Day 20: Darkness at Noon
Bible passage: Mark 15:33–39; Mark 14:32–42
Three Hours of Darkness
Today is Wednesday 20th of January 2021. Welcome to Day 20 of our 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting. Today we stay at the cross, and we stay quiet.
Mark tells us that at noon, darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock (Mark 15:33). This was the middle of the day, when the sun is at its highest. It was as if creation itself was in mourning.
Forsaken for Us
The Cry
At three o’clock Jesus called out in a loud voice. “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” Mark 15:34 (NLT)
He was praying the opening words of Psalm 22. The night before, in Gethsemane, He had called God “Abba, Father” (Mark 14:36). Now He was carrying the sin of the world, and He felt the separation that sin brings.
We are standing at the edge of a mystery, and we should tread carefully. But we do know why it happened. He was forsaken so that we never would be. God has said that He will never fail us or abandon us (Hebrews 13:5).
The Curtain
Jesus gave another loud cry and breathed His last. At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom (Mark 15:37–38).
That curtain had kept people out of the Most Holy Place. It was torn from the top, because this was God’s doing. The way into His presence now stands open.
The Centurion
The Roman officer who had been in charge of the execution was standing in front of Jesus. When he saw how He died, he said that this man truly was the Son of God (Mark 15:39).
The first person to say so at the cross was a foreign soldier. The cross is for the whole world.
The Friends Who Ran
In Gethsemane the disciples fell asleep, and when Jesus was arrested they all ran away (Mark 14:50). He went on alone. God does not give up on us when we fail Him. He goes into the darkness for us.
Praying at the Cross
Standing in the Gap
Even from the cross, Jesus prayed for other people (Luke 23:34). God sent His Son into the world not to judge it, but to save it through Him (John 3:17). So today, let us pray for the world that He died for.
Prayer Points for Today
The church worldwide. Pray for unity, courage and faithful witness, and for pastors and leaders.
Those who have never heard. Pray for missionaries, and for people who once believed and have drifted away.
Those who suffer. Pray for the sick, the bereaved, the hungry, the homeless, the oppressed and those in prison.
Those affected by the pandemic. Pray for everyone who is ill with Covid-19, for NHS staff, carers and key workers, and for the elderly and the vulnerable.
The isolated and the anxious. Pray for people whose mental health is suffering, that they would find help and hope.
The persecuted and those who persecute them. Pray for strength for the one, and for the other to come to repentance and faith.
Those in authority. Pray that governments here and around the world would have wisdom, integrity and compassion.
If you can, read Mark chapters 14 and 15 in one sitting today and let the story speak for itself.
Prayer for Today:
Lord Jesus, thank You that You went into the darkness for me. You were forsaken so that I would never be. Thank You that the curtain is torn and the way to the Father is open. I bring to You this hurting world: the sick, the grieving, the lonely and the lost. Have mercy, Lord. Let the light of Your cross shine in every dark place. Amen.
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