What is the meaning of Mark 15:34? At the ninth hour • The ninth hour Isaiah 3 p.m., the very moment of the evening sacrifice in the temple (Exodus 29:38-41). • Jesus hangs on the cross for six agonizing hours (Mark 15:25). This timing shows Him fulfilling every demand of the sacrificial system (Hebrews 9:11-14). • Darkness has covered the land since noon (Mark 15:33), a sign of divine judgment reminiscent of the plague on Egypt (Exodus 10:21-22; Amos 8:9). Jesus cried out in a loud voice • Although physically depleted, Jesus musters a loud cry, displaying conscious, deliberate surrender rather than passive defeat (John 10:18). • His voice breaks the silence described in Isaiah 53:7—He was “silent” before His accusers, yet now He cries out to His Father. • The volume draws every ear: soldiers, mockers, and bystanders all become witnesses (Luke 23:47-48). “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” • Jesus quotes Psalm 22:1 verbatim, reaching back a thousand years to David’s prophetic lament. • The Aramaic words retain the raw emotion of the moment, capturing an intimate conversation between Son and Father (Psalm 22:1-2; Matthew 27:46). • By choosing Psalm 22, Jesus signals that the entire psalm—ending in triumph and worldwide praise—will be fulfilled through His suffering (Psalm 22:22-31; Hebrews 2:12). which means • Scripture itself provides the translation so no one misses the significance (Mark 15:34). • This built-in explanation underscores that the cry is not random despair but purposeful fulfillment of prophecy (Luke 24:27; John 19:28-30). “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” • The Father places the sins of the world on the Son (Isaiah 53:4-6; 2 Corinthians 5:21). In that moment, fellowship is interrupted, not the eternal unity of the Trinity but the experiential sense of communion (Habakkuk 1:13). • Jesus experiences the full weight of divine wrath so believers never will (Galatians 3:13; 1 Peter 2:24). • Even in anguish He addresses the Father as “My God,” affirming trust and covenant faithfulness (Psalm 22:3-5). • The question “why” is rhetorical; Jesus knows the purpose, yet voices the horror of sin judged, modeling honest lament that still rests in God’s plan (Hebrews 5:7-9). summary At exactly the time of the daily sacrifice, darkness falls and the spotless Lamb cries out with deliberate strength, quoting Psalm 22 to reveal that He is bearing our sin. The Father momentarily withholds the felt presence of fellowship so the Son can absorb divine judgment. This wrenching cry is not evidence of defeat but the climactic fulfillment of prophecy, ensuring redemption for all who trust Him. |
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