It is predicted that there will be a total eclipse in which the sun will be blocked by the moon. During that time darkness will prevail. There have been warnings that people should not park beside the road for fear of accidents. People from around the world are coming to the path of the eclipse to observe it. This is a rare phenomenon. However, this eclipse is pale and the darkness short when nature groaned during the crucifixion of Jesus.
In our modern world this is predictable and understandable. In the ancient world when Jesus was crucified this was a sudden and drastic event that overshadowed mankind. It was an indication or depiction of the sin residing in every person. This was traumatic because Jesus did not die as a guilty criminal. He died as a perfect person who was the final and complete sacrifice for our sin. During that time was an earthquake, rocks split, and some dead prophets came back to life for the moment walking among the living in Jerusalem.
This darkness was not a mere eclipse. It was literal and symbolic of what was happening on the cross. It was the vindication of Jesus stepping in to the darkness that sin inflicts on everyone. Think for a moment how that darkness that you will see today as a reminder of what happened on Calvary. Reflect on the suffering that Jesus experienced. Know that the darkness was temporary as it will be this April because light conquered the darkness. Jesus described himself as the light of the world. Anyone who comes to the light will experience the brilliance of salvation.
Christian Writer 