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At the sixth hour darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour. 34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?”—which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 35 When some of those standing near heard this, they said, “Listen, he’s calling Elijah.” 36 One man ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down,” he said. 37 With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last. 38 The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. 39 And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!”
REFERENCES: ROMANS 6:23, 8:31-39; 2 CORINTHIANS 5:21
Meeting the person of your dreams, the best day ever. Getting married, the best day ever. Having a child, the best day ever. Easter is the best day ever, in history, for all of humanity. No other day comes close. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the event our faith hinges on. It is the day we are reminded that our God is alive and active. But, how could such a good day be preceded by such a bad one? How could light pierce the darkness? How could joy overcome sorrow? There were signposts in that ninth hour of darkness telling those first followers that it would turn out alright, more than alright, it would turn out for their good. When you are standing in your own ninth hour, it can be hard to fathom the good that is yet to come, but take courage. Jesus overcame his darkest moment so in him we can overcome as well. Jesus’ life is not for his own sake but so that you can live a resurrected life of your own, in relationship with him. Because he died, we can live. Because he rose, we are now more than conquerors!
Two supernatural signs showed that Jesus was forsaken so that we might be forgiven:
Once Jesus made his ultimate sacrifice, the temple veil, a curtain which separated the ancient people from the Holy of Holies, was split down the middle. What once was a barrier for sinners to enter God’s presence, now shouted come in! Jesus became the eternal high priest and we gained open access to the inner sanctuary.
The symbol of stoic authority was the centurion, a commanding officer of the Roman army, who imposed the brutal will of the Roman empire. But even this hardened stoic at the foot of the cross was moved to awed belief at the sight of Jesus’ sinless, selfless, sacrificial death. He couldn’t help but confess, “Surely this man was the Son of God!”
Jesus became guilty so that we could be innocent once and for all. He didn’t die on the cross 2000 years ago so we would live in shame. The price has been paid. Jesus is the solution to the problem of sin. Because of his sacrificial act, we are now the righteousness of God. We will not let the shame of sin stop us from reaping the benefits of the best day ever.
Don’t wait until next Easter. Establish a daily tradition of remembrance as a reminder of the cross. Check out this week’s blog post to reflect on why this day has now become the best day ever!
Need a midweek reset? Join us every Wednesday at VOUS Miami Gardens and VOUS Design District in the Prayer Room for an incredible hour of prayer starting at 12PM. Make it part of your weekly rhythm!
Where: VOUS Miami Gardens and VOUS Design District
When: Every Wednesday
Time: 12:00PM - 1:00PM
Are you interested in leading a crew? Click here to fill out an application to become a crew leader in SZN 1 2026!
Make Thanksgiving special for a family in need by serving at our annual Thanksgiving Bash, a morning of distributing hundreds of meals to families in our community and watching teams compete for the VOUS Bowl Title in our spirited 7-on-7 flag football tournament.
As a Crew, fill up a Meal Kit this week and bring it to VOUS Miami Gardens or to the Thanksgiving Bash and serve together!
To donate a meal kit online, click here
To serve, click here
Date: Saturday, November 22nd
Time: 11:00AM
Location: Charles Hadley Park
Join us bright and early at Peacock Park for the VOUS 10K Turkey Trot! Start your Thanksgiving with fresh air, great friends, and all-around fun! We’ll see you at the starting line!
Sign up for the Turkey Trot, click here
Date: Thursday, November 27th
Time: 6:00AM
Location: Peacock Park
On Sunday, November 30th we're bringing our annual Tree Lighting tradition to our SoMi, City, and Miami Gardens Locations after the 6pm Services! RSVP and join us for a night of fun! Invite your friends and let's welcome the Christmas season together!
Date: November 30th
Time: 7:30PM
Locations:
VOUS Miami Gardens
17801 NW 2nd Ave
Miami, FL 33169
VOUS City
6101 NW 2nd Ave
Miami, FL 33127
VOUS SoMi
6767 Sunset Dr
South Miami, FL 33143
To RSVP, click here
Sow a seed of faith and invest in legacy Sunday, December 7 at our annual Bricklayers Offering.
For more information, click here
VOUS SoMi
10:00AM / 12:00PM / 6PM
VOUS City
10:00AM / 12:00PM / 6PM
VOUS Miami Gardens
8:30AM / 10:00AM / 12:00PM
VOUS Design District
8:30AM / 10:00AM / 12:00PM
Church Online
10:00AM / 12:00PM / 5PM Español
Growth Track
After every service or join online at vouschurch.com/growthtrack
