Our world is filled with darkness.  In many ways, it is hard to fathom how broken we have truly become.  We have found a way, in lieu of logic, to celebrate evil and condemn good.  The prophet Isaiah even warns about it:

Isaiah 5 20 Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness

But that is not what today’s message is about.

Today’s message is about our response to the darkness.

There was a time when the hope of the world was at a cataclysmic low.  And the enemy was rejoicing in victory.  The disciples had run away, the Romans were executing, and even the religious leaders were questioning what they had done.

We had stooped so low that even a Roman soldier, hardened by the process of execution, told everyone to quiet down in their callous mockery.

Jesus’ mom stood at the foot of the cross broken, and the disciple whom Jesus loved had to wonder:  “Where is the hope?”

The hope … is in Jesus.

It will always be in Jesus.

And He is … the ultimate underdog.

God knew that we would need to blame something for our hideous behavior.  He knew that we would need to make sure that we got our revenge on something.  He knew that we would want to hold someone accountable for what was going on.

And, so many times, we do just that in society:

If we don’t have money, we blame the rich.

If we don’t have a good relationship, we blame the church.

If we don’t have health, we blame the doctor, or the healthy.

And if we don’t have freedom or hope or life, we blame those who have it in abundance.

We … NEED … a SCAPEGOAT.

And He has willingly filled that role.

He just simply … took the blame for all of it.

And when they killed Him, the emptiness grew in abundance.  The hope of anything good was crushed and Satan and his minions celebrated the fall of man.

But Jesus was not done.

He was just beginning.

And He was going to turn the tables in such a way that we might all take heed, take a knee, and bow to the King of the Ages.

Jesus was going to go into the pits of hell, be punished as a sinner, and rise from the grave.

Jesus Christ of Nazareth saved the world.

And the exploding faith that resulted in His actions transcended all of humanity.

The women discovered Him.

The Greeks followed Him.

The Romans who opened their eyes and relinquished their power.

The rich gave their money.

The poor gave their hope.

The Jews realized that they had missed the whole point and the Gentiles that they had lived without structure.

When Jesus came and gave His life the rules all changed or were thrown out or were finally understood.

The reality today is as great as it was when He rose from the grave.

John 1 says that those who RECEIVE Him are born of God.  They then RECEIVE the keys to the palace, the right of the firstborn, and, most importantly, access to the King.

We have access!  The darkness of this world has been defeated.

It has been crushed.

And we are the diplomats who carry out the hope of humanity.

2023 is a year that is very important.  It is important because it is now.  But it is more important because never has the gospel of Jesus been more important to take to humanity.  And each of us, in our gifts can do it in our own design.

So take the gospel, this gospel, to the individual or to the group.

Take it to the broken and the stalwart.

Take it to the law breaker and to the one who thinks he is perfect.

Take it to all races and nations and people.

Just make sure that you take it.

It is the hope of all of humanity—yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

In The Name of the Father and the 

Son and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Know anyone who might like these?  Encourage them to jump on to 2minutewarning.blog and hit the FOLLOW button!!!

Coach J