What significance does the darkness hold in Matthew 27:45 for Jesus' crucifixion? The Scene at Golgotha: Matthew 27:45 “From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land.” A Literal, Supernatural Darkness • Scripture records a three-hour blackout (noon to 3 p.m.). • This was not a solar eclipse—Passover occurs at full moon, making a natural eclipse impossible. • The darkness is therefore a miraculous act of God, underscoring the cosmic weight of Jesus’ sacrifice. Echoes of Old Testament Judgment • Exodus 10:21-23 – A plague of thick darkness fell on Egypt before the Passover lambs were slain. • Amos 8:9 – “I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth in broad daylight.” • Joel 2:31 – “The sun will be turned to darkness… before the coming of the great and awesome Day of the LORD.” • The cross is the decisive “Day of the LORD,” where judgment and salvation meet. Sign of Divine Wrath and Substitution • Darkness often signals God’s displeasure (Isaiah 13:9-10; Zephaniah 1:14-15). • At Calvary, God’s wrath against sin converges on His Son (Isaiah 53:4-6; 2 Corinthians 5:21). • The gloom announces that Jesus is bearing the curse in the sinner’s place (Galatians 3:13). Fulfillment of Messianic Prophecy • Psalm 22:2 foretells the Messiah’s forsakenness: “I cry out by day, O my God, but You do not answer, and by night, but I have no rest.” • Matthew pairs the darkness with Jesus’ cry, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46; cf. Psalm 22:1), showing prophecy realized. Cosmic Witness to the Cross • Creation itself responds to its Creator’s suffering (Romans 8:19-22). • The sun’s dimming testifies that the crucifixion is not a local event but the pivotal act of history (Colossians 1:20). Reversal Foreshadowed • The Light of the world (John 8:12) endures darkness so believers can walk in His light (1 John 1:7). • The supernatural night ends when Jesus declares, “It is finished” (John 19:30) and the temple veil tears, opening the way to God (Matthew 27:51). Takeaways for Today • The darkness confronts us with the seriousness of sin and the costliness of redemption. • It reassures us that Jesus fully absorbed God’s judgment, leaving no condemnation for those in Him (Romans 8:1). • It invites worship: the same God who once covered the land in gloom now shines “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6). |
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