Stop 6 - Darkness

Bible Reading
Luke 23: 44-49
It was about noon, and the whole land became dark until three o’clock in the afternoon.  There was no sun! The curtain in the Temple was torn into two pieces.  Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Father, I give you my life.” After Jesus said this, he died.
The army officer there saw what happened. He praised God, saying, “I know this was a good man!” Many people had gathered there to watch this thing. When they saw what happened, they returned home. They beat their chests because they were so sad.  Those who were close friends of Jesus were there. Some were women who had followed Jesus from Galilee. They all stood far away from the cross and watched.

​Reflection
​As Jesus is dying on the cross, at mid-day, when the sun is usually at its brightest, darkness descended on the land. This must have been very scary. It meant that everyone, not just those at the foot of the cross, knew that something out of the ordinary was happening. I wonder what the chief priests and Pilate thought as they sat in the homes and palaces. Can you imagine the conversations later, as people shared their stories of what they were doing when it went dark and thought about what it might mean? Early in John’s gospel, Jesus is described as the light of the world, and Jesus talks to his disciples about being light. As the life drains from Jesus, a new type of darkness covers the earth. Christians believe that when the world feels full of darkness we can pray to Jesus and ask him to bring his light. 

Discussion

• What significant spiritual experiences have you had during your lifetime?
• Have they been positive, negative or both?
• How have you shared them with others, both at the time they occurred and later on?
• Have you used them to encourage, or to warn, or in some other way?