We often use darkness as a metaphor for hopelessness – “It was a very dark time in my life”; “There wasn’t a ray of hope”; “There was no light at the end of the tunnel.” That’s the way things were for the human race, and that’s the way things would have been, were it not for the coming of the Lord Jesus.
We were in a hopeless situation. Sin had separated us from God, meaning we couldn’t find the joy and fulfil the purpose we were created for; instead we experience guilt, disappointment and emptiness. Our crimes against God had earned for us “the blackness of darkness forever” (Jude 13). There was nothing we could do about our condition. We don’t have the power to live the way we really want to, never mind how God wants us to; we don’t have the resources to pay the penalty for our crimes; we have no ability to bridge the divide between us and our Creator.
But although there is no hope in us, there is hope for us, because of Jesus Christ.
He came to give His life for us to pay the penalty for our crimes so that we could go free from sin’s penalty. He also came to give His life to us so that we could live free from sin’s power. The Bible says that Christians have been called “out of darkness into His marvellous light” (1 Peter 2:9). The one who died for sinners and rose from the dead has the power to save you and transform your life.
We read in the Bible about a blind beggar called Bartimaeus (Mark 10:46-52). He was sitting at the side of the road one day thinking it would just be like any other day, but he heard an unusual commotion – Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. For the first time since his world was plunged into darkness, there was a ray of hope. Bartimaeus seized the opportunity and cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” The crowd told him to be quiet – after all, visiting dignitaries don’t want to see or hear from the likes of Bartimaeus. But Bartimaeus cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” And the Bible says, “Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called.” The cry of that poor blind beggar reached the ear and reached the heart of the Lord Jesus Christ – and those cries still do today. He gave sight to Bartimaeus – brought him out of darkness into light, and He can do that for you today.
Maybe as you read this, things seem hopeless for you. You are tired of living and scared of dying. It doesn’t have to be like this. Things can be different. The darkness can be dispelled. Not through denial or wishful thinking, but through Christ. Respond to His call and leave the darkness behind.
