Easter Saturday Morning service, Erlo Stegen, 15 April 2017
Luke 23:44-46
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, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst.
46 And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.
The whole previous night they were busy blaspheming and cursing Him. They mocked and ridiculed Him in the worst way possible.
But when Jesus died the veil in the temple that separates the most holy place from the rest of the temple, was torn in two, from the top down. It was to show it was not from some human agency but God who tore the veil.
These Jewish rulers and leaders experienced something they never expected. All of a sudden everything changed. Everyone could experience that Jesus died for our sin.
He endured terrific suffering but endured for your and my sake. We see God working at Calvary. Jesus was crucified at 9 in the morning, which was the 3rd hour. Some continued mocking Him until noon. But then their mocking came to a sudden end. During all this time Jesus only spoke 3 times. He said, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do”. And He spoke to John, “behold your mother”. And when the thief on the cross asked Jesus to remember him, Jesus promised him that he will be with him in Paradise.
For 3 hours the sun stopped shining, it was pitch dark. What caused it? God was speaking. We know that God is light, but there are times when God reveals Himself through darkness, in judgement. In Egypt God told Moses to strike Egypt with darkness and for three days it was totally dark, they could almost feel the darkness.
God has no fellowship with sin. He has no compassion for sin. He doesn’t overlook sin. Hell came down in fury upon His cross and Jesus cried out, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” He didn’t cry My Father. All of this because of your sin and evil.
Jesus also cried over Jerusalem, “Jerusalem, Jerusalem how often I wanted to gather you as a hen gathers her chickens but you would not”. It shows His great care and suffering to save you and me.
In John 10 we read that the Good Shepherd lays down His life for His sheep. No one takes it from Him but He lays it down willingly.
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