When Jesus Christ was on the cross He experienced a crushing darkness. Jesus is “the Light of the World” (John 8:12) but when He was dying that light went out, and nothing was left but pitch black at noon. This is because sin is associated with darkness in the Bible, and on the cross Jesus “became sin for us” (2 Corinthians 5:21), literally took all our sins off of us and became sin for us. He entered into our darkness.
And not only did He enter into our darkness, He entered into our despair. Listen to Him calling out to His Father, “My God, My God why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46). He experienced the forsaking of God, like God was a million miles away.
Jesus here, on the cross, is quoting from Psalm chapter 22 which begins, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish? My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, but I find no rest” (Psalm 22:1-2). Here was Jesus crying out to God in the darkness but no answer came, no help came. He only experienced darkness, being forsaken by God, His own Father.
The account is given in the Old Testament of the daughter-in-law of the high priest Eli giving birth to her son shortly after the news came that the enemies of God’s people had captured the ark of God. Upon receiving this dreadful news, the high priest Eli actually died. The nation was being ransacked and defeated and the ark of God was gone. In light of this horrible tragedy for the nation she named her newborn son “Ichabod”, meaning “the glory has departed.” (1 Samuel 4:19-22)
Dear friend, look for a moment at the cross of Jesus Christ. The sun has refused to shine, it has been entirely covered in thick darkness. God has forsaken His Son into the darkness. God will not answer His Son. Indeed, Jesus has become “Ichabod” on the cross; the glory departed, the Father turned His back, the darkness overwhelmed the Light.
But why? Why this horrible tragedy? And the answer is because Jesus was performing a rescue. He was entering our darkness to rescue us, to open our prison doors, to bring us out into the light. Notice this passage:
Colossians 1:13-14 NIV For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, (14) in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Question 4. According to Colossians 1:13-14, what has God done for you?
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Marie-Louise shares: "He has power over the prison door and can open it. He has gone through it so he can deliver us. He knows how it feels to go through that dark depression. Much deeper than I have. Much more intense than I have felt. And the best news is that he has saved us from the power of darkness. He is stronger than that. He has overcome it."
Catalina writes, "There is hope for my depression, or simply any state in life because Jesus has brought redemption and forgiveness into my life even before I was born. I can always count in placing my hope in him."