April 2, 2025 – Lent Texts: Job 7:1-4, Revelation 22:1-5, Matthew 26:30-35
Dear Friends in Christ,
Tonight’s soap opera is of the first two that moved from radio to television. The working tile was originally, “The Edge of Darkness.” Appropriate for tonight as you will see. This soap was conceived as a daytime Perry Mason with a crime and justice angle. We again have a Midwest setting, the town of Monticello. Because of the emphasis of the show being geared more toward crime and less about romance it had a 50% male viewership. The title of this daytime drama was “The Edge of Night.”
Tonight, we are going to be with the disciples. They have just celebrated Passover, what we commonly refer to as “The Last Supper” with Jesus. They are headed to the Mount of Olives, but they do not realize what monumental happenings are about to occur this evening. Step into the shadows as we are at . . . .
“THE EDGE OF NIGHT”
Before we get to our main text from Matthew, let’s take a quick look at our other texts. Job says in our Old Testament lesson, “The night is long, and I am full of tossing till the dawn.” Who hasn’t tossed and turned at least a few times in bed. Worry, lack of sleep, too much sleep, a meal that weighs on the belly, the upset of a baby. Job had his concerns, and he had his mind on his job and getting his wages. Men of Job’s times were paid every day. This would allow them to have food money for the next day. His depression is getting the best of him.
John in Revelation has some better news. “And night will be no more. They will need no lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.” Now, doesn’t that sound better? There is no night or darkness in God’s presence. To get there though there are going to be dark days. Have you had one recently? A gut punch in your daily life? Tossing and turning as you teeter on the edge of night?
Do we find the disciples in the same predicament? Actually, we don’t. If you read the verses just pass our text, you will find all the disciples in Gethsemane with Jesus. They all fall asleep. Jesus prays – they fall asleep again. Jesus prays a third time – they all fall asleep again. They have no idea what is about to happen as they awake a third time from this middle of night siesta. Worry, anxiety, concern; it is not in God’s Word.
Should they have had concern? Think they should have. Jesus says in our text, “You will all fall away because of me this night. For it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’” All the disciples will abandon Jesus, the shepherd. The sheep – the disciples – flee when the shepherd is killed. They stand or should we say sleep on the edge of night and their lives are about to get much darker.
We are gathered here in this sanctuary on the edge of night and what bothers us? What about swearing by the name of God, like Peter, and then failing the Savior? What about caving in to the fear of being too closely identified as a follower of Jesus? What about acting too confident in our response and promise to follow Jesus and then abandoning Him?
That last one happens far too often in the church. Confession made at the Lord’s altar and then walking into the darkness. No longer here tonight or Sunday morning. Faith imploding and dust covering God’s children in the dust of their choices.
“Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you.” Peter says what all the disciples were thinking. Eerie similar to our confirmation vows, “Do you intend to continue steadfast in this confession and Church, and to suffer all, even death, rather than fall away from it.” We answered, “I do, by the grace of God.”
There is the key this edge of night. The grace of God. It cannot be done on our own. This edge of night, Jesus is going to keep his cool. This edge of night, Jesus is going to be in total control of the situation even when it looks like things are out of control. This edge of night we are going to witness the wondrous love of Jesus.
Jesus’s love asks us to repent of our dark deeds. Jesus’ love asks us to turn our back on the deeds of darkness. Jesus’ love spurred the Apostle Paul to write, “God demonstrates his love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Rom. 5:8)
Jesus holds out his arms to us every day and says: “I am loving you in my embrace. I am keeping you safe at my side. I have died and rose for you. I am waiting for you in heaven. Now go and love my other sheep because I have saved them from Satan and hell as well.”
Join us this Sunday, Palm Sunday, on this same station for . . . “Secret Storm.”
Amen.
"But God demonstrated His love for us in this: While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8
