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Matthew 27:45-46 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. 46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

Why Are We Confused?

After His brutal crucifixion, two disciples who had witnessed it were on the road to Emmaus, returning from the Feast of Unleavened Bread. As it was a seven mile walk from Jerusalem, they were discussing the horror they had seen. They were arguing about Jesus. Though the conversation wasn’t recorded, Luke 24:15 (LSB) states “they were conversing and debating (syzēteō, questioning, disputing)”. We can imagine what they were saying.

“That was horrible! Jesus must have been guilty of something, or else He wouldn’t have been crucified.”

“But I heard Pilate say he saw no guilt in the man. He was innocent. That was murder, not an execution.”

“Well, if He were the Messiah like we thought He was, He wouldn’t have been killed. I thought He was going to restore Israel, and defeat Rome. But now He’s dead. I am so disappointed.”

“I don’t understand it either. I really believed Jesus when He said He was the Son of God and the Son of man. I just don’t know how this could happen.”

While they were debating on that road to Emmaus, Jesus appeared to the unnamed disciples. They didn’t know it was Jesus, because the Bible says “their eyes were restrained, so they did not know Him” (Luke 24:16). What kept them from seeing Jesus? I personally believe that …

they were so full of themselves that they couldn’t see Jesus.

Jesus listened to them for a minute, then chastised them, saying:

(Luke 24:25-27 LSB) … O foolish ones and slow of heart to believe in ALL THAT THE PROPHETS HAVE SPOKEN! [26] Was it not NECESSARY FOR THE CHRIST TO SUFFER THESE THINGS and to enter into His glory? [27] Then BEGINNING WITH MOSES AND ALL THE PROPHETS, He interpreted to them the things concerning Himself IN ALL THE SCRIPTURES.

Jesus had to fulfill everything – every prophecy of the Old Testament (the Bible at that time) – or else He would not be “THE Christ, the Messiah”.

There were over 300 Old Testament prophecies fulfilled in Christ Jesus. Though many then and even today claim to be Christ, only Jesus Christ fulfilled every prophecy.

The two disciples invited this Stranger to dinner. As they sat at the table Jesus broke bread, blessed it, and gave it to them – “and their eyes were opened, and they recognized Jesus”. Then Jesus disappeared!

I can imagine their shock! They didn’t wait, but ran back to Jerusalem to find the eleven Apostles. As they were telling the Apostles they had seen the Risen Savior,

“Jesus stood in their midst, saying, ‘Peace be unto you’”.

Again, being human, they though they saw a ghost. Jesus had them touch Him. Jesus ate a piece of cooked fish. And they believed. And then, just as Jesus did with the disciples on the road to Emmaus, He reminded them all:

(Luke 24:44-47 LSB) … These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that ALL THINGS WHICH ARE WRITTEN ABOUT ME IN THE LAW OF MOSES AND IN THE PROPHETS AND THE PSALMS MUST BE FULFILLED. [45] Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, [46] and He said to them, “Thus it is written, that THE CHRIST WOULD SUFFER AND RISE AGAIN FROM THE DEAD THE THIRD DAY, [47] and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

Jesus Was Silent As He Was Led To The Slaughter

Everything written about the Christ had to be fulfilled – and every part of His trial and crucifixion. Jesus would be betrayed by a close friend (Psalm 41:9; John 13:18), by a kiss on His cheek. Judas sold Jesus for 30 pieces of silver (Zechariiah 11:12-13). The Bible tells us that when Jesus was tried, beaten, mocked, that He was silent. The Prophet said:

Isaiah 53:7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; LIKE A LAMB THAT IS LED TO THE SLAUGHTER, and LIKE A SHEEP THAT BEFORE ITS SHEARERS IS SILENT, so HE OPENED NOT HIS MOUTH.

When liars spoke against Him at His trial, Jesus said nothing. When the soldiers beat Him, Jesus said nothing. When dragged before Pilate, we read:

(Matthew 27:11-14 LSB) Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor questioned Him, saying, “Are You the King of the Jews?” And Jesus said to him, “You yourself say [it].” [12] And WHILE HE WAS BEING ACCUSED by the chief priests and elders, HE DID NOT ANSWER. [13] Then Pilate said to Him, “Do You not hear how many things they testify against You?” [14] And HE DID NOT ANSWER HIM WITH REGARD TO EVEN A SINGLE CHARGE, so the governor marveled greatly.

There is no indication in Scripture that Jesus even cried out when pushed the crown of thorns down over His brow, or when they drove the spikes through His hands and feet. Peter, watching some distance away, wrote:

(1 Peter 2:23 LSB) {Jesus} being reviled, was NOT REVILING IN RETURN; while suffering, HE WAS UTTERING NO THREATS, but kept entrusting [Himself] to Him who judges righteously.

Nailed to the Cross, Jesus PRAYED for His enemies:

(Luke 23:34 LSB) Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.

Jesus PROMISED a repentant thief next to Him eternal life:

(Luke 23:43 LSB) Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.

And Jesus PREPARED His mother for His departure:

(John 19:26-27 LSB) {Jesus} said to His mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” [27] Then He said to {the Apostle John}, “Behold, your mother!”

And up to this point Jesus has not complained. Every word is measured. Though He is suffering immensely, Jesus is in control of Himself. Our Hero never loses control of Himself.

The Sixth Hour Came – And With It Darkness
And God’s Judgment

Matthew 27:45 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.

In the Bible and among the ancient Jews, time was measured by the rising and setting of the sun. As the sun rose around 6 am, the SIXTH hour would be about noon. It’s about noon. The sun should be straight overhead, beating down on those on the Cross. But instead there is an unnatural darkness over Golgotha. It’s not a passing cloud.

This was not a solar eclipse. Jesus was crucified during Passover, 14^th of Nisan, during a full moon. The moon is on the opposite side of the earth from the sun.

The darkness lasts from the sixth to the ninth hour – THREE HOURS. From noon till three in the afternoon it was like nightfall. The Greek historian Phlegon of Tralles (c. 140 AD) stated:

“In the fourth year of the 202nd Olympiad [c. 32–33 AD], there was the greatest eclipse of the sun … it became night at the sixth hour of the day, so that stars even appeared in the heavens.”

Phlegon thought it was an eclipse, but it couldn’t be. It was so dark that even the stars were seen in the heavens. For three hours the sun was covered by the hand of God. Unnatural darkness signifies the judgment of God. This same thing happened in the Old Testament – not for 3 hours but 3 DAYS.

When God sent the ninth plague on Egypt, there were three days of thick darkness (Exodus 10:21-23), though all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings. God’s people had light, but the unbelieving Egyptians suffered in darkness. God withdrew His hand of blessing, and cursed Egypt.

Later in the Scripture God through the Prophet Amos, God promised to punish Israel for rejecting His leadership. God told Israel:

(Amos 8:9 KJV) … it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord GOD, that I WILL CAUSE THE SUN TO GO DOWN AT NOON, and I WILL DARKEN THE EARTH IN THE CLEAR DAY

The sun going down at noon – the darkness of the earth when it should be clear day – shows the judgment of God.

When Pilate tried to free Jesus, but could get no where, we are told:

(Matthew 27:24 KJV) When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but [that] rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed [his] hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of THE BLOOD OF THIS JUST PERSON.

The mocking Jewish crowd cried out,

(Matthew 27:25 KJV) … His blood [be] on us, and on our children.

“We will bear the guilt of His death. Crucify Him! Our children will bear the guilt of His death. Crucify Him!” But God did not judge the evil of Israel that day, nor did He judge the wickedness of the Gentiles who were complicit in the execution of Jesus. The crowd blindly followed sin and Satan. The executioners blindly followed sin and Satan.

When Adam blindly followed the Serpent, he committed spiritual suicide. In fact, he was guilt of spiritual genocide, because his act would bring sin and Satanic destruction on all his children. Adam would experience the pain that sin brings when one son, Cain, would murder the other, Abel. How horrible that was! But here we see the horror of DEICIDE, the murder of God the Son. The ultimate sin. So horrible, that the sun is covered for three hours.

Jesus Fully Drank The Cup Of God’s Wrath For Us!

As time passed, the crowd became frightened. What was this unnatural darkness? God was judging. But He was not judging the mocking but now frightened crowd. God was judging His Son.

For three hours, the Bible says “The Father made Jesus TO BE SIN FOR US” (2 Corinthians 5:21). This was what Jesus prayed about in Gethsemane. This is what caused Christ to pray three times – and sweat drops of blood! In Gethsemane …

(Matthew 26:39 NKJV) {Jesus}… fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let THIS CUP pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You [will].”

Waking up His disciples, the Bible says:

(Matthew 26:42 NKJV) {Jesus} went away and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if THIS CUP cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.”

He returned to His disciples – and they were once more asleep. The Bible says,

(Matthew 26:44 NKJV) So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, SAYING THE SAME WORDS.

The “CUP” Jesus dreaded drinking was the cup of God’s wrath. The sin of the world could not be taken away until Jesus drank the cup dry. He paid our penalty in full. He alone is the satisfactory Payment for our sins (1 John 2:2)

For three hours Jesus endured the darkness. From noon till 3 pm there was no word from the Cross. Then …

Christ’s Misunderstood Word Of Anguish

Matthew 27:43 “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani”

It is amazing the depravity that sin will lead us to. Several years ago I was preaching from this text my Hero Jesus – my Savior and Lord – when an older gentleman in the audience got offended. I’ll never forget it. He sent another Pastor to me with the complaint that I was speaking in tongues while I was preaching. Sin closed this man’s mind to the Savior. Satan – that Old Serpent – blinded this man close to the end of his life with foolishness, rather than examining his own life and running to the Savior’s arms.

Oh, my Lord!

When Jesus said “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani” (Mark 15:34 records it as “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani”), He was speaking Hebrew and Aramaic.

The Jews of Jesus’ day had been in captivity for so long, that many of them (outside of the Pharisees and Priests) could not speak nor understand their own native language. Many spoke Greek, so many that about 3 years before Christ became incarnate that the Hebrew Bible was translated into Greek by a group of Jewish scholars in Alexandria, Egypt. That what we call the Septuagint, the Bible most quoted by the Apostles. Not knowing their own language, when Jesus cried out:

“Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani”

(Matthew 27:47 KJV) Some of them that stood there, when they heard [that], said, This [man] calleth for {ELIJAH}.

Like the old man I mentioned before, they spoke from ignorance. They couldn’t understand Hebrew, the language of their forefathers. The soldiers, misinterpreting what Jesus was saying, thought Him babbling from the pain. The Bible says,

(Matthew 27:48 KJV) And straightway one of them ran, {an executioner} and TOOK A SPONGE, and FILLED IT WITH VINEGAR, and put [it] on a reed, and GAVE HIM TO DRINK.

This was done to mock Jesus (Luke 23:36), because what was offered would not offer comfort. It would be like giving sea water to a person dying of thirst. There was no comfort in it. The crowd told the soldier:

(Matthew 27:49 KJV) THE REST said, Let be, let us see whether {Elijah} will come to save Him.

No compassion. Just mocking. Let’s see what happens. Leave Him alone. He’s out of His head. What was Jesus saying when He said? Was He cursing His tormentors? No! When our Lord said …

Matthew 27:46 “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani”

Jesus was praying. Matthew, himself of the Tribe of Levi, understands Hebrew and Aramaic. Matthew tells us what Jesus means:

(Matthew 27:46 KJV) … that is to say, MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAST THOU FORSAKEN ME?

Was Jesus babbling, complaining, out of His head with pain? No. My Hero was not out of His head. Our Savior and Lord was finishing the work set before Him.

Jesus Was Fulfilling The Psalms

Jesus said:

(Luke 24:44 NKJV) … ALL THINGS MUST BE FULFILLED which were written in the Law of Moses and [the] Prophets AND THE PSALMS CONCERNING ME.”

Jesus was not out of His head. He was in absolute control. He was fulfilling the Psalm which prophesied:

(Psalm 22:1-5 NKJV) MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME? [Why are You so] far from helping Me, [And from] the words of My groaning? [2] O My God, I cry in the daytime, but You do not hear; And in the night season, and am not silent. [3] But You [are] holy, Enthroned in the praises of Israel. [4] Our fathers trusted in You; They trusted, and You delivered them. [5] They cried to You, and were delivered; They trusted in You, and were not ashamed.

Jesus was fulfilling that which was prophesied of Him in the 22^nd Psalm. He trusted in His Father. The Father delivered Israel. But the Father could not deliver the Son. How low is Jesus? The words of the prophecy go on to state:

Psalm 22:6-8 But I [am] a worm, and no man; A reproach of men, and despised by the people. [7] All those who see Me ridicule Me; They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, [saying], [8] “He trusted in the LORD, let Him rescue Him; Let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!”

God couldn’t deliver Him. Jesus died for us. He died for our sins. He died for our foolishness. He drank the cup of wrath, so that we would not have to suffer the wrath of God. Bible Scholar A.W. Pink stated:

“Here we see the absolute holiness and inflexible justice of God. The tragedy of Calvary must be viewed from at least four different viewpoints. At the Cross man did a work: he displayed his depravity by taking the perfect One and with “wicked hands” nailing Him to the tree. At the Cross Satan did a work: he manifested his insatiable enmity against the woman’s seed by bruising His heel. At the Cross the Lord Jesus did a work: He died—the Just for the unjust that He might bring us to God. At the Cross God did a work: He exhibited His holiness and satisfied His justice by pouring out His wrath on the One who was made sin for us.”

Hearing The Word Of Anguish, Only Utter Fools Would Rely On Themselves For Salvation

Jesus never lost control on the Cross. He was never out of His head. He suffered terribly for our salvation. God poured out His wrath fully on Christ as He hung on that terrible tree. Jesus became cursed in our place.

(Galatians 3:13-14 NKJV) Christ has redeemed us from THE CURSE OF THE LAW, having BECOME A CURSE FOR US (for it is written, “Cursed [is] everyone who hangs on a tree”), [14] that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Listen to me. If God punished His Beloved Son on that Cross, if He poured out His wrath on Jesus without mercy – be assured that God will most certainly pour out His wrath on YOU if you die without Jesus!

I don’t want to hear any of this pie in the sky “God loves everyone, and all are going to Heaven” nonsense. The Bible is very clear:

(John 3:16-18, 36 NKJV) For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM should not perish but have everlasting life. [17] For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that THE WORLD THROUGH HIM MIGHT BE SAVED. [18] He who believes in Him is not condemned; but HE WHO DOES NOT BELIEVE IS CONDEMNED ALREADY, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. … [36] “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and HE WHO DOES NOT BELIEVE THE SON SHALL NOT SEE LIFE, but THE WRATH OF GOD ABIDES ON HIM.

There is coming a day when you will stand before God. How will you stand? Those who have received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior will stand as sons and daughters of God. Why? Because Jesus took our beating. Jesus covered our sins. Jesus brought us peace with God through His agony.

Have you believed on Him? If not, you are daily playing Russian Roulette with a loaded gun. Run to His arms, the One Who gave Himself for you. He is MY HERO. Is He yours?