The Light of the World

Read: Mark 15:33-41

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? (v. 34)

Darkness covered the entire land. An earthquake shook the ground, and Jesus cried out in a loud voice the first words of Psalm 22, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” This was the darkest moment of Jesus’ sojourn on earth, and he gave an utter cry from empty blackness. Scholars debate what exactly happened at this moment. Did the Father actually turn away from Jesus, or did it just feel like the Father had turned away? Was all hope lost?

There are times in our lives when it seems like all hope is lost. Though we will never understand the feeling of the weight of the world’s sin on us, we do experience times of emptiness, darkness, even hopelessness. In these times we often echo the words of Jesus, “My God, why have you forsaken me?”

Today we remember the death of our Lord and Savior, but we never fully forget that we do not worship a God who was defeated by death. “I am the light of the world,” Jesus said. “Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). We worship the living God, the light of the world, who has conquered death and darkness and who walks beside us always. –Jonathon VanderWall

Prayer: Jesus, help us to remember that you are always with us, no matter how dark life may seem.