Light from the Darkness....the Wayfarer 3/25/16

Light from the Darkness
3/25/16

⁴⁵ Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.

⁴⁶ And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

(Matthew 27:45&46)

The darkest day in the history of mankind is documented within this short passage of two verses from Matthew.

It was a day that can never be forgotten, never be removed from the history of mankind, never diminished in importance, and a day never to be repeated again no matter how long that history may continue.

It was a day when light was rejected for darkness, life rejected for death, peace and joy rejected for continuing strife and misery, a day that love was rejected for the hatred and misunderstanding that remains even today attempting to overshadow the fact that that darkness could not dim nor diminish the light that shone so brightly for any choosing to remove the self-imposed blindness that led to that darkness.

Out of that darkness, however, the light burst forth, not a glimmer, nor flickering weak, flame that could be snuffed by a puff of wind, but a blinding shimmering light that lit the way once and for all for mankind to find all that had been rejected prior to that day, as well as being rejected on that day by those who attempted to keep it from shining forth in all its glory as was and is intended by God.

⁴⁷ Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elias.

⁴⁸ And straightway one of them ran, and took a spunge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink.

⁴⁹ The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save him.

⁵⁰ Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.

⁵¹ And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;

⁵² And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,

⁵³ And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.

⁵⁴ Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.

Had Jesus not been crucified, there could have been no resurrection, darkness that was temporary that day would have been eternal.

Had Jesus chosen personal comfort and power at any time prior to the cross, the purpose of his having come would have been defeated.

There was no sacrifice given that could atone fully for the sin of man and make this creature acceptable to our Creator, no blood that could remove the guilt of the species that chose to blatantly disregard each and every covenant made with Him, as all previous sacrifice was imperfect, requiring repetition, inadequate to sustain the perfection demanded by a perfect God.

The sacrifice that dark day was sufficient, and remains so.

The veil of the temple, a veil that represented the separation between man and God was rent down the middle, opening the way to complete salvation, as the final sacrifice necessary had been given to eliminate that separation.

Light was made available that day for any and all who would choose it.

Atonement was given that day for all who would choose it.

Mercy was offered that day, for all who would accept it.

Grace was extended that day for all willing to receive it.

¹⁴ And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:

¹⁵ That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

¹⁶ For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

¹⁷ For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

¹⁸ He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

¹⁹ And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

²⁰ For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

²¹ But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

(John 3:14-21)

Light or darkness must still be chosen, by each and every individual human soul.

The darkness that would engulf us is palpable and visible, and becomes more so each day with each passing hour.

The Light is also visible, available to each who chooses to accept it.

The means of seeing that light requires a different set of eyes than those who choose to view only the darkness. It requires that faith be exercised, to see the light given us through Christ Jesus.

Grace was given to find that light, and that grace remains for those choosing to accept, instead of deny what was given on the cross, and what was assured through the resurrection.

Ephesians 2:8-10 King James Version (KJV)

⁸ For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

⁹ Not of works, lest any man should boast.

¹⁰ For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Light shone forth from the darkness, choice remains between the two.

2 Timothy 1:12 King James Version (KJV)

¹² For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

Amen and Amen

the Wayfarer