March 26, 2016

Hope Rises From Darkness

45 From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. 46 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?”). -- Matthew 27:45-46

Hope is one of those elusive emotions. We hope life will be good. We hope things will turn around. We hope in many things.

Until the day we have no hope. We don’t think things will ever change. We believe we will always be sick or poor or alone. We are filled with darkness deep inside because we have no more hope.

Darkness fell over the earth that day. No one expected this, at least, no one who followed Jesus. They expected a conquering leader. A man who was God and thus could not die. And, yet, there He was hanging from a cross. Where was hope?

It’s what happens when our world shatters. It’s what happens when a once happy marriage lies in shambles or when a child falls into a drug addiction. It’s what we feel when our job is eliminated and we search for months and months to find any employment. It’s what lies deep inside when we bury someone we love way too early for death to have been a thought.

Hope. We become so lost in that great moment of sadness that we forget about hope. We forget that Sunday is coming. We forget that because of Jesus we do have tomorrow. He has not left us here as orphans but has created a path for us to go where He is.

And that changes everything.

We know that with God all things are possible. We are reminded that when we ask, if we believe, we will receive. We know that God wants good things for us. He reminds us that we can move mountains with our faith. Hope lives in Him.

Some days seem bleaker than the darkness that fell that day in Golgotha. Jesus cried out and as we read the words He quoted from Psalm 22 we ask the same of God. We feel lost, forsaken, and we cry out for an answer.

It comes on Sunday. His answer comes in an empty tomb. It is revealed in the garden and on the road to Emmaus. Jesus defeated death. Hope rose from the darkness. That is the priceless gift that awaits us -- on Sunday.