From noon to three.

"When it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon."

(Mark 15:33)

Three hours. In darkness. Both physically and emotionally/spiritually. Three hours. Jesus was hanging on the cross - near death. At 3pm he gave up his spirit and died. To some, this would seem tragic. The darkest moment in Christendom. And so, "from noon to three" can be seen as those "dark night of the soul" moments (or seasons) in life, when we get overwhelmed by sadness, sickness, loss, depression, frustration, betrayal, and death. We all have them. And they can be debilitating when they hit.

And yet... if we look deeper... "from noon to three" has deeper ramifications. Jesus' death on "Good Friday" actual leads to resurrection, new life, and hope! On that very first Easter Sunday, Jesus rose from the dead. And he is present with us for ever and ever. So when we're going through the depths of darkness... when we have those "noon to three" seasons of life... as tough as they are, this reminds us not to give in to that darkness and despair. Resurrection and new life awaits!