While the Sun's Light Failed (poem by Jeff Kliewer)

The Cosmic Darkness at Jesus’ Death

So what does the death of Jesus mean? What is the significance of the death of Jesus? We're going to talk about that today. And really, it has a lot to do with us. But not first and foremost. The death of Jesus is first and foremost about God and his glory, and secondarily about us.

We'll talk about that. In verse 44, let's pick up there. It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, while the sun's light.

Failed.

We've already imagined what that would look like for the formerly demon-possessed man, whose entire hope has been put in this Jesus, and now he sees darkness coming over the land. But what would that have been like for the soldiers, for Pilate, who washed his hands of Jesus, for Herod, who mocked him?

What would it have been like for a little kid living in Jerusalem, when all of a sudden, the sun's light began to fail? I was thinking about that this week, and that phrase, while the sun's light.

Failed,.

Captured my attention. And I began to imagine what it looked like. I wrote these words that flow from that. While the sun's light failed, the moon called for rays to reflect upon their earthly mark. Children called for mothers to hold them safely in the dark.

Animals called for owners with howling cry and angry bark, while the sun's light failed. Pilate called for his wife to tell him more about her dream. Herod called for John, back from the dead, it would seem.

Soldiers called for torches to see their victim on the beam, while the sun's light failed. The earth called for quakes, shaken deeply by this dark verse. The oceans called for flooding of Noah's world, only worse.

The trees called for their brother to release the hanging curse, while the sun's light failed. The devil called for demons to admire this wicked thing. The angels called for permission to rescue heaven's king.

The thief called for curses, while the other began to sing, while the sun's light failed. The Father called for justice upon Jesus in our stead. The Son called forgiveness over the church for whom he bled.

The Spirit called for faith in these words that we have read, while the sun's light failed. Just imagine that scene. All of Jerusalem and all of Israel, perhaps all the world, enveloped in darkness for three hours.

This moment in time, is the focal point of all of history. This is the pinnacle of the mountain. This is the mountaintop. This is where the innocent Son of God is hung upon a tree. This is the display of God's glory.

It's a display of his justice, that the Father punishes sin. It's a display of his love, that God makes a way for sinners to be forgiven.

The Cross as the Center of History and Christian Unity

The cross,.

This is what has brought us here today. This is what brought us all together as a people.

It's the cross.

There's differences among us as Christians. We have different perspectives. We look at the world differently in some ways. We're more or less sanctified. Me being less, I'm sure. But there's one thing that brings all Christians together.

It's the cross of Jesus. What happened here on Calvary's tree is the center point of history. It's what started this thing, which is called our faith, and it's what sustains us as we look back to the cross.

It's the cross.

That saves us. A dark, dark hour. Read the next verse, 45, while the sun's light failed. That's the first supernatural miracle that happens in the dying of Jesus. Darkness, the sun itself fails to give light to the earth.

But.