WHY THE DARKNESS

 

 

Jn. 8:12-20; 28 (Text= Verse 28)

 

Prayer

 

It was early in the morning.

A large crowd had already gathered at the Temple.

 

 

Jesus entered.

He walked over to the crowd.

 

 

He sat down.

He began to teach.

 

 

Suddenly, there was a great disturbance.

A group of scribes and Pharisees came dragging in a woman.

 

 

They had caught her in adultery.

They were trying to set a trap for Jesus.

 

 

But it didn't work.

Instead of condemning the woman, Jesus stooped down and wrote on the    

ground with His finger.

 

 

They were convicted.

They left one by one.

 

 

After they were all gone Jesus went back to teaching.

He said, “I am the light of the world; he that followeth me shall not walk in    

darkness, but shall have the light of life.”

 

This was a fantastic claim.

But it should not surprise us.

 

 

Jesus often made fantastic claims.

When the Hebrews got hungry in the wilderness, Moses talked to God.

 

 

And God gave them manna to eat.

Later, Jesus came along saying, “I am the bread of life.”

 

 

When the Hebrews got thirsty in the wilderness, Moses struck a rock.

And God gave them water to drink.

 

 

Later, Jesus came along promising to give them Living Water.

When the Hebrews walked at night in the wilderness, God led them with a     

pillar of fire.

 

 

They did not have to walk in darkness.

Later, Jesus came along saying, “I am the light of the world, he that followeth         

me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”

 

 

There were other Pharisees in that early morning crowd.

One interrupted Jesus.

 

 

He said, “Thou bearest witness of thyself; thy witness is not true.”

This gets all over me.

 

 

He was calling Jesus a liar.

He said, “You claim to be the light of the world, but your claim is not true.”

 

 

“You claim to lead people out of darkness, but that is not true.”

Jesus answered him.

 

 

Then, another Pharisee interrupted Him.

Jesus answered Him.

 

 

And another Pharisee interrupted Him.

It was quite a conflict.

 

 

In fact, these Pharisees continued to dispute with Jesus.

Finally, He said, “When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know           that I am he.”

 

 

He was saying, “When you put me on the cross, you will know that I am He.”

That happened a short time later.

 

 

They put Him on the cross.

They lifted Him up.

 

 

They dropped the cross into a hole.

Did that prove that Jesus is the light of the world?

 

 

No.

But the proof is what took place while He was lifted up.

 

 

Let's look at 9 things.

1^st---His garments.

 

 

 

 

Several hundred years before Jesus began his earthly life, David prophesied  

that Jesus would be crucified;

That they would part His garments and cast lots upon His vesture

(Psa. 22:18).

 

 

This happened when Jesus was lifted up.

Matthew tells us, “They crucified Him, and parted His garments, casting lots,         

that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet” (Matt. 27:35).

 

 

So David's prophecy was fulfilled.

That might prove that Jesus is the light of the world.

 

 

But at this point the evidence is slim indeed.

2^nd---He was crucified with two thieves.

 

 

The prophet Isaiah said, “He would pour out his soul unto death and be       

numbered with the transgressors” (Isa. 53:12).

And when Jesus was lifted up, “There were two thieves crucified with Him:”

 

         

“One on the right hand, and another on the left.”

So a second prophecy several hundred years old was fulfilled.

 

 

Jesus poured out His soul as he hung on the cross between two thieves.

They were transgressors who died with Him.

 

 

This still does not prove that He was the light of the World.

But it adds to the evidence.

 

 

3^rd---There is the promise.

One of the thieves scoffed at Jesus for claiming to be the Christ.

He said, “If thou be Christ, save thyself and us” (Luke 23:39).

But the other thief rebuked him.

 

 

He said, “Lord remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom”

(Luke 23:42).

And Jesus said, “Today shalt thou be with me- in paradise.”

 

 

We would not expect a dying marl to put on a charade.

And Jesus wasn't.

 

 

While He was dying He promised to give a man life in paradise.

But let us say that we still do not have enough evidence.

 

 

4^th---There are the scoffers.

Psalm 22:7 prophesied that they would “shoot out their lip at Jesus.”

 

 

Psalm 109:25 prophesied that “Jesus would become a reproach unto them.”

What happened?

 

 

Matthew tells us, “They who passed by reviled Him, wagging their heads.”

“Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself.”

 

 

“If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.”

“He saved others, Himself He cannot save.”

 

 

“If He be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we.         

will believe Him.”

“He trusted in God: let Him deliver Him now; for He said, I am the Son of God.”

 

 

As Jesus hung on the cross in agony and pain;

Nails through His hands and feet;

 

 

Blood streaming down from His wounds;

People came to the cross to ridicule Him.

 

 

If they had known the Scriptures as they should, they would have realized     

that they were fulfilling age old prophesies.

But they didn't realize it.

 

 

And they mocked, scoffed and sneered saying, “Let Him save Himself.”

“If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross, let God something.”

 

 

It is a terrible thing when religious people don't know the Scriptures.

These people didn't know God because they didn't know the Scriptures.

 

 

I recently came across a Scripture I hadn’t paid attention to before.

It says if the people had known the wisdom of God, they wouldn’t have       

crucified Jesus (I Cor. 2:7-8).

 

 

Ignorance of the Scriptures by educated religious people led them to commit          

the most unjust crime the world has ever seen.

5^th---God did something.

 

 

We have already noted that Jesus claimed to be the light of the world.

And we noted that the Pharisees disputed that.

 

 

But Jesus said, “When I am lifted up, you will know that I am He.”

Anyway something fantastic happened while Jesus was hanging on the cross.

 

 

God turned out the lights.

There was darkness all over the earth for three full hours while Jesus was      

dying (Luke 23:44).

 

 

Because the Bible says darkness was al1 over the earth, we know it was quite         

extensive.

Because the darkness lasted for three full hours, we know it was too long to  

be an eclipse.

 

 

It had to be a miracle.

It was a miracle that was so great that it was recorded in literature other than  

 

 

As the people stood there jeering, “Let God do something.”

God did something.

 

 

He sent them a clear message.

There was darkness all over the land.

 

 

The light of the world was on the cross.

The light of life was dying.

 

 

Try to imagine how these people felt.

Some probably began to realize they had made a mistake.

 

 

Jesus tried to help them.

He spoke as no other man spoke;

 

 

Healed the sick;

Healed a man born blind.

 

 

He took five loaves and two fishes and fed thousands.

He raised Lazarus from the dead.

 

 

But many did not believe Him.

 Some called Him a. liar.

 

 

So He said, “When I am lifted up you will know.…”

And when they lifted Him up, God plunged the world into darkness.

 

 

That should be enough proof for anyone.

But God didn't leave it there.

 

 

6^th---The veil.

The veil that hung in the Temple tore in two from top to bottom.

 

 

That veil was a very large curtain.

I grew up poor.

 

 

The houses we lived in often did not have doors on the inside.

My parents hung curtains and sheets over the doorways.

 

 

We just pushed the curtains and sheets aside to enter a room.

That is what the veil in the Temple was like.

 

 

It was like a very large curtain that hung across one end of the sanctuary.

It separated the Holy of Holies from the other parts of the Temple.

 

 

That veil was made of pure linen.

It was hand woven.

 

It was three inches thick.

It was so tightly woven and so thick no light could penetrate it.

 

 

The Jews believed that God resided in the Holy of Holies behind that veil.

And because God was there, light was there.

 

 

Only one man could go behind the veil.

He was the High Priest.

 

 

And He could only do that once a year.

He would go in there to sprinkle blood on the mercy seat for his sins and the

sins of the people.

 

 

Anyone else who went behind the veil died.

But when Jesus was lifted up, the veil was ripped apart from top to bottom.

 

 

The Holy of Holies was no longer hidden.

The Jews were no longer separated from the mercy seat.

 

 

And God was not in there.

The light was gone.

 

 

Historians tell us that veil was so thick and so heavy it took four teams of     

oxen to hang it.

They used pulleys, ropes and oxen to raise it to the ceiling.

 

 

No human being could tear a veil like that.

It took the power of God.

 

 

 

The Jews repaired it.

They hung it back up.

 

 

But when the High Priest entered, there was no light;

Isn't it interesting that all this happened while Jesus was lifted up?

 

While the light of life was dying, the light disappeared from the Holy of         

Holies.

And there was only darkness.

 

 

7^th---The earth and rocks.

Matthew says, “The earth quake and the rocks were split.”

 

 

There was a great earthquake;

Perhaps the greatest earthquake to ever shake the Middle East;

 

 

An earthquake so strong it caused the rocks to crack open.

I personally know people who have visited Mount Calvary.

 

 

They say the cracks in the rocks resemble forks of lightening running out      

from where people think the cross stood.

I want to show you something.

 

 

It occurred when Jesus was making His Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem.

A large crowd gathered.

 

 

They were rejoicing and praising God.

Some of the Pharisees suggested He should rebuke them.

 

 

 

 

He replied, “I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would

immediately cry out” (Luke 19:40).

And while He was lifted up, there was a great earthquake.

 

 

And the sound of stones cracking like eggs.

8th---The soldiers.

 

 

“Now, when the centurion, and they that were with him watching Jesus, saw  

the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly,    

saying, Truly, this was the Son of God” (Matt. 27:54).     

It is possible that at least one hundred Roman soldiers witnessed this.

 

 

And when all of this happened, these soldiers were afraid.

They were convinced that this was no ordinary happening;

 

 

That this was no ordinary person on the cross.

They said, “Truly, this was the Son of God.”

 

 

They didn't believe Jesus was the Son of God before they lifted Him up.

But they believed it after they lifted Him up.

 

 

They witnessed the events;

Gambled for His clothes;

 

 

Mocked and ridiculed Him;

But before it was over, they were afraid.

 

 

9th---The resurrection.

Jesus was raised from the dead and many saw Him.

 

 

And following His resurrection, Matthew said, “And the graves were   

opened;”

“And many bodies of the saints that slept were raised,”

 

 

“And came out of the graves after his resurrection,”

“And went into the holy city, and appeared unto many” (Matt. 27:52, 53).

 

 

The dead started walking the streets of Jerusalem.

You may be surprised that more than three thousand people got saved the first        

time Peter preached.

 

 

And thousands more got saved the second time he preached.

But I'm not.

 

 

Thousands wanted to be saved.

This explains why the Church grew like wildfire;

 

 

Why many willingly died for their belief.

The Jews and the Romans tried to stop it.

 

 

They couldn't.

Jesus said, “The gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

 

 

Billions have become Christians because of it.

If this is true [and I believe. it with all my heart], then I do not understand      

how anyone can deny Jesus.

 

 

Think about it.

Many prophesies, hundreds of years old, fulfilled.

 

 

Three hours [180 minutes], of darkness all over the earth.

The three inch thick veil torn from top to bottom.

 

 

A devastating earthquake splitting open the rocks.

The dead coming forth out of their graves and walking the streets.

 

 

What do you believe?

Do you believe He is the light of the world?

 

 

Do you know Him as your Lord and Saviour?

Or are you going to deny these prophesies?

 

 

Are you going to ignore how the Jewish religion became a shambles;

Ignore the non-Biblical accounts of darkness covering the land;

 

 

Ignore those cracked rocks on Mount Calvary;

Ignore the thousands of Jews who received Christ in Israel?

 

 

And how about those Christians in Rome who preferred to be fed to lions    

than to deny this?

Are you going to say the Son of God did not die on the cross?

 

 

If we believe that Jesus is the light of the world [and the events that occurred

while He was lifted up prove it,

Then we need to confess it.

 

 

God did his part.

Jesus said, “It is finished.”

 

 

 

The rest is up to us.

And we have a choice:

 

 

Christ or condemnation,

Eternal life or eternal damnation.