Even In The Darkest Hour

The disciples in today’s Gospel Lesson had been experiencing a terrible spiritual and emotional drain. They had been with Jesus during His entire public ministry. They had heard Him preach gloriously. They had been witnesses to His miracles of healing. They had listened to the crowds cheering as Jesus entered the Holy City on Palm Sunday. They had believed that, in Jesus, all the promises of the Ages would be fulfilled. But the dream began to dissolve. It became clear that Jesus had to die. He would be executed. Finally, the events of Good Friday completely shattered their hopes and dreams. The promise of fulfillment had been broken, or so they thought. They were broken-hearted. They were terrified — afraid of life itself. How did it happen, then, that men such as these would soon be transformed into dedicated, courageous preachers and teachers of the Gospel Message? How did it happen that out of the depths of despair these men would rise up to become…