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According to the Gospel of John (Jn
19:14), it was “about the sixth hour” or approximately 6 AM when Pilate
sentenced Jesus to death by crucifixion. John used the Roman method of
calculating time (solar, running from midnight to midnight as we do today). The
crucifixion began on the third hour (or 9 AM, Mk 15:25) based on the Jewish
reckoning of time (ceremonial calendar is lunar and running from 6 PM to 6 PM). Jesus
died on the ninth hour (or 3 PM, Mk 15:34).
From noon to 3 in the afternoon “there
was darkness over all the land.” In order to remove a supernatural explanation
for the darkness, attempts have been made to explain it by natural means, a
solar eclipse or a sandstorm. Since the Passover takes place during a full moon
(known as the Paschal Moon), a solar eclipse could not have been possible for it
only occurs during a new moon when the moon is between the earth and the sun.
During the Paschal Moon, however, the earth is between the sun and the moon. The Paschal Moon occupies the other end of the sky than the New Moon; the Paschal Full Moon is simply in the wrong lunar phase for a solar eclipse! In addition a solar eclipse only lasts for a few minutes; this darkness lasted three hours! Even some super sirocco [sandstorm] could not have produced such a quality of darkness over a vast area; so dark was it that it was described by Luke, in apparent non-scientific terms, as if “the sun was darkened” (Lk 23:45). This darkness can only be explained in supernatural terms (cf. Amos 8:9).
During the Paschal Moon, however, the earth is between the sun and the moon. The Paschal Moon occupies the other end of the sky than the New Moon; the Paschal Full Moon is simply in the wrong lunar phase for a solar eclipse! In addition a solar eclipse only lasts for a few minutes; this darkness lasted three hours! Even some super sirocco [sandstorm] could not have produced such a quality of darkness over a vast area; so dark was it that it was described by Luke, in apparent non-scientific terms, as if “the sun was darkened” (Lk 23:45). This darkness can only be explained in supernatural terms (cf. Amos 8:9).
Just how extensive was this darkness? Matthew
stated that it was over “all the land.” Luke, using the same Greek word, said
the darkness was over “all the earth” (Lk 23:44-45). Whether you take “all” to
mean locally or globally, all does
suggests the darkness was very broad in scope. Some evangelical scholars
believe that the silence of secular literature from other parts of the world of
such an astronomical event argues for a more localized or limited area. I am
still of the opinion (without definitive proof obviously) that there was a
supernatural darkness that encompassed the whole
earth for three hours regardless of the angle of the sun during the earth’s
rotation and orbital path.
It is certainly fitting that the
entire world was being engulfed in a supernatural darkness (a symbol of divine
judgment: Isa 5:30; Isa 60:2; Joel 2:30-31; Amos 5:18, 20; Zeph 1:14-18; Mt 24:29-30;
Acts 2:20; 2 Pet 2:17; Rev 6:12-17) for the penalty of sin of the world was being brought to
bear upon Jesus, suspended between earth and sky on a hill somewhere in
Jerusalem called Golgotha (Jn 19:17).
For roughly six hours Jesus hung on
the cross (9 AM to 3 PM). How terrible the suffering of crucifixion can only be
imagined for the Bible is not over indulgent in the gory details, but through
secular sources we learn more of the gruesome details in the horrors of Roman crucifixion.
“Hell came to Calvary that day, and the Savior descended into it and bore its
horrors in our stead” (Baker’s New Testament Commentary). Adam Clarke offered one
word to capture the pain and suffering on the cross by the word “excruciating,”
which comes from the Roman word “out of the cross.”
The Gospels are eerily silent on what
was actually happening to Jesus in the darkness between twelve and three
o’clock on the cross. The mental, emotional, and physical sufferings Jesus endured
prior to crucifixion and during the crucifixion up until noon time without a
doubt pale to the spiritual sufferings He experienced in the three hours of darkness
on the cross when God “made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us” for
the express purpose “that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2
Cor 5:21).
His “cup,” the way of the cross, contained
not only visible elements: humiliation, pain, intense agony, and physical death;
it also included an unseen aspect, something that was very dark and unseen –
spiritual death undetected by those around the crucifixion site. His humanity
would experience the ultimate fear of alienation and desertion from the Father as
the Substitute for the sin of man according to the will of the Father (Jn 3:16;
1 Jn 4:10). Instead of man experiencing God’s holy wrath for sin, Jesus willfully
and courageously drank from the bitter cup of physical and spiritual suffering to
reconcile man unto God (2 Cor 5:19) as the once unblemished Lamb led to the slaughter
by becoming a spotted Lamb to suffer the just and righteous wrath of God Almighty in
such a sinful state for you and for me and for all (1 Jn 2:2; cf. Heb 12:2).
During the last three hours of His
life, everything must have slowed to an eternal crawl in the darkness as Jesus
was being “made sin” for us; every second was intensified and magnified beyond description
as He was being spiritually disfigured by sin as His body was physically.
According to Isaiah’s prophecy, Jesus was “wounded for our transgressions” and
“bruised for our iniquities” (Isa 53:5). His soul was made “an offering for sin”
(Isa 53:10), and “He poured out His soul unto death” and “He bore the sin of
many” (Isa 53:12). Because we turned away from God and went our own way, “the
LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (Isa 53:6).
We catch a glimpse into the
unimaginable suffering of the humanity of Jesus as He was experiencing
alienation from the Father’s love and application of His Divine wrath for sin
when Jesus punctuated the darkness under deep distress around 3 PM, “My God, my
God, why have You forsaken Me” (Mk 15:34, ESV)? Even in the midst of being
forsaken because of the holiness of God, the humanity of Christ still claimed
God as His own – “My God, my God,” not “Oh, God, oh, God, why have You forsaken Me?”
To be sure, in Jesus’ Deity, God never stopped loving His Son nor abandoned Him! God the Father was right there with Him reconciling the world unto Himself (2 Cor 5:19)! It is difficult to understand this truth about Jesus, but we must keep in mind that Jesus was "the God-Man" for He was 100% man, yet without sin until the cross, and 100% Deity. He could not die as God, but He could as a Man which He did by the ninth hour or 3 PM on the cross after making atonement for our sins.
To be sure, in Jesus’ Deity, God never stopped loving His Son nor abandoned Him! God the Father was right there with Him reconciling the world unto Himself (2 Cor 5:19)! It is difficult to understand this truth about Jesus, but we must keep in mind that Jesus was "the God-Man" for He was 100% man, yet without sin until the cross, and 100% Deity. He could not die as God, but He could as a Man which He did by the ninth hour or 3 PM on the cross after making atonement for our sins.
Jesus’ physical resurrection was the visible
proof of that Divine satisfaction (Rom 3:25; 5:10; 1 Jn 2:2; 4:10; 2 Cor 5:21;
1 Cor 15:20). “It is finished” (Gk, tetelestai,
G5055) indicates the invisible proof! Christ dying for us is the ultimate proof
that God loves the world (Jn 3:16; Rom 5:8), and Jesus’ own words testify that His
sacrifice propitiated or satisfied the just demands of the Father as a
Substitute for sin – tetelestai! It is interesting that recovered papyri
receipts for taxes had the word tetelestai
written across them, meaning “paid in full” (The Bible Knowledge Commentary on
Jn 19:30).
The sacrifice of Jesus on the cross paid in full the just demands of
the holy and righteous God for the penalty of sin. It is finished or paid in full means there is
nothing else that can be added or paid for the redemption of man. If salvation
was of works (faith plus something) Jesus might have said, “I am finished; the
rest is up to man.” “It is finished” or “Paid in full” means that the redemptive
work of Jesus Christ was completed. Therefore, salvation is by grace through faith plus nothing.
Unfortunately, many believers upon “receiving” God’s free gift of salvation shout by their lives, “It is finished,” resting on their blessed assurance and doing nothing for the LORD. The words of Jesus’ half-brother are appropriate here, “Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works” (Jas 2:18b). Though I subscribe to the eternal security of the believer, I also believe that genuine faith bears fruit worthy of repentance.
Unfortunately, many believers upon “receiving” God’s free gift of salvation shout by their lives, “It is finished,” resting on their blessed assurance and doing nothing for the LORD. The words of Jesus’ half-brother are appropriate here, “Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works” (Jas 2:18b). Though I subscribe to the eternal security of the believer, I also believe that genuine faith bears fruit worthy of repentance.
Remember that Jesus was not a victim in this whole crucifixion ordeal but a
Victor (cf. Jn 10:17-18)! This is seen when He did something no man has ever
done; He dismissed His own spirit.
And when Jesus had
cried out with a loud voice, He said, "Father, 'INTO YOUR HANDS I COMMIT
MY SPIRIT.' " Having said this, He breathed His last (Lk 23:46).
It had been observed that in death by
crucifixion, the victim’s head slumps forward after the life-spirit left the
body. In the case of Jesus, however, He bowed His head then dismissed His
spirit (Ibid, cf. Jn 19:30). Jesus was in full control of the timing of His own
death! And with His death the darkness lifted, and the light revealed a
lifeless body… until three days later, that is! Isn’t this what happened to us spiritually
when we accept Jesus’ payment for our sin – “For you were once darkness, but
now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light” (Eph 5:18)! “He has delivered us from the domain
of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we
have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Col 1:13-14).
Nearly 2,000 years have passed since
Jesus hung on the cross during those historic six hours on a hill in Jerusalem.
During the darkest hours in the life of Jesus we are still no closer to
understanding the indescribable agonies He suffered from noon to three when He
was made sin for us. It is possible we may never know the full extent of that
horror still vaulted in the heart of God (Deut 29:29), but this one thing we do
know; we who are saved (Acts 2:21; Rom 10:13; Eph 2:8-9) understand the
glorious truth that “by His stripes we are healed” (Isa 53:5) and greater still
when we see Him face to face (1 Cor 2:9)!
Though we remain sinners saved by grace, the penalty of our sin was paid in full (tetelestai) by Jesus on the cross during those three hours of darkness. Truly, the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom 6:23). Jesus had to experience our darkness to bring us to the Light. We should walk in the Light as He is in the light because those six hours on the cross were a terrible price to pay for our salvation, particularly the darkness of the last three! <><
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Though we remain sinners saved by grace, the penalty of our sin was paid in full (tetelestai) by Jesus on the cross during those three hours of darkness. Truly, the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom 6:23). Jesus had to experience our darkness to bring us to the Light. We should walk in the Light as He is in the light because those six hours on the cross were a terrible price to pay for our salvation, particularly the darkness of the last three! <><
