the Third Week after Easter
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Daily Devotionals
John Gossner's Treasury
Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. 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. Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications, with strong crying and tears, unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared. Hebrews 5:7.
Without and within densest darkness brooded over Christ. Fierce war raged between light and darkness. He, the Light of the world, was about to destroy the kingdom of darkness; conquer the prince of darkness, and transform the children of the night into the children of light. Therefore He must needs expose Himself to the united assaults of the grim powers of Satan. The struggle must reach its crisis. The light seemed to succumb and darkness to triumph; the light seemed already extinguished; darkness seemed to hold sway. Night shrouded the earth. The day had seemingly vanish. But His patience, His strong inward crying, and His praying in tears, which now had reached their height, prevailed, conquered everything, and completed the victory. Then He showed how the Christian must conquer by succumbing, and how the enemy of light must succumb by conquering. Here upon the cross, and in these words, we are enabled to behold Christianity in its true manifestation. When all lights go out and the day is shrouded in black night; when God has transformed Himself into an enemy and an opponent and seems to be on the side of the enemy, so that even he who has the strongest faith in God, can offer up nothing but complaints and "strong crying," then victory is near and triumph sure. Tarry here, O soul! This ’’strong crying," this praying in tears in Christ’s deepest agony, has saved you from eternal darkness and death. Thus your Redeemer must be forsaken and troubled that you might be accepted and comforted. All your comfort and peace flow from this fountain of the agony of Jesus.
How art Thou pale with anguish.
With sore abuse and scorn!
How does that visage languish,
Which once was bright as morn!
What Thou, my Lord, hast suffered.
Was all for sinners’ gain;
Mine, mine was the transgression,
But Thine the deadly pain.
