By Shirley Mitchell
“From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, ‘Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?’ (which means ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’).”
In the Jewish culture, the new day began at 6:00 in the morning. Mark 15:25 says that Jesus was crucified at 9:00 a.m. So the first three hours of Jesus’ crucifixion were in the morning sunlight. However, from noon until three, darkness came over all the land. High noon is when the sun is approaching its zenith in the sky.
This was not an eclipse. Passover was held at full moon when a solar eclipse is not possible. There is no easy explanation for the darkness. It was either a supernatural act of God or an unknown natural act with supernatural timing. Regardless of the reason why the sun’s illuminating rays were blocked from the earth, God was behind the blanket that shrouded it. Nature was testifying to the magnitude and horror of the death of God, the Creator’s, Son. God’s Word is clear that Jesus played a role in creation, too. John 1:3 says about Jesus, “All things were made by Him and without Him nothing was made that has been made.” Perhaps, nature was also covering the suffering of its Creator, too.
Fear and anxiety must have moved through the crowd affecting Jew and Roman, citizen and solder, when it started to go dim. The afternoon sun became as dark as night. I imagine their eyes searched the sky for a reason. Finding none, I imagine some felt terror swell up from their stomachs, and their hearts fainted.
The Roman soldiers might have set up torches in holders on the ground to cast some feeble light so they could see to do their work. However, I don’t think this crucifixion was just another duty to them. I think they knew something was different. The air carried the smell of eeriness. Some may have tried to deny it, but it filled the air.
In the Bible, darkness is associated with sin and God’s judgment. Amos 8:9 says, “ ‘In that day,’ declares the Sovereign LORD, ‘I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth in broad daylight.’ ” In those hours of darkness, Jesus became sin. He bore every sin ever committed by every man and woman. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” Jesus bore the guilt for our sins and was judged by God. It was so great and so horrifying that it was veiled from man’s eyes.
Jesus felt the full effect of judgment. God could not look upon sin and had to turn His holy face from His Son. Jesus had always known the presence of God. It was everything to Him. Jesus had gone to His Father all night in prayer before He called the chosen disciples. He had sought to do the Father’s will at every moment of His life. He called on His Father to give Him strength in the garden. This suffering was the cup that He asked His Father to take from Him. Jesus loved His Father. In John 17, He said things about Him like, “You are in me, and I am in you…We are one…You sent me…You loved me before the creation of the world…I have made you known to them.” When the Father spoke from heaven about His Son, He said things like, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased…This is My Son whom I love.” Their love and their joy that they had together were like no other.
Jesus did not merely feel forsaken. He was forsaken and really separated from His Father. This moment on the cross is the only time that Jesus called His Father “God.” Their communion as Father and Son was gone at this point, but it was not a permanent break in relationship. His Father was still His God, and He was still His Son. Jesus still called God, “My God, My God."
Jesus was quoting Psalm 22 which is a prayer of expectation for deliverance and not complete abandonment. It says, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?...Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; You are the praise of Israel. In you our fathers put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them.” It has other prophecies about Jesus’ crucifixion like being mocked, insulted, and lots cast for His clothing. However, I love the part that God is the praise of Israel. He is enthroned as the Holy One.
Why would Jesus endure the cross and this agony? God’s holiness required the perfect sacrifice so that His people could praise Him and be at His throne. When Passover lambs are killed on the altar, the person making the sacrifice puts his hand upon the lamb and says that he is transferring his sins to it. When Jesus died on the cross for us, our sins were transferred onto Him. This includes every person who has ever lived and breathed on this planet. Jesus’ perfect sinless blood could cover our sins so that we might be with God forever. His Father loved us so much that He gave His one and only Son to die for us so that we might live forever with Him. Jesus suffered the wrath of God so you and I will know the favor of God. Jesus did it because of His love for His Father and for you and me. Amazing Love, isn’t it?
Pray with me: Oh, LORD, I’m amazed that You love me. I’m amazed how You care for us. This was horrible. We don’t understand what was happening exactly in the spiritual realm, but we can know that Jesus’ suffering was great. He suffered Your wrath for all mankind’s sin and provided a way once and for all so that we might be with You forever. You are the Holy One. In You we put our trust. You will deliver us from sin and bondage when we cry out to You because of what Your Son did for us on the cross. Oh, how we love You! It’s in the Name above all names, in Jesus’ Name, Yeshua’s Name, we pray. Amen.
Excerpt from the Jesus Lives Bible study
“From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, ‘Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?’ (which means ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’).”
Matthew 27:45-46
In the Jewish culture, the new day began at 6:00 in the morning. Mark 15:25 says that Jesus was crucified at 9:00 a.m. So the first three hours of Jesus’ crucifixion were in the morning sunlight. However, from noon until three, darkness came over all the land. High noon is when the sun is approaching its zenith in the sky.
This was not an eclipse. Passover was held at full moon when a solar eclipse is not possible. There is no easy explanation for the darkness. It was either a supernatural act of God or an unknown natural act with supernatural timing. Regardless of the reason why the sun’s illuminating rays were blocked from the earth, God was behind the blanket that shrouded it. Nature was testifying to the magnitude and horror of the death of God, the Creator’s, Son. God’s Word is clear that Jesus played a role in creation, too. John 1:3 says about Jesus, “All things were made by Him and without Him nothing was made that has been made.” Perhaps, nature was also covering the suffering of its Creator, too.
Fear and anxiety must have moved through the crowd affecting Jew and Roman, citizen and solder, when it started to go dim. The afternoon sun became as dark as night. I imagine their eyes searched the sky for a reason. Finding none, I imagine some felt terror swell up from their stomachs, and their hearts fainted.
The Roman soldiers might have set up torches in holders on the ground to cast some feeble light so they could see to do their work. However, I don’t think this crucifixion was just another duty to them. I think they knew something was different. The air carried the smell of eeriness. Some may have tried to deny it, but it filled the air.
In the Bible, darkness is associated with sin and God’s judgment. Amos 8:9 says, “ ‘In that day,’ declares the Sovereign LORD, ‘I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth in broad daylight.’ ” In those hours of darkness, Jesus became sin. He bore every sin ever committed by every man and woman. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” Jesus bore the guilt for our sins and was judged by God. It was so great and so horrifying that it was veiled from man’s eyes.
Jesus felt the full effect of judgment. God could not look upon sin and had to turn His holy face from His Son. Jesus had always known the presence of God. It was everything to Him. Jesus had gone to His Father all night in prayer before He called the chosen disciples. He had sought to do the Father’s will at every moment of His life. He called on His Father to give Him strength in the garden. This suffering was the cup that He asked His Father to take from Him. Jesus loved His Father. In John 17, He said things about Him like, “You are in me, and I am in you…We are one…You sent me…You loved me before the creation of the world…I have made you known to them.” When the Father spoke from heaven about His Son, He said things like, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased…This is My Son whom I love.” Their love and their joy that they had together were like no other.
Jesus did not merely feel forsaken. He was forsaken and really separated from His Father. This moment on the cross is the only time that Jesus called His Father “God.” Their communion as Father and Son was gone at this point, but it was not a permanent break in relationship. His Father was still His God, and He was still His Son. Jesus still called God, “My God, My God."
Jesus was quoting Psalm 22 which is a prayer of expectation for deliverance and not complete abandonment. It says, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?...Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; You are the praise of Israel. In you our fathers put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them.” It has other prophecies about Jesus’ crucifixion like being mocked, insulted, and lots cast for His clothing. However, I love the part that God is the praise of Israel. He is enthroned as the Holy One.
Why would Jesus endure the cross and this agony? God’s holiness required the perfect sacrifice so that His people could praise Him and be at His throne. When Passover lambs are killed on the altar, the person making the sacrifice puts his hand upon the lamb and says that he is transferring his sins to it. When Jesus died on the cross for us, our sins were transferred onto Him. This includes every person who has ever lived and breathed on this planet. Jesus’ perfect sinless blood could cover our sins so that we might be with God forever. His Father loved us so much that He gave His one and only Son to die for us so that we might live forever with Him. Jesus suffered the wrath of God so you and I will know the favor of God. Jesus did it because of His love for His Father and for you and me. Amazing Love, isn’t it?
Pray with me: Oh, LORD, I’m amazed that You love me. I’m amazed how You care for us. This was horrible. We don’t understand what was happening exactly in the spiritual realm, but we can know that Jesus’ suffering was great. He suffered Your wrath for all mankind’s sin and provided a way once and for all so that we might be with You forever. You are the Holy One. In You we put our trust. You will deliver us from sin and bondage when we cry out to You because of what Your Son did for us on the cross. Oh, how we love You! It’s in the Name above all names, in Jesus’ Name, Yeshua’s Name, we pray. Amen.
Excerpt from the Jesus Lives Bible study
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