Power Failure

O

ne Friday afternoon, we experienced terrible thunderstorms here in Fort Worth.  The storms began late Thursday evening and continued throughout the day on Friday.  Although they brought much-needed rain to our area, the storms also caused several problems in various locations around the city.

In addition to flash flooding, numerous neighborhoods and businesses were without power for several hours.  I discovered this for myself when I went to a local restaurant for dinner that evening.  Upon my arrival, I noticed several indications that something was wrong.  The parking lot, which was usually full on Friday evening, contained no cars whatsoever.  I also discovered the restaurant was completely dark and there was no movement inside. There was a large sign on the front window informing the public the restaurant had closed due to the lack of electricity. Other businesses in the strip mall had similar signs, also attributing their closings to the loss of electricity.

For the owners of these businesses, the blackout proved very difficult.  Business could not continue as usual and normal operations had to be suspended.  Instead of the chatter of customers ordering meals and the sounds of pots and pans emanating from the kitchen, a thick blanket of silence fell over the restaurant.  The few remaining employees worked diligently in the darkness to close the restaurant. After everyone finished work, the owner closed the door and locked it.  He went home, looking forward to the next day when power would be restored.           

Would it surprise you to find a parallel to this story in the New Testament?  Would you be shocked to learn that the scriptures record a great power failure that took place in Jerusalem just prior to Jesus' death?  In his gospel, the Apostle John records the following brief phrase, "…and it was night" (John 13:30). These words are out of place in John's gospel.  John uses the idea of light to describe Jesus and his ministry.  The very beginning of his gospel speaks of the "light that shined in darkness..." and it also in this gospel that Jesus describes himself as "the light of the world" (John 8:12).

However, today's scripture lesson sets the stage for Jesus betrayal. Judas accepts the bread dipped in wine from Jesus and then leaves to make arrangements for his betrayal to the Scribes and Pharisees.  John says it was night; and he was right.  The light that had come into the world was about to go out.  An inconceivable darkness was about to engulf both the physical world and men's souls.  It was a time where everything seemed out of place, out of kilter, and upside down.

When darkness fell at Jesus' crucifixion, very few of his supporters were there.  They took his body, put it in a tomb, and sealed it.  They went home despondent, wondering what had happened to their world.  But three days later, the lights came back on, the tomb was opened, and Jesus came forth.  No longer was it dark, no longer was the power out. Instead, a new source of power emerged.  The power that raised Jesus from the dead was the same power that fueled the birth of the church and became the spark that ignited the spread of Christianity.

On Saturday morning, a new transformer was installed and the restaurant resumed its normal operations.  People came in droves to enjoy the good food they had missed.  There was a new spirit in the restaurant and everyone found new energy and new stamina to meet the challenges of serving such large numbers of people.  In the same way, the resurrection of Jesus served to rejuvenate the disciples and to encouraged them tell others about the saving grace of Jesus Christ. 

Today, it may seem that the power has gone out of your life.  You may not see God moving in your circumstances you may feel your life has been shut down for lack of power.  But just hang on.  This time of inactivity may just mean that God is installing a new transformer.  Remember the words of Jesus from John 8:12 "I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life." The power grid is up and running.  Get plugged in!