. It’s relatable and truly, it’s dark. 

It was hard to see my sermon notes, to read scripture, and to connect with the students barely being able to see them. There was nothing beautiful or breathtaking about the set up, and that was the point. It’s hard to do anything in the dark. How many things do we attempt in our everyday life not realizing we’re trying to accomplish a task in a dark world not allowing the light and mercy of God to step in?  We need to realize the amount of darkness our sorrows, our weaknesses, and our troubles bring to our life. When we are surrounded by darkness, it’s hard to perform the task set before us.

As the lesson continued students slowly break a glow stick they had been given prior to the service, and the room slowly lit up. What a visual reminder of what Jesus did for us on the cross! Bringing us from death to life. From darkness to light. Before we knew it, the room was full of light once again. It was a situation where we once couldn’t see. We couldn’t manage to find the simplicity or good. Yet, light was provided to recognize the good as we worked our way through scripture that night and discussed the power of the crucifiction and resurrection. May we realize by his wounds we are healed. The punishment that brought us peace was laid on him. That is the God we serve. 

Good Friday is known as the darkest day in history. Over 2,000 years ago this was the worst day ever. Our Savior was beaten, mocked, and betrayed. May you be reminded this Good Friday how dark of a day this was. Not only today, but many times we need the reminder of how dark our life is without Christ to know how much light he supplies to our life and daily path. (Psalm 119:105)

We leave the path Christ has for us to follow our own. It’s dark with no sense of direction. It’s not a matter of if we will get lost, it’s the simple matter of when we will get lost. We are weak. We produce much sorrow on our own, and we face troubles and rebellion daily. The God that took things that can harm us, took everything we do not understand and solved it all on the cross. Jesus, thank you for providing light into a world full of darkness.

Yet, knowing we would commit such acts, the Lord laid on him the sins of us all. (Isaiah 53:6) This is the day he chose us. This is the day he knew none of us would be able to walk a perfect life, so he willingly gave his own. Following Christ is having a relationship with the one that truly gave it all for you. By His grace we now know the ending. By His grace we are forgiven. 

It is finished, it is done. Death has overcome.  

“He is not here, He is risen.” (Matthew 28:6)