Posted on 04/10/2009 8:44:21 PM PDT by Charles Henrickson
“The Light Shines in the Darkness” (John 1:5)
Tonight we are doing the traditional Good Friday evening service called “Tenebrae.” The Latin word, “tenebrae,” means “shadows” or “darkness.” This is the Service of the Shadows, the Service of Darkness--increasing darkness, as the service goes along. This reminds us of the darkness that came over the land when Christ was hanging on the cross, the great darkness that occurred when the author of life was put to death. And then his lifeless body was placed in the tomb, and night fell, and all was darkness and shadows. The loud noise at the end of this Tenebrae service, what is called the “strepitus”--that will remind us of the earthquake at the moment of Christ’s death or perhaps of the rolling of the heavy stone to seal the tomb.
This is the time of darkness and shadows. It seems that darkness has covered the earth. The one in whom men had put their hope--killed. The one who had done only good, a righteous man--murdered. The one who had brought healing and had shown God’s mercy to so many--dead. Jesus of Nazareth--crucified, dead, and buried. Now what?
The light is going out of the world. We sit in darkness and shadows. Look all around you, and you will see dying people. You will see suffering and hurting people, people losing hope. There is the shadow called cancer, casting its gloom over lives once bright and cheerful. There is the shadow called old age, which creeps up on us all and turns our hair white, our skin wrinkled, and our bones brittle. There are other shadows, shadows called recession and hospice and addiction and violence and families on the brink and torn apart. Deep, dark shadows surrounding us everywhere we turn.
We sit in darkness and in shadows. Look inside you. There you will find no light of your own. The heart of darkness lies within us all. There are dark, hidden places inside, places of lovelessness and lust, of selfishness and deadness--vile places, ugly places. We try to hide those dark, hidden recesses from others--and we may succeed to some extent. We can put on a good show. We may try to hide the darkness from ourselves. We may even try to hide it from God. But the honest truth is, that is not going to work. God sees the darkness in our heart. Don’t kid yourself.
Shadows and darkness, death and grief and unrelenting sadness. People hurting other people, people hurting themselves. People turning their backs on God, wanting nothing to do with God, with no desire to listen to his word. Men and women and children become their own gods, each one living for self and following the desires and opinions of their own sinful heart. Such is the American Idol, 2009. No use for God or for his church. Cover story, Newsweek, this week: “The End of Christian America.” And some are cheering. Darkness masquerading as light.
But the darkness has been around a long time. It was there when Jesus came into this world, this land of shadows. He came bringing light with him, light from above. “In him was life, and the life was the light of men.” The eternal Son of God was coming into the world, the one who was there in the beginning with God, the Word, the Logos, through whom the heavens and the earth were created, when God said, “Let there be light.” This is Jesus, the Word made flesh, the one who declares, “I am the light of the world.”
“The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.” Here was the true light, but men preferred the darkness. They wanted to extinguish the light, because the light was exposing their evil deeds. That’s how we are. We want to hide from God, to keep his searchlight from shining in the dark recesses we’re trying to keep hidden. That’s how sin works. And so they kill Jesus. They get him condemned falsely and nailed to a cross. Darkness falls over the land. The last candle, it seems, is going out. Extinguished. Snuffed out. Nothing but darkness. Is this the end of the story?
No, it’s just the beginning. St. John tells us the truth: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” The loud noise, the strepitus, the sound of the stone being rolled into place and sealing the tomb--that sound will be matched on Easter morning when the stone is rolled away. The loud noise, the strepitus, the sound of the earthquake when Jesus dies, will be matched on Easter morning at the earthquake when he rises. The darkness over the land on Friday will yield to the light dawning on Sunday. Look for the return of light with the Paschal candle this Sunday morning. “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
Sunday’s light comes out of Friday’s darkness. Ironically, the light of Christ is shining at its brightest in his dying. This is how the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in him. It is when he is lifted up on the cross that he shines like a torch, like a beacon in the night, giving light to everyone in the house, everyone in the world. For there on the cross Christ Jesus took all our dark deeds, our heart of darkness, everything that causes misery and death--he took it all and took it into himself. He became sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. Our beautiful Savior shines the fairest when he takes the darkness of death from us and replaces it with his light and life. Good Friday darkness leads to Easter resurrection light.
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” Jesus said, “I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.” And so now “God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” You believe in Christ. You have the light.
“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?” Or what shall I fear? Shall I fear condemnation and judgment? No, Christ has won forgiveness for our sins and release from our guilt. Shall I fear the Grim Reaper, the Skeleton Man, Death? No, Christ has conquered death by his death and resurrection. Shall I fear drudgery and loneliness and getting older and weaker? No, Christ has placed us into his caring family, the church, and his strength is made perfect in weakness. Whom shall I fear? No one.
Whom shall I thank? The triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Father of lights, who gives us every good gift from above. His Son, Jesus Christ, the light of the world, by whose death and resurrection we have light and life. And the Holy Spirit, who enlightens and illumines our minds, working faith in our hearts through the light of the gospel. Yes, dear friends, tonight we may sit in the shadows, but, thank God, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
Ping.
Another Tenebrae post.
Powerful.....thank you for your words.....
I missed service tonite. Thank you for this.
Newsweak: "God is dead."
God: "Newsweak is dead."
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