A Journey with Jesus during Lent

Friday, March 24, 2023

Day 27

Matthew 27:45-46

From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).

Dear Soul Sisters,

This has been a tough week. We finally move beyond the insults and mockery of Jesus on the cross and now we come to three dark and silent hours in the middle of the day, from noon to 3pm. Wait, what? It’s as if someone turned the lights off. The Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke all tell us that a sudden, strange, mysterious darkness fell over the land. Can you imagine if at lunchtime, all of a sudden everything went dark? Talk about terrifying, what in the world is happening?

This miraculous darkness represents the suffering of Jesus’ soul as He felt Himself to literally BE the cumulative sin of the world, ironically although He was sinless. (2 Cor. 5:21).This darkness had a concentration of force. It was penetrating and thick. With it came silence. A silence that was deathly. There are some things that go beyond description and this seems to be one of those moments. It was during that incredible silence that Jesus suffered such extreme anguish and it was as if God drew the curtain on this Holy scene so that no witness could see or hear within. Can you fathom?

Interestingly, this was not the first time God caused everything to go dark. In Exodus 10, God sent the ten plagues onto Egypt and the second to last plague that God sent caused darkness to fall upon Egypt for three days, while at the same time there was light in Goshen where the Israelite slaves lived. "Then the LORD said to Moses, 'Stretch out your hand toward the sky, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even a darkness which may be felt'" It was so dense "they did not see one another, nor did anyone rise from his place for three days, but all the sons of Israel had light in their dwellings". The hand of God cut off the light of the sun for three days to save His people.

I also learned that Matthew was probably seeing this darkness as the fulfillment of Amos 8:9, ““In that day,” declares the Sovereign Lord, “I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth in broad daylight.”

Gosh, these words are hard. Period. In that terrible silent darkness, God was laying on Jesus the sin of the whole world. It’s as if he was hiding it from the eyes of those who were present in that darkness. And as those three hours wore on, the desolation of suffering reached its lowest point when Jesus was “made to be sin” instead of the sinner. All for us? Yes, all for us. Jesus went to the cross and took on that punishment so that we would never have to. He was the Sin Sacrifice once and for all.

What stood out to you today?

Dear Jesus,

We praise You and give thanks that we get to journey with You through this season of Lent. Draw us closer to Your heart, that we might know You better. After we daily reflect on Your selflessness and life-giving Word, give us wisdom to be Your hands and feet in the world just as You intend. Give us hearts of compassion, hands of generosity, and feet that take Your good news to the world. We love You and are honored to serve you Lord, our sweet Savior. Amen.

Week 5 Act of Kindness

“I was sick and you looked after me” Matthew 25:36b

This week, help someone who is sick or in the hospital.

Dear Jesus,

Week 5 Act of Kindness

“I was sick and you looked after me” Matthew 25:36b

This week, help someone who is sick or in the hospital.

Soul Sisters Ministry

Serving God both on-line and on-land

A Journey with Jesus during Lent