In less than a week, the cry of “Hosanna” turned to “Crucify Him”, and less than a week the people chose Barabbas, a murderer and thief over Jesus Christ.
There was darkness settling over the land just as there’s darkness today with:
- Babies Sadistically Aborted
- Widespread Suicide
- Murder Commonplace
- Divorce Prevalent
- Disease Worldwide
- Perversion Applauded
This is a very dark hour, not only in our nation but in the
world. The hatred toward Christianity is unlike anything we’ve seen in modern
times.
1 John 3:13
13 Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.
That
hatred is coming out of the darkness and out of the pits of hell as Jesus warned…
John 15:18
18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it
hated you.
The world hates a child of God because the Christian message is not a
message of inclusivism; it is not a message of relativity. It is an exclusive
and absolute message. It is not a broad message but a narrow message. It is not a
broad way but a narrow way! And that makes people angry; especially in a day
when there is a cry for tolerance and acceptance.
The Bible does not offer an
alternate lifestyle or another way; Jesus Christ is the ONLY WAY!
It’s not so
much a "war on Christianity" as it is rebellion against God. It is a hatred
toward anything that points to God or His Son Jesus and that includes
Christians.
The world is dark, and politicians and terrorists have become
ambassadors of evil. It is dark and getting darker every day. Jesus warned in
John 9:4 “Night is coming!”
Psalm 30:5 b 5 Weeping may endure for a night.
And
what a night it is! A night of darkness represents weeping and there is so much
weeping as the shadows of darkness covers the globe.
Isaiah 21:11
11 Watchman,
what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?
We ask when will this long night
be over?
I’ve seen families sitting under a tent at the graveyard who looked
like they had just lost everything. That’s pretty much how the disciples felt
when Jesus was crucified, death is such a dark valley.
But the Gospel is Good
News, and the good news is that “It’s dark, but morning’s coming!”
The darkest
hour in human history happened almost 2000 years ago. An angry mob led by Judas
Iscariot, came in the darkness with swords, spears, sticks and torches to arrest
Jesus. It was in the darkness of midnight when Jesus was bound and taken into
custody like a common criminal. But He had committed no crimes, in fact He had
just finished praying. He prayed so earnestly and so fervently until His sweat
became as great drops of blood.
They held a “mock” trial at night for Jesus,
which was illegal. He suffered abuse at the hands of the soldiers; when Jesus
wouldn’t answer their questions, they hit Him in the mouth. They blindfolded Him
and slapped Him in the face as they cursed and swore at Him.
Psalm 35:15 b
15
The abjects gathered themselves together against me…they did tear me, and ceased
not.
They spit in His face, showing their disrespect and contempt for Him. The
spittle ran down His face and beard. They mocked Him, beat Him, and plucked out
His beard.
Isaiah 50:6
6 I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them
that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting.
They
stripped Him of His clothes and tied Him to a whipping post where a soldier beat
Jesus within an inch of his life. Every time the whip cracked; pieces of flesh,
some the size of the palms of your hands, tore from His body. His precious blood
splattered on the stone walls and on the pavement.
Josephus said He was beaten
so badly until His eyes lay in the cup of His cheekbones.
Psalm 129:3
3 The
plowers plowed upon my back, they made long their furrows.
Isaiah 53:5
5 But he
was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the
chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
They
beat Him until He was hardly recognizable. His bones were out of joint, and He
was poured out like water. His heart was like wax melted in the midst of His
bowels. His strength was dried up like a potsherd. His tongue clave to His
jaws. The bulls of Bashan gaped upon Him and surrounded Him.
They wrapped a purple
robe around His bloody body. A crown of thorns was pressed down on His head
until blood poured down into His ears, eyes, and face. They hit Him over and
over again with a reed fulfilling prophecy of…
Micah 5:1
1 They shall smite the
judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek.
The soldiers tore off the robe that
had become glued to his back where the blood had coagulated. Calvary was a place
of execution; called the skull. It was where criminals, slaves, felons,
insurgents were executed. Death by crucifixion was a horrible way to die. It was
invented by the Persians and perfected by Romans. Crucifixion was the greatest
shame, humiliation, and disgrace anyone could experience.
Galatians 3:13
13
Cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree.
Jewish historian Josephus had
witnessed many crucifixions, he called it: "The most wretched of deaths." It was
a lingering death; some suffered on a cross for days before they died.
Philippians 2:8 8 Being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and
became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
They stretched Jesus
out on the cross and nailed His hands and feet with nails that resembled
railroad spikes but much sharper. Those hands that touched blind eyes, and those
feet that had walked upon the water.
Psalm 22:16
16 For dogs have compassed me:
the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.
Jesus hung on the cross for six hours. He endured the jeers and taunts of the
people who were wagging their heads.
Luke 23:44-45
44 And it was about the sixth hour, and
there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour.
45 And the sun was
darkened.
It was the darkest day in the history of mankind. The sun pulled a
veil over her face and the moon, and the stars could not shine. The One who had
hung the sun, moon and stars was dying and it became as dark as midnight.
Something horrible was happening!
- So horrible that noonday became as midnight.
- So horrible until all the disciples ran and hid.
- So horrible that the Father had to look away.
- So horrible that Jesus cried, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”
It’s dark, but
morning’s coming!
The body of Jesus was removed from the cross, prepared for
burial, and placed in a dark tomb that was sealed shut with a large stone. The
tomb was completely dark. The first Easter started out dark and gloomy as the
Lord Jesus lay dead in a dark tomb.
It’s dark, but morning’s coming!
It was early
Sunday morning; so early it was still dark! The women went to the tomb with heavy
hearts and was surprised to find the stone rolled away. Not only that but the
tomb was empty, the dead body of Jesus was not there!
The tomb was empty but two
men in shining garments, which were angels, said to them, Why seek ye the living
among the dead?
6 He is not here, but is risen:
They were not expecting to find
an empty tomb! They were not expecting to see angels! They were not expecting to
see Jesus alive! BUT that’s what Easter is all about! Easter brings hope! Easter
morning gives us the courage and hope to endure the darkness.
It’s dark, but
morning’s coming!
It was in the early morning when the Son of God rose from the
grave. Jesus made Easter morning a time of total victory over the darkness.
Psalm
30:5 b
5 Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.
It’s
dark, but morning’s coming!
It will be Easter morning for all eternity! Easter
is not just about victory in death, it is about victory in life. The tomb is
still empty!
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