The Word This Week
Mark 16:1…
Darkness and light are the two great motifs of the Bible.
There was darkness over the whole unformed world until God said, “Let there be light!â€
In essence, “Light be!†and light was. Nothing could stop the light.
In the darkness of the Sunday morning following the Passover, two women approached the tomb where Jesus had been lain. Jesus was dead, and the light of His inspiration was gone out of the world. They were forlorn and bereft. Their world of hope in the light of Jesus had once again descended into the darkness they had known before they had ever known Jesus. The light of hope they had aligned their lives with had been snuffed out mercilessly. Painfully.
The only thing left for them was the honor that Light they had come to know so well. They were moving through the darkness to anoint Jesus’ dead body. The apostles were in hiding, most likely in fear for their lives. Again, it seemed for all the world as though darkness had won.
But the thing about light is that it always overcomes darkness. Darkness cannot overcome light. Darkness has never succeeded in any of its efforts to overcome light. We need to remember that always.
Darkness has always been associated with death. Darkness and death are the oldest of acquaintances. Inseparable. Until the moment we have described here. Jesus had called Himself, “The Light of the world,†and now we have the fruition of everything He meant.
The darkness of death has now been demonstrably defeated, even for those who had never anticipated such a thing – as in the case of Mary and Mary, and the remaining eleven apostles and associated followers of Jesus. How could the darkness of death ever be defeated?
And then, just as God had said, “Let there be light!†Light was – and the darkness of death was forever defeated.
Pastor Bill
Darkness and light are the two great motifs of the Bible.
There was darkness over the whole unformed world until God said, “Let there be light!â€
In essence, “Light be!†and light was. Nothing could stop the light.
In the darkness of the Sunday morning following the Passover, two women approached the tomb where Jesus had been lain. Jesus was dead, and the light of His inspiration was gone out of the world. They were forlorn and bereft. Their world of hope in the light of Jesus had once again descended into the darkness they had known before they had ever known Jesus. The light of hope they had aligned their lives with had been snuffed out mercilessly. Painfully.
The only thing left for them was the honor that Light they had come to know so well. They were moving through the darkness to anoint Jesus’ dead body. The apostles were in hiding, most likely in fear for their lives. Again, it seemed for all the world as though darkness had won.
But the thing about light is that it always overcomes darkness. Darkness cannot overcome light. Darkness has never succeeded in any of its efforts to overcome light. We need to remember that always.
Darkness has always been associated with death. Darkness and death are the oldest of acquaintances. Inseparable. Until the moment we have described here. Jesus had called Himself, “The Light of the world,†and now we have the fruition of everything He meant.
The darkness of death has now been demonstrably defeated, even for those who had never anticipated such a thing – as in the case of Mary and Mary, and the remaining eleven apostles and associated followers of Jesus. How could the darkness of death ever be defeated?
And then, just as God had said, “Let there be light!†Light was – and the darkness of death was forever defeated.
Pastor Bill