The Darkness before the Dawn

     We call this day “Good Friday.” There is debate about the origins of this title because it seems paradoxical that this day–the day that such a horrific event as the brutal execution of the Son of God–would be thought of as “good.” But regardless of the history behind the title given to this day, we can be sure it is indeed “good” because the events that took place on it form the cornerstone of the gospel. And the gospel, by very definition is “good news.” The cross is the necessary tragedy that leads to the triumph of new life in Christ through His resurrection. To put it another way, we must face the darkness of Good Friday before we embrace the dawn of Resurrection Sunday. In Mark 15:33–38, we are given Mark’s account of the final three hours of the crucifixion of our Lord. In these verses we find in shorthand the profound mystery of the cross–the significance of what was accomplished on Calvary through two signs.

The Cup Poured Out

This passage has an eerie overtone of darkness and judgment. We see in v. 25 that it was “the third hour” when Jesus was crucified, which would be 9:00 am. We know that Christ was exhausted, not only from the stress of the situation, but from the fact that He had been up all night undergoing multiple, illegal trials. We know that prior to being crucified He had been scourged, a brutal flogging that was done by multiple soldiers and carried out until they were exhausted or the commander told them to stop. The whip that was used in the flogging was laced with pieces of bone and metal which would embed themselves into the skin and rip away the flesh, exposing the tissue and even bone. Some people died as a result of merely being scourged. We know that after this a crown of thorns was placed upon His head, and that He was beaten with a reed, spit upon, and mocked. We know that He was forced to carry His cross to the place of the crucifixion until Simon of Cyrene was compelled to relieve Him. We know that when He reached Golgotha, nails were driven through His wrists and feet and He was hung upon the cross under the weight of His own body, His raw flesh dragging upon the wood every time He pushed upon the nail within His feet in order to be lifted enough to gasp for a breath, all while enduring the constant mocking of the crowd. Now, after having been on the cross for three hours, we are told in v. 33 that from the sixth hour to the ninth hour–from noon until 3:00 pm–darkness covered the whole land. This could not have been an eclipse because Passover always occurred during a full moon and a solar eclipse can only happen on a new moon. This was divine darkness–a sign from God about what was taking place. Darkness in Scripture is a sign of judgment. You may recall that one of the plagues of God’s judgment set upon Egypt for refusing to free the Israelites was a darkness that could “be felt” for three days (Exodus 10:21-23). In Joel 2:2, the day of God’s wrath is described as “a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness.” 
Near the end of this final three hours of darkness upon the cross, our Lord cried out, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani," which is Aramaic for “My God, my God, why have you forsaken Me?” Here our Lord Jesus is quoting from Psalm 22:1, which is a Messianic Psalm that depicts the crucifixion in vivid language. This particular Psalm predicted the mockers around the cross and their taunts, the torture of the crucifixion, the parched tongue of Christ, and the garments that were divided and garment that was left untorn. Psalm 22 is so clearly prophetic that Charles Spurgeon called it the “Psalm of the Cross,” and William Plumer said it may be called “The Gospel According to David.” Our Lord Jesus reminded His disciples after His resurrection that what had happened had been according to “my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled” (Luke 24:44). Jesus, knowing this beforehand, speaks the very words of Psalm 22:1, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken Me?” This is one of the most profound and mysterious statements in all of Scripture: the Son of God saying to God the Father, “Why have you forsaken Me?” It is a mystery of all mysteries that during this time, the sweet fellowship the Father and Son had enjoyed from all eternity was broken as the Father turned away from the Son. Why would He do this? How could He do this? The answer is found in the fact that at the cross the Father placed upon Christ, the sinless One, the sins of all who would believe upon Him. We read in 2 Corinthians 5:21 that “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” This is what was prophesied by Isaiah when he stated that the Messiah “bore the sin of many” (53:12). The Apostle Peter used similar language when he said that “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree” (1 Pet. 2:24). This is what we call imputation: the counting of something to be so. In other words, the Father thought of our sins as belonging to Christ. Isaiah 59:2 says that “your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.” Habakkuk 1:13 says that God is “of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong.” And so, as the sins of the many are counted as belonging to the sinless One, the Father turns away.

But the Father did not merely turn away from Christ because of this imputation of sin; He simultaneously poured out His wrath upon Him for the punishment of that sin. Back in Mark 14:36, we are told that our Lord prayed to the Father in the garden, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” In the OT, the wrath of God was spoken of as a cup that would be poured out. Psalm 75:8 says that “…in the hand of the LORD there is a cup with foaming wine, well mixed, and he pours out from it, and all the wicked of the earth shall drain it down to the dregs.” In Isaiah 51:17, the Lord said to Israel, “Wake yourself, wake yourself, stand up, O Jerusalem, you who have drunk from the hand of the LORD the cup of his wrath, who have drunk to the dregs the bowl, the cup of staggering.” Typically, when we recall the scene of Jesus’ anguish as He prays in the garden, we understand Him to be in anguish over the physical torture he is about to undergo, and certainly this is true. Jesus knew the brutality of crucifixion, and in His humanity He was greatly distressed by the thought of what He would soon be facing at the hands of wicked men. But his prayer concerning the cup goes beyond the mere physical torment of the cross. The cup that he would be facing was the wrath of God against sin. And here in chapter 15 of Mark’s Gospel, we see our Lord Jesus experiencing the full measure of this cup. He did it for sinners like you and like me, that we might be forgiven. He is the propitiation for our sins, bearing God’s wrath to the end and in doing so changing God’s wrath for us into favor. The Apostle Paul tells us in Romans 3:25–26 that this was a demonstration of the righteousness of God because it proved that He is a righteous God who maintains justice and yet simultaneously reveals that He is a merciful God who forgives sinners. Isaiah, 600 years before the cross said of Him:

“Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”

We must not mistake Christ’s words, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” as a cry of misunderstanding or dejection on Christ’s part. This is Him in His humanity bearing the weight of the cup, but He still refers to the Father as My God. And the words of the Psalm which He is quoting go on to announce the triumph and vindication of the Messiah which the Father brings about. Isaiah 53:10 says that “it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.” Our Lord Jesus was fully submitted to the will of the Father. Remember that He prayed, “Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” John 10:17-18 records His declaration that “For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.” This is exactly what we see in vv. 35–37. The bystanders mocked at His cry to the Father, saying that He was calling Elijah to come and rescue Him. John tells us that at this point He said, “I thirst,” and so as we see in v. 36, someone gave Him some sour wine on a sponge (something they were more than happy to do because it would keep the victim hydrated and prolong his suffering). And they continue their mocking: “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take Him down.” But Jesus had wanted the sour wine only to moisten his tongue in order to utter a loud cry before breathing His last. It was not a cry of anguish, but a cry of victory, as John tells us that He shouted, “It is finished!” Luke adds that He confidently cried out, “Father, into Your hands I commit my spirit,” a quotation from Psalm 31:5. At this point, the work was finished, the debt of sin had been paid. The wrath of God had been satisfied; the cup had been poured out.

The Curtain Torn in Two

We are told that immediately upon the death of Christ, “the

curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.” This was the curtain that separated the Holy of Holies–the Most Holy Place–from the Holy Place. This curtain was an elaborately woven fabric that was 60 feet tall and 30 feet wide–and it was torn from top to bottom. The Holy of Holies was the place where the ark of the covenant with the mercy seat was. No one was allowed to enter this place except for the high priest, and that only once a year, on the Day of Atonement–and only with blood of a sacrifice, as we read in Leviticus 16:2, and as the writer of Hebrews reminds us in Hebrews 9. This is the second sign Mark records in relation to the crucifixion: the darkness was a sign of God’s judgment; the tearing of the veil was a sign of God’s deliverance. Not only had God’s wrath been satisfied and His righteous character vindicated, but the tearing of the curtain symbolized the access that sinners now have to the Father through the finished work of Jesus Christ. The writer of Hebrews tells us that “when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption” (9:11–12). In Hebrews 10:19–20, he says: “we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh.” We who believe were once separated from God because of our sin, but our Lord Jesus bore that sin on the cross in order to open up to us the Holy of Holies, to give us bold access to Him through faith in His finished work upon the cross. Hebrews 9:15 says that because of this sacrifice, our Lord Jesus Christ “is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance.”

This is the reason Good Friday is indeed “good.” The cup has been poured out, but not upon us. Christ has taken it for us–in our place. As a result, the curtain has been torn in two, giving us bold access to the throne of grace through faith in Jesus, who is our High Priest. This is the truth we glory in on Good Friday, even as we anticipate the celebration of the completion of the good news of the gospel on Resurrection Sunday. 

Oh No, Family Devos!!!

    This may be a familiar expression whispered among children in Christian homes when dad and mom announce that it's time to "gather 'round." What kids don't realize is that, while parents may not vocalize it, they have the very same angst about family devotion time. Especially for those parents who did not grow up in Christian homes (or grew up in Christian homes that didn't do family devotions), this can be a very difficult or even dreadful activity. For those who have forged ahead and made it a regular habit, it may be somewhat easier, but few typically make it past a week or two before it fizzles out as the kids are sawing logs long before dad finishes his "brief" homily.
Why is something that is supposed to be so impactful often just the opposite? And why is something that the pastor makes sound so simple so hard? Why do dads who leave church on Sunday morning inspired to be leaders in their homes and moms who are starry-eyed about their husbands' newfound zeal so frustrated by Monday evening? The basic answer to these questions is that there is simply a lack of understanding of what exactly you're supposed to do for "family devotions." You may see the value in family devotions, understand their impact, and be willing to invest the time, energy, and perseverance necessary to lead your family in this area. But every builder needs a set of blueprints and some tools in order to get started on a project, so let me walk you through a template for family devotions that I've come by through trial and error over the past several years.

Set a time
    Schedules will differ from one family to the next, so find a time that works best for everyone. My kids are still young and we are all home at least three or four nights of the week, so we like to do it at bed time. Don't be legalistic about this; learn to be regular but flexible. My rule of thumb is that, if we are home in the evening, we have what I call our 'Bible Time.' If we're out, we skip it and simply say a quick prayer as a family before bed.

Read the Bible
    This may sound like a no-brainer, but many parents with little children are afraid to read the Bible to them, thinking it will be over their heads. They look for the latest children's story Bible, complete with pictures. I'm not saying that these are all bad, but there is something about reading the Scriptures just the way God had them written that is powerful. Maybe your kids don't understand some things, but over time they will, and they will benefit most from hearing the pure, unaltered word of God from childhood (2 Tim. 3:15).

Use a devotional guide 
    This is not absolutely necessary, but it saves a lot of time in preparation and serves to keep your devotion times focused and interesting. A good devotional guide will list a passage of Scripture to read and provide some questions to ask your children. Some even provide a summary of the passage along with helpful illustrations. This can be an invaluable tool to help guide your family devotional time and follows the biblical pattern of the church coming alongside you as you bear the responsibility to "bring [your children] up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord" (Eph. 6:4). You will also find that your children will be more involved since they already know something about the passage you're discussing. If your children are older, you can follow the same format, but make the question and answer time more of a discussion. Here are a few great resources that you may want to check out:

Generations of Grace Year 2 Family Devotional 

(this is a devotional that corresponds to the Children's Ministry curriculum of FFBC)

Long Story Short (OT)

Old Story New (NT)

ESV Family Devotional Bible

Pray 
    Avoid short, rote prayers. This does not mean that your prayers have to be super-long, drawn out supplications that put mom to sleep along with the kids, but use this time of prayer to model for your children how to pray. Pray through a couple of points from what you read and discussed in the Bible passage, thanking and praising God for who He is and what He's done, and confessing any sins that the passage has exposed about your family. Ask God to give all of you a heart of love for Him, and obedience to Him, and pray specifically for your children's salvation. Pray for your pastor and the elders of your church, and pick a "missionary of the month" to pray for. Finally, pray for one or two pressing needs in the lives of your family and your church family. This sounds like a lot, but if your prayer is focused it should not be longer than 5-10 minutes. Dad should lead in prayer, but it is good to include mom in the prayer time as well, and if your children are older, allow them to pray, too (perhaps assign them particular things to pray for).

Sing 
    Yes, sing! This may be the most intimidating part of the whole deal for some parents, but Scripture commands us to lift our hearts and voices to the Lord in praise and thanksgiving (e.g. Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16), and we need to teach our children to be comfortable with doing this. Not only this, but Scripture states that singing to one another is a form of teaching, and so through singing we are teaching and reinforcing the truths of the gospel that we are seeking to instill in our children. This means that we need to be careful to make sure that the songs we choose are not merely silly children's songs (although I'm all about some of these!), but that the bulk of the songs are filled with substance. This is a great opportunity to familiarize our children with the great hymns of the faith. I like to pick a "hymn of the month" and that way we sing one song enough times that our children come to know it well.

Keep the focus on the gospel 
    Finally, in everything you do, from what you emphasize in the Bible reading, to prayer, to the song you sing, keep the focus of your time on the gospel. This will keep your family's attention where it should be, exalting God for who He is and what He has done, and declaring our great need for Him and the salvation He offers in the finished work of Jesus Christ. This is what your children need to hear consistently, it is what you need to be reminded of regularly, and it will keep your devotion time from lapsing into a cold, moralistic routine.
There are many different ways to do a family devotion time; these are merely suggestions to help you get started. Some families get very creative and elaborate; some stick to the basics. I suggest you start with the template I've suggested and then begin to add elements or change them up however you see fit. One of the things that our family has added the past couple of years is 'story time.' We wanted our kids to enjoy reading, and kids love it when you read to them. We decided that, if we were careful about what we selected to read to them, we could not only encourage them to be readers themselves, but further reinforce their faith at the same time. Reading about a chapter per time, we have gone through series like the Chronicles of Narnia, and classics like the children's version of The Pilgrim's Progress. If your children are older, you could read more advanced books, or maybe take turns reading. Once you get started with a regular family devotion time, it is really quite exciting to begin to think of ways to improve it. 

Wherever you are with family devotions, I pray that these tips will help you and your children move from dread to delight the next time you call the family together.