45 Now from the sixth hour (noon) there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour (3:00 p.m.). 46 About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud [agonized] voice, [ j ]“Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” 47 When some of the bystanders there heard it, they began saying, “This man is calling for [ k ]Elijah.”
48 Immediately one of them ran, and took a sponge, soaked it with sour wine and put it on a reed, and gave Him a drink. 49 But the rest said, “Let us see whether Elijah will come to save Him [from death].” 50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud [agonized] voice, and gave up His spirit [voluntarily, sovereignly dismissing and releasing His spirit from His body in submission to His Father’s plan].
Matthew 27:45-50 (AMP) 中文
On the cross
Jesus is hanging on the cross at Golgotha, the Place of a Skull. He’s suffering physically and emotionally. Jesus cries out, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”
Darkness of sin
A unique astronomical event occurs. Darkness covers the whole land for three hours. Maybe it was a solar eclipse but it would have had to be an extraordinary one – even miraculous – to cause 3 hours of darkness. It’s likely it was observed over the whole earth (another translation of “land”). “The darkness is the symbol of the wrath of God which fell on those who slew his only begotten Son.” (Spurgeon). This wrath was taken on by Jesus Himself.
Suffering was already intense
He’s already experiencing incredible physical suffering which is even worse as He hangs on the cross in excruciating pain. On top of that, he’s been scorned and mocked by the soldiers when they dressed Him as a king, by the religious leaders, by the bystanders and even by the thieves crucified with Him!
What could be worse?
But that is not the worst of the suffering. No. Jesus experienced a suffering we can not imagine. We are blessed by God’s continual presence around us and His love. Do you have breath in your lungs, senses to perceive beauty, emotions to feel love and joy? Are you alive on the earth and not dead in Hell? Yes.
The perfect, sinless, Son of God, for a moment in time, had to be separated from the Father. When Jesus became sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21), the Father had to judge Him. In fact, all of the wrath of God toward all sin of all people of all time was poured out on Christ. The details of how He could die in our place as a sacrificial lamb and how the Father could be separated from the Son, we won’t understand on this earth with these minds. It is believed in faith. Ponder it. Believe.
The final breath
At His discretion, Jesus “gave up His spirit”. In John 10:18 He said that the Father has granted Him the right to lay down His life at His own initiative and He the authority to take it up again. John 19:30 records Jesus’ final words, “It is finished.”
RЯeflection
- Jesus experienced separation from the Father, the worst of all suffering. But unsaved readers beware. Without confessing, repenting and believing in Christ, you also will suffer rejection of the Father. But yours will be for eternity, and that in Hell. Click here to learn more.
- Fellow follower of Christ. Oftentimes we suffer for the consequences of our sins. Other times, it’s the result of our bad decisions. Sometimes it’s due to other’s sins or bad decisions. There are times, however, when we suffer so that we may be molded into the image of Christ and thereby bring greater glory to the Father. Suffer well. Fix your eyes on the future glory to be revealed (Romans 8:18).
