Hope in the Days of Darkness

Scripture – Mark 15:33-37: ³³At the sixth hour darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour. ³⁴And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?“—which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” ³⁵When some of those standing near heard this, they said, “Listen, he’s calling Elijah.” ³⁶One man ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down,” he said. ³⁷With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.

Reflection: – Jesus cried out with the opening line of Psalm 22. That psalm is an interesting read. It starts out with the cry of forsakenness. Yet from that, it moves through despair to hope and praise and ultimate trust in God.

When Jesus breathed His last it must have been a relief for His enemies and great sorrow for His friends. Everyone assumed it was over. What a day it must have been.

Lord, you have shown me that even the darkest of days cannot overcome your light. You have carried me through times I couldn’t have made it on my own. The sun is shining today. Remind me I still need your hand on my shoulder. Be my guide and my friend this new day. Thanks.