Now it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two. And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, ‘Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.’ Having said this, He breathed His last.

Luke 23:44-46

Sunday’s coming!

Catchy little phrase, isn’t it? We have all heard it countless times. The phrase will certainly mean different things to different people. What does it mean to you?

For some, it would no doubt result in excitement as they think about the activities of a coming weekend: perhaps a gathering of friends, or a weekend get-away, or a long-anticipated period of uninterrupted rest. For others the same phrase might cause feelings of sadness as they contemplate the end of another weekend and the thought of returning to the drudgery of the job on Monday.

But for the Christian, this phrase carries a totally different meaning. In one sense, it simply means that we are looking forward to a day of rest as prescribed by God’s word. It was God Himself who prescribed this day of rest, and He certainly knew what He was doing when He made this a permanent guideline for humanity. We all need a day of rest. The human body simply cannot continue to go on, day after day, week after week, year after year, without a time of rest. We desperately need to rest.

However, for the Christian the meaning of this phrase goes deeper. It also carries the meaning of a day of worship. We are to set aside this day as a day to gather with other believers for times of spiritual enrichment, mutual encouragement, and Biblical instruction and admonition. It is a time of sharing with one another, and caring for one another.

And yet, on this particular week of the year – this week referred to as Passion Week – we find the deepest meaning of all to the phrase, “Sunday’s Coming.” The events of this week give us full understanding of the phrase. Jesus had entered the city of Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. He was greeted with shouts of joy and gladness, and hailed as the Son of David, a messianic term which referred to the promised Messiah, the chosen of God, the One who would bring salvation to the people of Israel, and the entire world.

That final week was filled with drama and intrigue. The religious leaders, even those who adamantly opposed one another in all matters of religion, seemed to coalesce into a well-greased religious coalition which was bent on nothing less than the destruction of Jesus. They bombarded Him day after day with endless questions, trying to find some fault in Him. When they finally realized that it was a futile endeavor, they decided to make false accusations against Jesus which they hoped would result in His death.

They finally made it happen (even though they really had nothing to do with it at all, other than being pawns in the hands of a sovereign God, carrying out His pre-ordained plan He had made from eternity past). Jesus was given the death sentence, which would be carried out in the most vicious type of death ever devised by man: crucifixion.

The disciples were in a state of shock. We can’t even begin to imagine the horror they experienced as they saw these events unfold before them. Jesus is brutally beaten, then made to carry His own cross to the place of death. He is nailed to that cross, lifted between heaven and earth, and after several grueling hours of horrific anguish, He dies.

Jesus, dead. His body hanging lifeless on that cross. The Son of God, the Savior of man, the One in whom they had placed all their hopes and dreams, hangs motionless on that cross.

Bewildered, confused, perplexed, hopeless, helpless, afraid, locked behind closed doors, awaiting news of their own fate at the hands of those who had killed their Lord. Gloom, despair, depression, darkness of soul and mind, was the reality of their present state. They had invested over three years of their lives to Jesus, and now…… well, now, it has proved to be a big joke. They had given their lives to One who was now dead, buried, gone!

The next three days and nights must have been filled with unspeakable, indescribable anguish. What must they have talked about behind those bolted doors? What must have been uppermost in their minds as they contemplated their next move? How could they carry on now without Jesus there to lead them? How were they to face their families and friends with the shame of having been so duped by this charlatan? How could they ever go back and pick up the pieces of their broken lives from which they had walked away three years ago?

Perhaps, in a very small way, you can relate to those feelings of anguish, pain, disillusionment and discouragement. Perhaps things have not worked out for you as you had planned. Perhaps life has not been good to you. Maybe you have experienced some type of loss: a failed business venture, a broken relationship, the death of a spouse or child, the diagnosis of cancer, or any one of an endless list of possibilities. You are now reeling in the aftermath of that loss, and you are wondering what to do now: where to turn, from whom you can get assistance, by what means of escape you will make your exit.

Well, here is where the phrase really gets its meaning: no matter how dark the hour, how dreary the outlook, how desperate the situation, Sunday’s coming! The darkness of death that Jesus had now faced and experienced would be transformed into marvelous, majestic, miraculous light as He breaks free from the shackles of death, hell and the grave. He comes forth victorious, doing exactly what He had told His disciples He would do.

The darkness dissipates, the light shines, and the disciples are miraculously transformed from broken men and women into those who will now literally turn their world upside down for the cause of their now risen Lord and victorious King.

So, how do we make application of this wonderful truth? Let’s respond to that question from two different perspectives. First, let’s consider the temporal perspective. No matter what you are going through, regardless of how severe or how trivial, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Darkness gives way to light. Joy does come in the morning after the long night of darkness and despair. The key is to keep our eyes focused on Jesus in the midst of the darkness. He is unaffected by your present state of circumstances, and yes, He does care deeply for what you are now experiencing. He is not only watching you in your storm, but He is with you in your storm. Trust in Him; lean on Him; accept by faith the strength He alone can give.

Second, let’s consider for a moment the ultimate perspective. Jesus faced the horror of His betrayal, His savage beating, His vicious death, and the darkness of being forsaken by His Father. However, through it all He kept His eyes on the reality of resurrection Sunday. He saw, through the eyes of faith, the wonderful truth of His own victory over death, hell and the grave. For each person who has been born again into the family of God through God’s amazing grace, we, too, can look beyond anything and everything this life throws at us with the assurance that Sunday’s coming! The darkness will be dispelled by His glorious light. Death will be dealt a death-blow by His eternal life. The things of earth will fade into insignificance as we peer into the eyes of the One who purchased us with His blood. We will enjoy eternity in the presence of the King of kings and Lord of lords.

Rest assured, Christian friend. Sunday’s coming!

Until next time:

Blessings!