Darkness Over All the Land as Jesus Hung on the Cross

Darkness Over All the Land as Jesus Hung on the Cross

Matthew 27:45-46 Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

Pilot finally gave in to the voice of the crowd, and released Jesus to the Romans for crucifixion, and having done so, he commanded Jesus to be whipped with the terrible cat of nine tails. This beating often caused the death of the victim, due to the extreme tearing of the flesh and the loss of much blood. 

 Jesus now weak from the scourging, He was submitted to humiliation by the soldiers as they roughly jabbed a crown of thorns on his head causing blood to run down his face. The soldiers then clothed him in a scarlet robe and pretended to bow down and worship him as they laughed and spit on him. Then they put his own clothes on him, and in his weakened condition charged him to carry his own cross to the crucifixion site. As he stumbled, they took a black man from the crowd to help Jesus carry the cross. 

 The soldiers stripped Jesus of his clothes, and divided his garments among them, but his robe was seamless and so they cast lots for his robe. 

 As they nailed Jesus to the cross, and picked him up jarring the cross into the hole prepared, this caused more blood to flow from his hands, feet and back. We are told that a person can not continue to live when they have no more blood. 

Jesus had lost almost all of his blood with the whipping, and now the crucifixion, but he was still alert and begged God the Father not to lay this sin onto the charge of those who were guilty of this atrocity.

Many in the crowd, made fun of Jesus while shouting, save yourself and call your angels to deliver you. Even the two thieves mocked him, but one changed his voice and asked Jesus forgiveness. Jesus told him, this day you shall be with me in Paradise. 

 As the hours went by and Noon approached, the sky became dark and over all the land there was pitch darkness. This was because the sins of the world (including your sins and mine) were placed on the body of Jesus, and God the Father could not bear to look at Jesus. In agony of body, soul and spirit at about 3:00 o clock Jesus cried out Father why have you forsaken me, and as the life is in the blood, and Jesus had lost almost all of his blood, he released his spirit onto death. 

God then caused an earthquake that shook all the area, and the veil in the temple was ripped in two from the top to the bottom, signifying that we now can enter into the Holy Place and worship there without the benefit of a priest as a go between. Jesus became that High Priest and he is our go between to the Father God. 

Soon the soldiers came to break the legs of those hanging there, but when they discovered that Jesus was already dead they did not break his legs to fulfill another prophesy that not one of his bones was broken. The soldier took his spear and pierced the side of Jesus, and out came the remaining blood and with it water. 

 A kind man begged the body of Jesus and laid him into his own new tomb, and a large stone was rolled to cover the opening and it was sealed to prevent anyone from stealing the body. Soldiers were charged to guard the tomb and we leave Jesus there waiting to raise from the dead in three days on that glorious Easter morning.