Part I - The Valley: Darkness (Luke 23:44-49)
“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. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last. Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent!” And all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts. And all his acquaintances and the women who had followed him from Galilee stood at a distance watching these things.” - (Luke 23:44-49 ESV)
By anyone's accounting it’s been a long, cold winter here in New Hampshire. According to the calendar we’re officially almost a full month into Spring at this point, but personally, I’m not sure I’m convinced just yet. You see, my brother and I spent from October through March this last year working on a big construction project up in the hills of Gilford, NH; framing in October/November, roofing in December/January, siding in February/March. It was pretty much always windy. It was always cold. It snowed, a lot. It will not come as any surprise to the sane among us, but roofing can be a little demoralizing in January. The days get a little rugged when your asphalt shingles are frozen planks, and it seems like every morning starts with shoveling 10 inches of fresh snow off of the roof you’re trying to work on. Not the timing I would recommend to any of you who may be thinking of becoming roofing contractors, when it comes down to it. But in the building trades you kind of just need to do what the project demands, when it demands it.
In any case, I feel like I’ve spent the last six months more or less constantly cold. So call me cynical, but the calendar telling me it’s spring doesn’t carry a whole lot of freight. On the first day of spring this year I showed up at the job site to a fresh 8 inches of snow, a lot of wind and the same old cold. At this point, it’ll probably take me till mid-july before this past winter is fully worked out of my bones; a few weeks of highs in the mid-forties just isn’t going to cut it.
But here’s the thing we cling to: even if Spring feels like it’s taking it’s sweet time, summer is an inevitability. It’s just physics; it’s an astronomical, planetary truth. Winter cannot hold on forever. You see, winter is a season of cold because it is a season of darkness. These two things are inextricably related. As our fourth grade science teachers taught us, the seasons come as a function of the tilt of the earth’s axis, and it’s orbit around the sun. Winter is cold because we get less, and more indirect, sunlight. Winter is a season of darkness, and of distance from the light, and so it is a season of cold. It is a season where growth and fruitfulness are hindered. On planet earth, light is life, and so winter is, naturally speaking, a season of death. But - in spite of the ten day forecast sometimes - you and I know that it cannot last. Because the world keeps spinning, and the planet keeps moving around the sun. And as winter turns to spring - and spring to summer - our little corner of the world finds itself in the sun more and more each day. And so light, and warmth, and life are coming; we know this. There’s no stopping it.
Luke tells us that as Jesus surrendered his life on the cross for the sake of humanity there was an experience of super-natural darkness across the land. For three hours, he tells us, “the sun’s light failed”. What incredibly powerful language. In the death of Jesus the very source and sustainer of life gave up his own life, and darkness had it’s day. On the calendar, the darkest day of the year - preparing the way for the coldest season of the year - is known as the winter solstice. In human history, our darkest, coldest day is found at the cross of Christ.
The life-giving Word - that Voice that birthed the entire cosmos and called humanity into being in order that we might receive and reflect the inexhaustible love of this creator - became a human being, walking in our midst and putting on display what life actually looks like when fully and truly lived. His was the most complete, beautiful, compelling life the world has ever witnessed. So much so that, even those of us who can’t really make any sense out of the majority of his teaching still cannot help but gaze upon him in wonder. This is Jesus. Appropriately, the Apostle John referred to him, simply, as “the light”:
“The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.” - (John 1:9-11 ESV)
In our broken humanity, what do we do when confronted with a light and life that defies our categories; dangerously compelling and beyond our ability to comprehend and control? As a people who have rejected God because we have preferred the temptation to attempt being our own gods, what do we do when God suddenly shows up on the scene? We panic. Our knee-jerk reaction is one of terror and shame: we lash out in defense, snuffing out the light and striking down this terrifyingly vibrant life, left to wonder only afterwards if we could have responded differently. As Jesus gave up his life the world was covered in darkness, and the temple curtain was torn in two. Unlawfully executed, but offering no defense or resistance, as Jesus surrenders His life to the judgment that was rightfully ours the guards who put Him to death suddenly exclaim “Surely this man was innocent!”, and the crowds who had mocked him and demanded his life suddenly turn towards home, beating their chests in shame and mourning. They realized that they had missed it; but it seemed that it was too late.
We have rejected life itself; who, now shall come to our rescue and defense? This is the valley of shadow of death. This is fear and darkness and cold. But we stand here today as a people of hope because the cross is not the end of the story.
Part II - The Victory: Dawn (John 20:1-18)
"Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus' head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples went back to their homes.
But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her." - (John 20:1-18 ESV)
Winter is marked by darkness: it begins on the day when our part of the globe sees the least amount of sunlight that it will all year. Summer is the mirror opposite; it begins on the day of the year with the MOST possible hours of sunlight. And, in between these polar opposites, we have seasons of transition and transformation: Spring and Fall, respectively.
I joked earlier about being pretty underwhelmed by the arrival of Spring this year, as the first day of Spring simply brought more snow and wind and cold to the place where I was working. It just felt like more of the same and, on an experiential level, it really was. We’ve had some record cold days this March and April; a lot of temps that didn’t look that much different from December or January. But this experiential reality obscures a deeper truth: the fact of the matter is, Spring really IS here, whether it feels like it or not.
Again, on our calendars, the start of winter is marked by the most significant absence of sunlight and the start of summer is marked by the most significant presence of sunlight. Winter is a season of darkness and summer is a season of light, but in between these watermark moments, there is a point where the tide changes. There comes a day in every calendar year when yesterday there were more hours of darkness in the world but tomorrow there will be more hours of light. We call this the Spring Equinox, and it marks the official beginning of Spring. From that day forward, it is a physical, astronomical, unavoidable fact that darkness is losing ground each and every passing day. The sun’s rays are becoming more direct and more effective each and every passing day. So, even if the polar vortex keeps March and April colder than it’s ever been recorded before, and it feels like I will never put away the scarf and gloves again, I know as an incontestable fact that it will only be a matter of weeks before we’re all scrambling to pull out the AC units because of the unbearable heat of summer. If you’re anything like me, that feels almost unimaginable at this point, but we know it’s true. As darkness gives way to light, winter gives way to spring and summer.
The cross of Jesus was a moment of darkness. The darkest moment in human history, in fact. We - humanity - had become so broken and backwards that when God showed up and put life itself on display we didn’t know what else to do but put him to death. But Jesus, for his part, willingly surrendered himself to this humiliation and suffering at our hands; willingly embraced the darkness and death that we handed him. Because he knew that, as we had rejected our creator God - and so found ourselves cut off from our source of life and fullness and purpose - that death was all we really had left to give. And he knew that if things were to ever change, if we were to ever become a people of fullness and abundance and life again that death had to be dealt with. We rejected God, and death was the consequence: a plague unleashed across all of creation. It couldn’t be ignored, it couldn’t be passed over, it couldn’t be wished away. It had to be faced and it had to be overcome. This is what happens on the cross, and this is what we celebrate in the resurrection.
If the cross - Good Friday - is the “high water” mark of darkness and evil, then on Easter Sunday we celebrate the turning of the tide. It is dawn; it is the the first day of Spring. It is the exact moment when darkness gives way to the victory of light, the moment after which the world will never be the same. In our own experience, things may not feel a whole lot different right away. There will be days when it feels like winter - brokenness and evil - will never relinquish their hold on the world. There will be days when we’re convinced that we will never again know what if feels like to be warm and alive. But as we remember and celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, we remember and celebrate the day when darkness gave way to light; when death gave way to life, and forgiveness and restoration was made possible for every person who would surrender themselves to the embrace of the life-giver: Jesus.
Don’t be fooled: summer is coming. The victory of light and warmth is an unavoidable reality, set in motion long ago. Likewise, we must not be fooled and we must not lose sight of hope: life and light and the restoration of all things is coming. Heaven is on a collision course with Earth. Jesus secured that victory a long time ago. At present, we live in a world in tension and transition; we experience both it’s beauty and brokenness almost every day. But we’re not on a treadmill; we’re heading somewhere, and our way is Jesus. As we cling to him, his victory becomes our own, and life itself is opened before us.
Part III - The Vision: A New Day (Revelation 21:1-7)
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.” - (Revelation 21:1-7 ESV)
Here’s where the imagery of seasons breaks down in our story: seasons are cyclical, but this grand story of creation, fall and redemption is not. Whereas this coming summer will eventually and unavoidably give way again to increasing darkness and the return of winter six months or so from now, the victory of light and life that we find in Jesus, and that we celebrate today, will never be undone or overcome. There may be cycles that occur within smaller scales of human history - empires rise, empires fall - but History itself is not cyclical; it is going somewhere. And that somewhere is the restoration of all things in the power, grace and glory of the risen Christ.
All of us live in tension with our world, to one degree or another. If we’re living with our eyes open at all, we know that our world is defined by paradox. It is a place of great potential, and great pain. It is both a place of breathtaking beauty, and unspeakable brokenness. We are - all of us - beautiful, but broken, people. And we are a people with another world in our hearts. We are a people who know injustice when we see it; who can point at things like oppression and sickness and greed and poverty and hatred and somehow just know - in a place deeper than our conscious thoughts - that those things simply don’t belong in the world that we were created for. But if this is the only world we’ve ever known, and the only world that we will ever know, then where do we even get the idea that things ever could, or should, be different?
Scripture tells us that we have these longings and this knowledge because we have been created for, and are headed for, a different world. Scripture tells us that we are even now caught up in the grand story of human history. The story of a people created by and for a loving creator God, who in turn rejected relationship with this God in order to pursue lesser things, and in doing so unleashed death and chaos and brokenness upon the goodness of creation. The story of how the great love of God compelled him, rather than washing his hands of our mess and walking away, to enter our broken world, to face and claim victory over our death, and in doing so to make possible our ultimate renewal and restoration to the life we had once known but rejected. The story of the creator God who, in Jesus, places this life and hope of eternity within the hearts of all who would follow him, inviting us to journey with him as he brings light and life to bear within our world, here and now, even as we look forward to the day when all things are fully and finally made new in Christ.
This is Easter. This is our hope. And this is why we here at The Commons are compelled to gather together as a community; Journeying with God to see a World renewed, Neighborhoods transformed, and People brought to life by the Good News of Jesus Christ. Here on Easter we celebrate the dawn; the turning of the tide toward life and restoration. And, in response, we then seek to follow Christ in living as a people in light of this new day, with our hopes firmly set upon the horizon of eternity; the ultimate victory of the light. We’d love to have you join us on this journey.
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