Lesson One
Darkness

I have mixed emotions about December 21^st.

On a positive note, it is our son-in-law’s birthday. We are thankful for him and so pleased with how he cherishes our daughter. He is a nice addition to the family and he appreciates gifts. We try to make sure his birthday does not get missed being so close to Christmas.

On a negative note, it is the shortest day of the year (Michigan, Northern Hemisphere). In 2023, if you worked an 8:00 am – 5:00 pm job, you probably missed daylight. Sunrise was 7:57 am and sunset was 5:02 pm. Only nine hours and five minutes of light are not enough.

One miracle at the cross that may not receive much consideration is the darkness. It is such a noteworthy event that three writers point it out.

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

“And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.” Mark 15:33

“It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.” Luke 23:44

Three questions that need to be addressed are when this happened, what happened, and why it happened.

Mark 15:25 says, “And it was the third hour when they crucified him.” “The Bible Knowledge Commentary” states, “Using the Jewish method of counting hours from sunrise (and sunset) Mark alone recorded that Jesus’ crucifixion took place at the third hour, that is, 9 A.M.” Jesus was put through several court trials throughout the night and was crucified at nine in the morning.

Mark 15:33 continues, “And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.” The third hour was nine in the morning; therefore, three hours later (“the sixth hour”) was noon. Noon was when the sun was at its zenith. A cowboy fan might say, “It was high noon, partner.” This darkness continued for three hours until three in the afternoon (“the ninth hour”). Kent Hughes points out, “The Greek tenses indicate that it came suddenly, and all the Gospels regard it as a supernatural wonder.”

Concerning the darkness, I like the description given in Luke 23:44-45, “It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, while the sun’s light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two.” Luke says that the sun “failed.”

Please remember that the night before Jesus was celebrating the Passover with His disciples. James Edwards (“The Pillar New Testament Commentary”) points out, “The darkness at the crucifixion cannot be well accounted for by natural phenomena: solar eclipses do not occur when the moon is full at Passover; nor is a dust storm likely during the wet spring season.” Warren Wiersbe agrees, “At noon, a miraculous darkness came over the land, and all creation sympathized with the Creator as He suffered. This was indeed a miracle and not some natural phenomenon, such as a sand storm or an eclipse. It would not be possible to have an eclipse during full moon at Passover.” Darkness in the middle of the day was clearly an act of God. He can use nature to perform miracles, but this time He acts directly. This day is both the greatest day for mankind (Jesus dying for our sin) and the lowest day ever as God takes the spotlight off of His Son.

This darkness was foretold in the Old Testament.

“‘And on that day,’ declares the Lord God, ‘I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth in broad daylight. I will turn your feasts into mourning and all your songs into lamentation; I will bring sackcloth on every waist and baldness on every head; I will make it like the mourning for an only son and the end of it like a bitter day.’” Amos 8:9-10

“A day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness! Like blackness there is spread upon the mountains a great and powerful people; their like has never been before, nor will be again after them through the years of all generations.” Joel 2:2

“The great day of the Lord is near, near and hastening fast; the sound of the day of the Lord is bitter; the mighty man cries aloud there. A day of wrath is that day, a day of distress and anguish, a day of ruin and devastation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness.” Zephaniah 1:14-15

“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you.” Isaiah 60:1-2 

Ronald Kernaghan (“The IVP New Testament Commentary Series”) makes a noteworthy observation, “This scene depicts a time of utter silence. Mark records no gibes, insults or mockery. There is only darkness.” I imagine time stood still.

Commentators basically agree that the darkness was associated with man’s sin being placed on Jesus.

“Was probably a cosmic sign of God’s judgment on human sin which was placed on Jesus.” John Grassmick (“The Bible Knowledge Commentary”)

“We are not able to enter into the fullness of the desolation felt by Jesus at this moment as the Father regarded him as sin. This desolation was the deepest suffering.” A.T. Robertson (“Word Pictures in the New Testament”)

“There can be little doubt that Mark understood the darkness as God’s supernatural act and associated it with his judgment.” Walter W. Wessel (“The Expositor’s Bible Commentary”)

“Darkness at noon, by its paradoxical nature, was a fitting sign for God the Creator to give to those who had rejected the light of the world.” R. Alan Cole (“Tyndale New Testament Commentaries”)

“The darkness at Calvary was an announcement that God’s Firstborn and Beloved Son, the Lamb of God, was giving His life for the sins of the world. It was also an announcement that judgment was coming and men had better be prepared.” Warren Wiersbe (“The Bible Exposition Commentary”)

D. M. Spence-Jones (“The Pulpit Commentary”) records some of the observations from several historical figures.

“There was a great and remarkable eclipse of the sun, above any that had happened before. At the sixth hour the day was turned into the darkness of night, so that stars were seen in the heaven.” Phlegon of Tralles (Recorded by Eusebius)

“Either the God of nature, the Creator, is suffering, or the universe is dissolving.” Dionysius (He saw this phenomenon at Heliopolis, in Egypt)

“The sun was constrained to withdraw his rays, and close his eyes, that he might not be compelled to look upon this crime of the Jews.” St. Cyprian

“The creature could not bear the wrong done to its Creator. Therefore the sun withdrew his rays, that he might not behold the deeds of the wicked.” St. Chrysostom

Scripture clearly states the reason for Jesus’ death.

“He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned – every one – to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” Isaiah 53:3-6

“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.” 1 Peter 2:24

“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21

The darkness ended with the lament of Jesus. Mark 15:34 records, “And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?’ which means, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’”

At three in the afternoon, the Son had finished His calling. Therefore, the sun could do its purpose and stop failing. Darkness was overcome by the light (and the Light). Everyone got to see some amazing events. We will discuss some of those in the upcoming lessons.