In the Darkness

In the darkness, with the final battle begun
Sweating drops of blood, He prayed and didn’t run

“Take this cup from me,” was His cry
As He fervently prayed, with throat raw and mouth dry

Three times He prayed for the cup to pass
Three times He was met with silence with His face still in the grass

Behold, the hour had come and the betrayer was at hand
“Arrest the one I kiss” was his forked-tongue command

In the darkness, with the final battle begun
Bound by rope and chain, He submitted and didn’t run

Before the Council, silent He remained
From defending Himself, He abstained

But deny Himself He would not do
“I am the Son of Man, King of every Jew”

“Blasphemy! Blasphemy!” the High Priest retorted
And to Pilate and death He was escorted

In the darkness, with the final battle begun
Beaten and spat upon, He endured and didn’t run

Before Pilate, the chief priests’ charges mounted
The lies and half-truths numbering more than could be counted

Amazed and amused, Pilate asked “Are you the King of every Jew?”
“I am” He replied, for deny Himself He would not do

Then Pilate asked the crowd, “whom shall I release to you?”
And the crowd responded, “give us Barabbas! Crucify that king of every Jew!”

In the darkness, with the final battle begun
Scourged and mocked, He trusted and didn’t run

Outside the camp, to a place called “skull”, he was led
And there they crucified him, left him for dead

“My God, my God,” he screamed, “why have you forsaken me?!”
As he hung there dying, his life slipping away on that tree

With the crowds still gathered, he cried out and breathed his last
His body limp and lifeless. Dead. His Word had come to pass

In the darkness, with the final battle begun
Shamed and scorned, He died and didn’t run

His body was wrapped and placed in the grave
While his enemies justified themselves by snarling,”Himself He could not save”

It seemed as if all hope was lost, for King Jesus was dead
But there was more to the story, a chapter yet unwritten and unread

For early that Sunday morn, life flickered again
And with it, hope was renewed for the children of men

In the light, with the final battle won
Glorified and justified, He was resurrected and all His work was done

-sdg