What is the meaning of Matthew 27:45? From the sixth hour “From the sixth hour…” (Matthew 27:45) places us at about noon. At the very moment when the sun should have been brightest: • Jesus has already endured hours on the cross (Mark 15:25). • Noon was a customary time when Jerusalem bustled; the unnatural shift would have been unmistakable. • Prophets had foretold a midday darkness tied to judgment—“On that day…I will make the sun go down at noon” (Amos 8:9). • The timing underscores that the cross is not an ordinary execution but a divinely orchestrated event (Acts 2:23). until the ninth hour “…until the ninth hour…” extends the darkness to about 3 p.m. • Three full hours allow witnesses to feel the weight of separation and judgment. • 3 p.m. coincides with the time of the evening sacrifice in the temple (Exodus 29:39; Acts 3:1), linking Jesus’ death to the daily offering. • At this hour Jesus will cry, “It is finished” (John 19:30), marking the completion of atonement. darkness came “…darkness came…” points to a supernatural act, not a solar eclipse (Passover occurs at full moon). • Luke adds that “the sun was darkened” (Luke 23:45), emphasizing a cosmic sign. • Darkness in Scripture often signals God’s judgment—think of the ninth plague over Egypt (Exodus 10:21-22). • Yet it also signals divine presence; when God made covenant with Abram, “a thick and dreadful darkness came over him” (Genesis 15:12). Here, judgment and presence meet as the Son bears sin (2 Corinthians 5:21). over all the land “…over all the land.” • The phrase can refer to the whole region; whether localized or global, everyone nearby experienced it (Mark 15:33). • Roman historians such as Phlegon mention an extraordinary darkness around this time, hinting at a wider reach. • Symbolically the land is shrouded as creation mourns its Creator (Romans 8:22). • The veil of darkness prepares hearts for the tearing of another veil in the temple (Matthew 27:51), signaling new access to God. summary Matthew 27:45 records a real, midday darkness lasting three hours. At noon (“the sixth hour”) God blots out the sun, maintaining the sign until 3 p.m. (“the ninth hour”). This darkness is a supernatural testimony: judgment for sin falls on Jesus; prophetic Scripture is fulfilled; creation itself responds; and the timing aligns with Israel’s evening sacrifice, accenting Jesus as the true Lamb. The land’s gloom sets the stage for the climactic cry and the torn veil, declaring that through Christ’s atoning death, light will break forth for all who believe. |
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