Enter the Darkness

Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple guard, and the elders, who had come for him, “Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come with swords and clubs? Every day I was with you in the temple courts, and you did not lay a hand on me. But this is your hour–when darkness reigns.” (Luke 22:52-53)

Up until this point of the story, Jesus has been battling the forces of evil–and winning. With every word of good news he preached, every demon he banished, every disease he healed, every outsider he included; Jesus encroached upon the gates of hell.

But now, near the end, the darkness finally gets its day. Evil finally has its way with Jesus.

“When darkness reigns.”

These three words draw me into the last few hours of Jesus’ life and show me something I do not want to see.

I see people who will do whatever it takes to preserve their power.

I see a religion gone so bad that it will trample anyone who threatens the status quo.

I see politicians who exchange truth for popularity.

I see good people overwhelmed by their fear.

I see cowards who desert their friend in his time of greatest need.

I see big talkers make promises that they can’t keep.

I see people who love money more than God.

I see people who try to force God’s hand so that he’ll do what they want.

I see people in power use their strength to heap abuse the innocent.

I see people being emotionally manipulated by their leaders to say and do things they will later regret.

I see people who think they understand God’s will so clearly that they’re willing to kill those who disagree with them.

I see the worst of humanity put on display.

If I look closely enough, I see myself. For the darkness is a part of me. I carry within me the same motives, fears, weaknesses, and hypocrisy that was in full effect on the day Jesus died.

I resist entering the darkness with Jesus because I see myself doing the same kinds of things to others that they did to him.

Maybe you see something else.

Maybe you see the times when the darkness has overtaken you. Stepping into the darkness with Jesus reminds you of the times when evil has had its way with you.

The times you were abused or betrayed or deserted by someone you thought you could trust.

The times you were treated badly by religious people who were so sure they were right and you were wrong.

The times when you were overwhelmed with despair and left wondering why God had forsaken you.

It’s in these dark moments of identification with Jesus that God gives us the grace to realize that long before we entered the darkness with Jesus, he stepped into the darkness with us.

Isn’t this the hope of the gospel story? That Jesus entered the darkness on our behalf, to do to the darkness what we could never do ourselves. He entered the darkness to both redeem us from the evil at work inside of us, while also giving us the power to transcend what the darkness has done to us.

The gospel is bright, full of light, but only because first there was a day when darkness reigned.

Thank God I looked.