Seeds for 03/11/2024 - Matthew 27:45
Scripture: From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land.
Observation: As we walk through the texts about Jesus’ crucifixion, it is important to pay attention not only to the events described, but to what they mean. Matthew (and the other Gospel writers too) is not only telling us the events, but teaching us theological truth through the telling of the events.
It is significant that darkness “came over all the land” during the middle of the day when the sun would usually shine its brightest. The crucifixion of the Son of God is at once a moment of deep darkness in the actions of man and a testimony to the great compassion of God. We must humbly remember that the result of God becoming human in Jesus in order to reveal Himself to humanity was collusion on the part of the civic and religious authorities to have Him executed, with the mob cheering it on. This is the reality check for us.
At the exact same time, the result of God becoming human in Jesus in order to reveal Himself to humanity was the willing self=sacrifice on the part of God. He went for that particular darkness in humanity that blocks the light—our sin—in order to conquer it, taking it into Himself, and putting it to death in Him so that we may walk not in our own darkness but in His own light.
Noon to 3:00pm. Darkness when there should be light. A snapshot of the fallen human heart. A portrait of God’s redeeming work is Jesus taking on our darkness and conquering it with His light.
Application:
What else might the Holy Spirit be speaking with you about in the text today?
Prayer: Lord, thank you for enduring the darkness of our sinful hearts in order to bring us into your glorious light. Amen.
“But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” (Matthew 13:23)
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