A Serving Leadership Insight from the Life of Jesus Christ (Mark 15:33-37)

“At noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, 'Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?' (which means 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?')…With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.” (See Mark 15:33-37 for full text)

In Mark 15:33–37, Jesus gave up his life in the moment of greatest darkness. The text notes that “darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon.” God “lost his firstborn” in an experience like Pharaoh's several millennia earlier just after the ninth plague of darkness. Jesus suffered ultimate rejection and absolute darkness in his soul when even the Father—his Audience of One—seemingly turned his back on him. As sin-bearer for all the blackness of evil, Jesus was abandoned completely in death. The disciples, religious leaders, Roman officials, creation, and even God the Father had turned their backs on him. In this moment there was no collaboration; Jesus was on his own to chart his course through the darkest night. His selfless act of bearing the world's sin ushered in an era of eternal light. Sometimes serving leaders are all alone. Yet they push through the darkness to bring light to the world.

KEY QUESTIONS: When have I felt completely abandoned? Who or what did I turn to? How can I push through the darkness when little light, if any, appears at the end of the proverbial tunnel? How might being anchored on truth overcome feelings and circumstances?