Darkness and Light

The sun had stopped shining that afternoon, when the Light of the World gave up His Spirit. Darkness covered the land like a heavy blanket as all human activity was forced to cease. No one was able to toil. From Heaven's perspective, the darkness covered the face of Jesus, as the Father took His holy eyes away from the Son on the cross. The earth shook and rocks split open, as did the tombs housing the dead. As the graves burst open, the once decayed bodies of many holy people were suddenly raised to life. They came out of the tombs, and went into Jerusalem, appearing to many astonished people. But that wasn't even the most miraculous event that was about to take place.

Even the dead knew they had no power to go to the holy city yet. They waited two more days for the Holy One of God to burst forth from His own tomb...

Inside the Jewish Temple, the veil hung suspended from gold hooks, separating the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place. This heavy curtain protected God's dwelling place, keeping unholy people out. Only once a year could the consecrated High Priest enter behind the veil, to offer a sacrifice for the sins of the entire Jewish nation. Extreme measures were taken to be prepared to enter into the presence of God Almighty. Most importantly, it took blood. As the freshly slain Lamb of God gave up His spirit that night, God's hand ripped the veil in two, from top to bottom. There could be no other sacrifice offered, because Jesus' was perfect and final. The work of the cross was finished, as Christ said so Himself. But it was, in reality, just the beginning...

Had there been no plan for death from the beginning of creation, there would be no possibility for mercy.

As darkness continued, the broken, lifeless body of Jesus Christ was taken down from the cross. With both fear and courage, Joseph of Arimathea and a man named Nicodemus cared for the body of Christ, even though it was considered cursed for hanging on the tree. Nonetheless, in accordance with Jewish burial customs, the men wrapped the spiritless corpse with prepared spices, in strips of linen. They laid the body of the Son of God in a tomb, and sealed the entrance with an enormous stone. These men had believed that Jesus was the Messiah. However, they left the tomb with heads hung low, exhausted and weary.

It's difficult to have faith when your eyes only see death...

Hours passed, and darkness came and went. Pacing back and forth in front of the sealed tomb were Roman soldiers. The shuffling of their feet resounded off of the stone as they watched for thieves. They guarded the entrance to the tomb, making sure no one would steal the body of Jesus of Nazareth. Little did they know, that on the other side of the stone, inside the tomb, were guards of a Heavenly descent. Two cherubim from the very presence of God Almighty were appointed to stand guard over the body of the precious Son of God. With outstretched wings, one stood firmly at the head of Jesus, and the other at His feet. They adored God's Son, and as their angelic eyes locked onto His body, they waited. Motionless, the Cherubim firmly held their positions. All were still, just as the calm before the storm. The silence in the tomb was deafening...

It was time.

The sun was rising, with the dawn of a new day approaching. One may imagine the Father God on His throne in Heaven, leaning over, and speaking straight into the lifeless heart of His Son: " Son of Man, come forth!"

Or could it be that the Breath of God, the Holy Spirit, came down and stood over the lifeless form of His beloved Jesus, breathing life into His nostrils, restoring and completing the Son?

However it happened, it was perfect.

The Son of God opened His holy eyes, and met the radiant face of the guardian angel. With the ear-piercing sound of mighty rushing waters, the angels' wings thrust them straight up to Heaven, as they cried out, "Jesus is alive!"

The earth quaked and the stone rolled away, as Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was resurrected from the dead that Easter morning. As He sat up in the tomb, the strips of linen fell from His body, and the chains of sin and death fell from all of mankind. The sins of man had been completely atoned for, and the children of God now had complete access to the Father. The Light of the World walked out of the tomb, and eternal life was granted for all who believed.

From darkness to light, the fate of man was forever altered, through the Savior of the World.

Blessed are those who believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God...

Rejoicing at the foot of the cross this Easter,

         Alison