How many of you are fans of the spring time change? There is something about losing an hour that is far more difficult than gaining one. This year, I attempted to organize and purge our coat closet the Monday after the clocks went forward. My unfocused brain couldn’t make a decision on what to keep and what to donate. Most of the coats ended up in the “decide later” pile. In the long term, we appreciate the extra hour of sunlight in the evenings, but it can take a few days for our bodies and minds to adust.
At no time is the transition between darkness and light more pronounced than at Easter. Luke describes the death of Jesus this way: “It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, for the sun stopped shining….Jesus called out in a loud voice, ‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.’ When he had said this, he breathed his last ( 23: 44, 45a, 46; NIV).” When the light of the world hung on the cross, God supernaturally caused the sun not to shine.
Everything changed when Jesus died. The barrier between God and mankind was broken. The human race could now freely approach God and receive forgiveness for sins. No one but God could see this yet. Those who knew and loved Jesus experienced deep grief, the “dark night of the soul (John of the Cross).” But when Jesus burst into life on Easter day, the world knew a brilliance it never had before. God’s grace was available to all. Everyone could have a personal relationship with the Saviour.
One Sunday morning, when I was five, my mom stayed home from church with me, because I was sick. Instead of resting in bed, Mom found me running around my bedroom. When she came in, I was expecting some sort of punishment. Instead, she sat down and asked if I would like to accept Jesus into my heart. I prayed a short prayer with her, asking God to come into my heart and forgive me. It was that simple. At five, I didn’t understand all the theological concepts behind this prayer, but I knew immediately that God lived within me, and I would go to heaven when I died. My faith in God continues to sustain me to this day.
Jesus brings us from the darkness of Good Friday to the light of Resurrection Sunday. Our part is to accept the light he brings. Even in the dark times we all experience, God has plans for the endgame. Darkness is merely the absence of light and God has already defeated the darkness.
Happy Resurrection Sunday!