Turning again to that chapter we read together, Mark chapter 15. We read verse 33. Mark 15, verse 33. And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. When the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. All of us here today are very familiar with the account of the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ. And there is, I'm sure, for you as it is for me at times, a danger of being so familiar with it that we forget the solemnity and indeed even the awfulness of all that was happening here at this time, the suffering saviour and all that he endured for us. On a day such as this, good for us to focus upon him. And it is always the prayer of everyone who stands before you preaching the gospel, that they will never become the focus of attention, and as it were, Christ being secondary. And today for ourselves, friends, that Christ would be everything to the fore and before us all, in your situation outside the table, especially at the table, and also here in the pulpit. Well, friends, again, just imagine the scene, as I said, may be familiar to us, but we should never tire of returning to it and considering all that is going on here. Imagine the scene. The Saviour arrested the previous evening. From early morning through the night, indeed, part of, and from the early morning, the hatred and the cruelty toward him seemed to intensify. There is, of course, the mock trial, and that's all that it was as well. Pilate and Herod, really, they were shirking their responsibilities. the soldiers doing their cruel duty, as no doubt they had done on many previous occasions, because we know that crucifixion was one of the inhuman methods that the Romans used in seeking to subdue the people. But here now, friends, they are dealing as they would have done with others that are also crucified. But here they are dealing not with a reluctant victim, not someone, as it were, dragged, kicking and screaming to be crucified. But here they have one who was a willing sacrifice, who was doing what he came to do. and delighting to do the Lord's will in it. There was no pleading from him to the soldiers to let him go. We know that he could have called 12 legions of angels to help him, but this was his Lord. This was his destiny. And then you imagine here the sin hearing the awful blasphemy around the cross. Oh, what his holy ears had to hear and endure. Imagine there as well, the chief priests and the scribes mocking him, deriding him, even the thieves. We know at one point, at least both of them, revile in him, and that all shall show us a sign. Show us a sign from heaven that you are who you claim to be. Well, suddenly what happens? Well, we read, darkness. The darkness fell. over the whole land until the ninth hour. And again, friends, can you imagine the panic? Can you imagine then this time, the shouting? And I imagine as well the screaming that we're going on. What is happening? And I imagine as well, once the initial part of it of that shock that came upon them, of the darkness, there would be silence and fear and trembling, but there would be silence because it was a darkness like no other darkness. Now surely through this unnatural darkness, all should have asked in their own minds and hearts, what is happening? Why is this happening? I wonder, at that time, how many initially made the connection between the abominable work they were about and this unnatural darkness. We know, of course, the statement from the centurion later on. But at the time, what were they thinking? As here now, after they're deriding him and mocking him and crucifying him, the Lord Jesus is now hid from their prying eyes, from all the derision and accusations. That's the scene we have here, the darkness having fallen. Friends, let us then seek today to think about this time around the cross. and not forget to make the connection, of course, between this account and what we are doing here today. Of course, there's going on to the empty tomb and the resurrection, but just to stop here this morning and consider anew. First of all, to consider the great physical suffering that he endured. Now, of course, we know that his soul suffering was far more intensive than the physical. Nevertheless, friends, both were very real to him. Those around the cross not only were observing these physical sufferings of the Savior, but they were also not only observing, but they were adding to them. in their own different ways, different people were adding to them. And in them as well, as he suffered there, there was no relief whatsoever for him. Just like anybody else who was crucified, there were horrible wounds in the nails that would have been through his hands and his feet. There would have been, after a while, the blood congealed. There would have been a fever with them as well. There would be a raging thirst, it seems, the lungs filling, hard to breathe. That was the lot of everyone who was crucified. It was a horrible death that he was suffering at that time. Indeed, we are told that many, as you can imagine, passed into unconsciousness with the agony that they were going through. There was no such relief for him. No such relief. The real relief of unconsciousness was not afforded him. And how that would have been, you know yourselves, people in pain, agony, sometimes they faint or they're unconscious, they're not aware. But there was never a moment, never a moment, when he wasn't aware of what he was doing and the suffering that was his. Here he is now, suffering the pains, Indeed, hell drew near in these hours, as he is now crucified outside Jerusalem. The agony of that, of course, more than that, the agony of hers as the beloved son, denied having the comfort of his father. denied him in the comfort of the channel, as it were, of prayer, open with his beloved Father, as he had before. That in his agony was withheld from him. And yes, there was the holy wrath that he knew was behind it all. Oh yes, he could see and knew the hatred of those around the cross. He knew what they were doing. He could see what they were doing. He felt it as they were driving the nails into his hands and everything else they did to him. But he knew the purpose of it all. It wasn't just their hands. It was because of who he was and what he was doing for his people. Nereus then hung in between earth and heaven. And as another has said, both rejecting him at that time. Friends, that's the Christ we must never forget. That's the man of sorrows indeed that must ever be before us, not just in a day like this, but every day if we have come to know that he died for our sins. There he is, and when you look at him, and you look at him today with the eye of faith, What are you doing today? You are looking at him with the eye of faith, seeing the suffering saviour, remembering him, but you are here enjoying the fruits of that sacrifice and the fruits of that agony that he had to bear in your room and in your stead. And then, surely then, that you will see here, and what do you see here today? You not see then in this awful situation, the loneliest man that ever walked this world, the greatest suffering man ever endured in this world. Everybody should see that. But Christian, what do you see today and say to yourself, what means we did this? in my room and in my step, he suffered what he suffered. You know, friends, even the worst of sinners in this world can often experience something of the common grace of God. But here, the Savior is denied even that comfort. None to help was found, no one to help. Why? Well, you can say today, because of me, because he loved me and gave himself for me. That suffering, this physical suffering was very real for him and no comfort in it. But then there is another suffering. And we see here the justice of God in the darkness, the justice of God in the darkness. And we know often that darkness is symbolic used of wrath and of anger, just as light often is seen to do with hope and love. You remember here at the very beginning, we read in Genesis, that from darkness God spoke, let there be light. We can go to Bethlehem when the Savior was born into this world. We read of the night in the shepherd's fields, what becoming bright as the glory of the Lord shone there. The glory of the Lord, the light that was there. The night became day. What have we got here? At Calvary, the day becomes night for the Savior. The darkness descended. We can go to the Mount of Transfiguration. We read there of how the Saviour's face even did shine as the sun. What do we see here? Oh, now, at the Cursed Cross, the One Whomself was the Light of Men. He is now, friends, he is bereft, destitute. Destitute of the light of the very sun he had created. It's as if the sun itself was hiding its face from it. Darkness, darkness, darkness. It's as if the very sun was compelled to close its eyes, not even to look at what he was suffering, look at what its maker was suffering under the hand of a holy God dealing in his justice. What was that about? This was about when he was being made sin, part of at least, when he was being made sin for us. Well, it wasn't an ordinary darkness. Even the time of year, time of Pentecost, would tell us that. But this was something different. It was not an ordinary darkness. Why not? Because this was not an ordinary judgment. This was not an ordinary judgment that we see here. But here he is, the sinless one. Here he is, friends, bearing your sins and mine. Here he is, suffering in this darkness. And was he surprised by this? Was this something that took a man away? Sure, not at all. because he knew the cost involved in dealing with our sin. He knew that he had to bear the sins of his people. Your sins today, friend. He knew that he, the sinless one, must be made sin for us. Here was no suffering. bearing your sins and mine, I pray, if we are his today. No surprise for him, because he knew the sinfulness of sin, and what was involved in man's rebellion against God, and what had to be involved, what had to be to deal with that sin of man against God. You see, this was no surprise. Before he took our nature, he knew what the law required of him. Indeed, was he not party, as it were, to the decision in the counts of eternity, in that covenant of redemption? He knew that, and there was no reluctance whatsoever in him. What is he saying? He knew it, here am I, as it were, send me. And so he came, and so he knew what was awaiting him. It didn't make it any easier, indeed it made it far worse for him. And his cry of dereliction tells us something of what was going on. He cried, my God, my God. Brethren, here is something that today we should try and get a grasp on. Here he is now as his people's surety, before God as his righteous judge in this darkness, or what was going on there, there under the holy wrath of God, yet without sin himself. You know, it is a mystery. and we dare not even try too much to consider what exactly was going on in detail, as it were, in that darkness. But surely, if we are today aware of our sin and what Christ suffered for us, and we are at the table of the Lord today, remembering his death till he comes, surely we should seek to get a clearer grasp or just even maybe a glimpse of the depth of the suffering. To understand, yes, it's a holy ground, friends, but we have enough revealed in scripture to have us delve a little as well, as if it was just a glimpse of it. You know, friends, if you only If we understand the depth of our own sin, that will tell you a lot of what he had to suffer in the darkness. An understanding of what we are by nature, an understanding of what it is to have rebelled against the living God, an understanding indeed at one time to be crying with others, crucify him, crucify him. we should seek then friends, not just to skip over and skim over the reality of what's going on here. Let us consider it as much as we can as scripture enables us to do so. And so while we cannot enter into it, but we can know something of sorrow in our souls for what he suffered and what he was doing. And I say this, friends, show me today a person who has never shed a tear over the Savior's suffering for them, and I'll show you a person who understands nothing of being saved, who understands nothing of why he suffered. Oh, who can consider that? And it's in a dash him upon us at times, how little there is of that sorrow of heart. And a little there is of that is tears of repentance and tears for our beloved Savior, as we consider him and all that he suffered, even what is revealed to us. even outside of this darkness, these hours of darkness that we have. Here he is, he is there, read in the wine press a lot. But even friends, before these three hours, surely the greatest agony and suffering for him that Wherever he looked, none to help was found. Why not? Why not? None to help could be found. And why not? Because none else could do what he had to do, what he came to do. None to help was found. Not man, not an angel from heaven could do what he came to do. Well, friends, you would expect, of course, there would be no help from the priests. As you look down, there will be no help from the soldiers. As you look down, there will be no help from the vast majority of those who are around the cross. But you think surely there will be some comfort and help from his disciples. Surely there'll be some comfort there for him. Or surely the one who leaned on his breast at supper would give a word of consolation. John, where are you? Where are you now? Where are you now while your loved one is suffering? Peter was always to the fore. Peter, why are you still denying him? James, oh James, you who wanted to be at the right hand in glory, where are you now? Where's the comfort? Where's the comfort for our Savior? But not only friends, when he looked down and saw those around, but also when he lifted his eyes and looked up to heaven, his holy, we can say pleading eyes, heavenward, nothing. None to help was found for him. You see, the justice of God demanded he had to tread the winepress, as I said, alone. The one of whom he could see himself lie on the father of one, and though he's dealing with him in the darkness specially, without sin, as if he was the vilest of sinners, Oh, my dear friends, when we partake today, think about what he has done for you, what he has suffered for you. Consider the cost of your salvation above everyone else. You know, we read that darkness, it says here, over the whole land. There was darkness over the whole land. And you know, friends, if I can say, I doubt it was darker anywhere more than it was at the Red Cross. There was a darkness there that was more than a physical darkness as well. As her blessed savior hung there, the world rejecting him and God as his judge, hiding his familiar fatherly comfort from him. In the darkness, into the darkness, I'm in the darkness. Oh, what suffering was our Saviour going through. In the darkness, suffering under the hand of God, in things that we cannot, I suppose say, dare think too much of the detail, as it were, of it. If we know anything about the awfulness of our own sin, that will give you an indication of how much he would have to suffer in the darkness from the hand of a holy God in our room and in our state. Do you know that for yourself today? And then thirdly, I believe also there's a secondary purpose for the darkness. Surely it was also concealing his greatest agony from his enemy's eyes. all around the cross. They were looking at him with loathing and hatred, spitting in his holy face. They had been beating him and now they're mocking him. And then the unexpected, this darkness fell. God threw a curtain, as it were, yes, to deal in these hours with them for our sin, but also surely to hide from all unholy eyes what now was the transaction, as it were, going on, the punishment going on, what his beloved son was enduring now to meet the demands of his holy law. For now, he was not dealing with them as a son, but he was dealing with us people's purity and people's sacrifice. So as such, friends, the heavy hand of holy is justice. Oh, it was not to be viewed by sinful men's eyes. Indeed, we read And we know that not even his friends would say. And if his friends could not see into it, surely his enemies were not allowed at all. So no longer was he the subject of their accusing hate-filled looks. But then, does that darkness mean that that brought some relief to the Savior? At the point before the darkness was awful in his suffering, and now the darkness came, ah, relief. Not in the least, but it was only, as it were, the time of the greatest intensity, we believe, of the suffering. That was his then. Here was the greatest intensity of suffering that was begun. So what he now had to endure, friends, it was between him and his holy judge. But let's not forget, in your room and in your stead, it is not for mortal eye to view. This was now that holy transaction going on between God the Father acting as judge and God the Son as our sheriff. We cannot enter into it. But there is no doubt that this cost him far more than any physical suffering he had endured up until now. None of his enemies, we said, or friends could see it, but all that is in this darkness, really, beyond our comprehension. We read elsewhere that some left the scene afterwards, left the scene beating upon their breasts, but yet friend with little knowledge of what really took place in these three hours of darkness, beating upon their breasts and not understanding. What about us? Where is the beating? upon our breasts of us. We who know, according to Scripture, what Christ has gone through to redeem us, to redeem our souls, what He endured in our woman's death. After all, friends, what are you here today? You are more privileged than those who are at the cross, even who believe there. because you see now in a way that they couldn't understand, even if any of them did believe, and we believe some would have come, we see on the day of Pentecost. But for you here today, by faith you have seen, by faith you have, as it were, been given an understanding at least of what was going on in the darkness at the cross, albeit through a glass darkly. You understand, friend, And it's not why you sit at the table today, because you know what he suffered for you. That's not what you are doing today, remembering his death, till he comes. So should there not be more sorrow for sin in our own hearts today? Here was the most solemn transaction that was ever conceived of. was taking place there. No wonder it is hidden from all eyes. We cannot and were not allowed by God to observe such a thing. But yet it is what by faith we have been able to believe about what he was doing and what God was doing with him or if you want to him at that time. Here he is now. So this holy atoning work was being brought to its climax in the dark. He finished the work of atonement. He rolled away the curse from the guilty people. And what has he now done? He's opened the gates of heaven for his people, for those who believe. then this is but a step on the way to glory. You are here this morning. And that is you, Christian, the true believer. What do you believe today? You believe that Christ died for your sins. You believe, therefore, that he took the punishment you do a Jew. You believe that he suffered for you, that God dealt with a particularly in that darkness. so that your sins are forgiven. What I hope then is ours. Here we are. It is all for us. It is all for you, Christian. What then are we to remember in our conclusion today? Well, surely we cannot but remember particularly the one whose cup was a cup of cursing so that ours would be a cup of blessing. The one whose cup of bitterness was his, so ours should be a cup of sweetness. The one who had the cup, and oh, what a deep cup of darkness, so ours should be the cup of life. For each and every one, what I wonder then, that you who sit at the table today are able to say, because of that I'm sitting here He did this for me. Oh, no wonder we say, amazing grace. Amazing grace. And you there today, you should be at the table today thinking, well, Christ died for the person beside me and the person in front of me. Maybe he didn't. We hope and pray he didn't. But let it be a personal thing. He did this for me, not for him, or he might, or not for her, that may be so, but for me. Hence that personal aspect, I keep, and I've said before, is so important for us. Christ died for sinners. Praise God and amen to that. But this personal thing between you and your Savior, what else then should any do Any of us do, but partake in faith at the table, remembering his death till he come. You know, such occasioned friends are bittersweet, are they not? And yet, you couldn't be here today if it wasn't for the bitterness of that death. You couldn't be here today, and you would not be here today. if you didn't have a saviour who suffered in your womb and in your stead. My friends, how much then, think about this, how much he loved you. What love for a wretch such as you and I. What love he showed toward you. How much he loved you. What then else should you do? But indeed come, and with this people who have the same mind as yourself, same heart as yourself, same love as yourself for the Savior, to remember his death till he comes. Amen. Oh, blessed Lord, we feel that we are but in the shallows, and there is such a depth before us in these matters that we tremble at the thought of stepping into them at all. But thy word makes clear to us that Christ suffered in a woman's death, not only rejected by man, but for that time rejected by God. But blessed be thy name, that through that rejection and through that suffering and death, that now we have one at the right hand of the Almighty, our beloved Son, our beloved Saviour, who has died o'er death and risen again for our justification. Oh, we thank thee, Lord, Well, there was a day in our experience when he was despised and rejected by us, but now we can say that he is precious, most precious to us, above all in this world. We will then continue to remember him and that thou would be with us in the rest of the service, for Christ's sake. Amen. Singing now in Psalm 22, verses one to six. Psalm 22, verses one to six. My God, my God, why hast thou me forsaken? Why so far art thou from helping me? And from my words that roll in yard. All day, my God, to thee I cry. Yet I'm not heard by thee, and in the season of the night I cannot silent be. Psalm 22, verses one to six. My God, my God, why hast thou me forsaken? ♪ My God, my God, my God shall be forsaken, why so far? ♪ Thy words are truly love. All day I look to thee. I cried, let the water find me. And in the cistern of the night, I gallop silently. O'er the rocks, o'er the islands, In her majestic strains, Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. When I'm to leave this tender pride, and deliver us in. Because they put their trust in thee, they were not put to shame. But thus for me Thou art, I am, and thus no one can price We now come to that part, the fencing of the table. and one of the passages, the familiar passages that we usually read in Galatians chapter five, and we read from verse 16. Again, friends, a passage that is very familiar, I'm sure, to us all. but we should not let the familiarity of it take from what is brought before us in it. Walk in the spirit. This I say then, walk in the spirit and shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh. And these are contrary the one to the other so that you cannot do the things that you would. But if you're led by the spirit, you are not under the law. The works of the flesh are manifest, which are these, adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, endings, murders, drunkenness, revelings, and such like, which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God, But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. Against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lust. We live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another. The Lord bears that for the reading of His own Word. We read in scripture occasions when the Lord Jesus invited many to be with him, and he invited many who were morally and socially unacceptable in society to dine with him. He never turned any away who were willing to hear his preaching and teaching. And he was found often in the company of those who had no time for him at all. And some of such, in his grace it would seem, came to faith and repentance through meeting with him, but sadly, not all. Now, the table that is set before us here today is a table which very much is set by the Lord himself, but it is not for all. The gospel table is one thing for all, but this Lord's table is not the same. It's another thing altogether. You see, there are specific requirements looked for in those who come to the table, in those who are invited to partake at the table. I know, of course, that sometimes in God's mysterious providence, we've all read about them, I'm sure, we do read of those who came to partake at the Lord's table and through coming to the Lord's table that they came to know Christ. That's her mystery indeed. There are those who repented and came to faith. That was the means that God used in that way. Also some, we believe, we read in history books, about some who are preaching the gospel without being called of the Lord, and yet in his own mysterious way, were converted under their own preaching. And friends, no doubt, God, has done that and can still do these things. But this table, nevertheless, must always be seen as a special table. Being here today, friend, partaking today, signifies that those of you here believe that you are ready of saving grace. that the Lord has already brought you to himself. It's not, normally speaking, humanly speaking, usually speaking, it's not a table to convert, but it's a table for those already converted. And that distinction always must be made. It's not an open table for anyone and everyone to come. Sadly, there's far too much of that in many places. that that would never come amongst ourselves. There is a difference in it. It's not like the gospel table, as I said, is for all. This is a table for specific people. And here, partaking today, you already believe in the Lord. So for believers today, the table is for them and is only for believers. As someone has said, it's about communion with Christ. This feast is for already to have this communion with Christ. This feast is for those who have already been in union with Christ. And it is that union, through that union, that you can have communion at the communion table. And you cannot and will not have true communion unless you are in union already with the Lord. And if you are not in union with Christ, the table is not for you. But if you are in union with him, my friends, if all other things are right in your life, you should not absent yourself from gathering with the Lord's people at the table. One other thing, you are reconciled to Christ if you're here. Being reconciled to Christ also must mean you're reconciled to those at the table with you. Those who are gathered with you at the table. And not about being reconciled well to this one and that one, it's being reconciled to everyone at the table. And that surely is something You haven't done that you should do even maybe after today. Make sure that you are reconciled to your brothers and sisters in Christ. After all, Christ gave his life for them just as much as he gave for you. That's true communion, friends. So then the table draws a line, indeed a very visible one, even as we set it out ourselves here, between those who should be there and those who should not. So then friends, without any further ado, let us begin to prepare ourselves truly to partake in faith and obedience, and surely also to love them more on another opportunity to do so in this place at this time.