"Your Darkest Hour"
by Dr. Michael H. Browder

April 12, 2009

When we last heard about Jesus, he had been buried in the tomb. It was his darkest moment. Gone was the life that had showed such promise. Gone were the hopes for the Messiah. Gone was the promise of “Abundant Life”. His dearest friends were scattered, and they had no consolation. His enemies were confident. It was truly Christ’s darkest hour.

In many ways, the tomb is worse than the cross. At least on the cross, Jesus’ martyrdom and his sacrifice were still visible for all to see. But in the tomb, he was just cold, and buried and forgotten.

I stress this point because I want to remind us that the theology of Easter, the message of Christ, includes the tomb. It is not just about

the Resurrection. It is not just about the Cross. It is about that dark, hopeless time that lay between Friday night and Sunday morning. Ancient theologians taught that Jesus actually descended and spent that time in Hell. Truly, it was his darkest hour.

What has been your darkest hour? Perhaps someone you love dearly has died. Perhaps you have experienced a terrible tragedy. Perhaps you have had a dismal failure. Perhaps someone has hurt you so bad, that the scars will never go away. Perhaps you have been trapped in the pits of depression. Maybe you have a terrible illness. What has been your darkest hour?

In thinking about that question, I have been reading the Book of Job in the Bible. Job experienced some terrible things. He lost all his earthly possessions. He lost all his earthly signs of success. (All this by no fault of his own.) Every one of his children died unexpectedly. His health was ruined. His wife attacked him. His friends criticized him. (Have you ever had that experience? – When you are down, your “friends,” instead of trying to lift you up, go to great lengths to tell you your faults and how you brought all your troubles on yourself. That’s what happened to Job.) Poor Job! He went out, and sat down on a dung heap, and he said, “I feel so bad: I’d rather die than go on living.” That was Job’s darkest hour. Can you identify with it?

But then, something happened deep down in Job’s heart. A seed of faith

took root, and spouted and blossomed. In the midst of his sorrow and hurt,

in the face of the gloom-sayers all around him, Job found the faith to say: (19:25)

“I know that my redeemer lives. And though the worms destroy my body

[in death],… [I know that] I shall see God!”

What a powerful testimony of faith! Here is Job, in the Old Testament, many centuries before Christ. And he says, “I know that my redeemer lives.” He says, “I am going to see God someday.” Job was testifying about the coming of Christ, and about the resurrection of the dead,

long before Jesus was ever born!

This is what Easter is all about. It is about knowing the power of Christ and his resurrection, even when everything around you seems dark and hopeless. There was something that went with Jesus Christ into that dark tomb: It was the power and the presence of almighty God!

It seemed like Jesus was lost in that tomb, but God was not finished with him yet. And God is not finished with you yet. - He is not finished with me. The same God, who raised Jesus from the dead, will transform your life

if you will only let him.

Easter is not about eggs and bunnies. It is not about flowers and fine clothes. It is about what happened to Jesus in that tomb, in his darkest hour. And the same power of God, which raised Jesus from the dead, can give new life to you and to me, even in our darkest our.

Part of the Easter story is recognizing the Risen Christ. Each of the Gospel stories about the Resurrection shows different ways that different people came to recognize Christ. John recognized him through love. Mary recognized him when he called her by name. In Luke, his followers had to realize that they were looking for someone living, not someone dead.

How will you recognize him? - Christ, who is risen, who is alive.

This morning our scripture brings you back to the empty tomb. How will you know him? Is he calling you by name? Are you still locked in the tomb by your sorrow, by your hurt, by your darkness, your failure, and your loss? Or are you like Job? Have you felt Christ’s presence, even in your darkest hour? Has His light shined upon you? Come! Come to the tomb. It is now very, very empty. Come, and meet the Risen Lord: Jesus Christ!

King of Kings and Lord of Lords! Hallelujah!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, Thank you that you have risen from the dead. Thank you that you have overcome our darkness. Now, let us meet you, and know you, as our Risen Lord. Amen.