Tues.’s Devo - From Sixth to Ninth

Read Luke 23:39-47 One of the men hanging beside Jesus mocked him by saying if he was the Christ, then he would be able to save them and himself. The man on the other cross rebuked him and stood up for Jesus saying they deserved their crucifixion but Jesus had done nothing to deserve death. Then he asked Jesus to remember him when he came into his kingdom. Jesus assured him he would be there too because he recognized and believed who Jesus was. It was the 6th hour and it turned totally dark for 3 hours. On Mt. Sinai where God gave the people the law, there was thick darkness for 3 days (Ex. 10:21-22). In Duet 4:12; 5:22 it says that God spoke to all the people out of thick darkness. But the scripture I like the best concerning this is 2 Sam 22 which is word-for-word Psalms 18 - all 50 verses! If God puts that many verses twice it must be important. I believe it is a play-by-play of what happened during those 3 hours. It says that God bent the heavens and came down. Scientists talk about learning how to bend space so we can travel through time. Well God did just that. He rode on the darkness and came clothed in this thick darkness. He was accompanied by lightnings and thunderings. He took Jesus and drew him out of the enemies hands and he strengthened Jesus for the battle and the victory. That is where the spiritual battle was fought and won. The veil that separated man from God was rent. On the earth, they only saw the darkness, the lightnings and heard the thunderings. Mark 15:34 says that at the 9th hour which would have been when the darkness ended, Jesus cried out, O God, why have you forsaken me. The lights had come on and God’s presence was not visible to Jesus. God NEVER left Jesus and he will NEVER leave us. It was that tangible presence that lifted. This is when Jesus gave his body to death and put his spirit in God’s hands. Lord, enlarge our hearts to receive more of you. Thank you for your presence that never leaves us or forsakes us. Thank you for the power of the cross.