Holy week: So often God had spoken, but this day he was eerily silent
By Dean Collins
More than once God had made himself known in the life of Jesus on earth.
• Matthew and Luke describe the heavens opening the day Jesus was baptized by John in the Jordan River. It would have been a familiar view for Jesus. The affirmation delivered by his Father’s voice from Heaven along with the Holy Spirit’s descending upon him must have fortified Jesus for the ministry he was launching. Jesus was there when darkness hovered over the earth and heard the declaration, “Let there be light.” Now the Father opened the heavens to let the Light of the World see from earth a glimpse of the eternal.
• I wonder if the infant Jesus moved in his mother’s arms when the multitude of angels sang from the fields nearby at his birth. John had moved in the womb of his mother, Elizebeth, at the voice of Mary. It’s not hard to imagine the infant Jesus reacting to the familiar sounds of angels singing praise to God. I suspect there are many divine moments we miss both skimming through Scripture and in hurrying through the routines of daily life.
• Matthew did not get to see the transfiguration, but Peter, James, and John enthusiastically shared with their peers about seeing the cloud that hovered over the mountain and the shining face of Jesus when they heard God speak from Heaven: “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”.
At creation, at his birth, at his baptism, on the mountain of transfiguration, and now on the cross, Jesus observes his Father’s interactions with the created world. But this time, instead of Jesus catching a glimpse of Heaven and the divine, a blanket of darkness shuts him out from his Father.
Darkness, silence, alone
Matthew tells us that from noon until three in the afternoon darkness covered the land. There was no audible voice from the Father to his Son. There was no crack in the clouds where Jesus could be reassured by his Father. These moments when Satan no doubt continued his harassment of Jesus in ways we cannot imagine, Jesus endured alone. It was alone in the darkness that he carried the sins of the world, our sins, to the cross that we might have a passageway once and for all to the gleaming throne of Heaven.
Here in the darkness, the Son cries out to his Father, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
There would be no answer from Heaven. Below the cross, some thought Jesus was calling Elijah to possibly intervene. Some heard Jesus say he was thirsty. In the darkness, apart from his Father he still asked that we be forgiven for the shallowness and ignorance of what sin does to us and what we did to Jesus. Darkness would give way to silence as Jesus gave up his last breath before his death.
Torn curtain, open graves, certain testimony
The deeper magic that C.S. Lewis wrote about in his Chronicles of Narnia became visible to those who had endured at the foot of the cross or nearby. Matthew described the scene this way:
“And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, ‘Truly this was the Son of God!’”
The scenes after Jesus’ death would have been as terrifying to those who witnessed them as was seeing Jesus suffer on the cross. The Roman centurion gave testimony and summary to what he had seen and heard when he declared that “truly this was the Son of God!” There could be no other explanation.
Silence, fear, uncertainty, and confusion would settle on the community of those who followed Jesus. The women would prepare for a proper burial, but it would have to wait until after the Sabbath. They would wait with their questions and in their grief for what they could do to honor and remember the one they loved who was no longer present.
Access to God
Sunday was coming, but it had no real meaning yet. There are days when the pressures of life, the loss of loved ones, and the suffering of grief bring clouds and darkness to us as well. What is different for us is that because of what Jesus endured and his resurrection, we have access to God. He is present with us in our grief and suffering. He will never forsake us. He will go with us till the end and beyond. His silent suffering has unlocked doors of grace and love for us.
As we await the resurrection event of Easter, allow the silence to remind you of the indescribable love of God. He will meet us in the silence.
Your time with God’s Word
Luke 2:13-15; 3:21-22; Matthew 3:16-17; 17:2, 5-6, 8; 27:45-50, 54 ESV
Photos by Abhishek Koli and Wim van 't Einde at Unsplash
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