A Daily Devotion for Friday, April 24

Matthew 27:45-56

From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).

When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.”

Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. The rest said, “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.”

And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.

At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split

and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people.

When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”

Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.

John 1:5

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

There is so much to think about in these passages, almost too much to take in all at once. Each of the signs at the time of Jesus’s death deserves notice; the torn curtain, the shaking of the earth, the rocks splitting and tombstones rolling away to name a few. But we are reminded over and over by Jesus to remember He is the light. God with us, there is no reason to fear any darkness. Light always wins, and always overcomes darkness. I love the written devotion this morning of the woman driving to work in the city. She is thinking about her family and the the turbulence they are facing. But driving into a beautiful reflection of the sun off different surfaces, she is covered in peace. God’s peace finds us sometimes in unexpected places. We need to be watchful, and thankful.

Holy Lord, I thank you for all of the peace and light you have laid over me. It is like a comforting blanket which warms me and draws me closer to you. Amen

Becky, transforming