And some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said, Behold, he calleth Elias.
Some standing near the cross misunderstood the loud cry of forsakenness, hearing the sound of Eloi as the name of Elijah and supposing he was calling for Elijah. It was spoken at the ninth hour after three hours of darkness over the land while he hung in agony, shortly before his death as the darkness passed away. The priests took up the mistake with contempt and mockery, refusing his last opportunity for relief, saying they would wait to see whether Elijah would come to take him down while one ran to give him vinegar on a reed. The saying stands just before he declared his work finished, commended his spirit to the Father, and gave up his life amid darkness, torn veil, and shaking earth. His piercing cry and sudden death struck terror into scoffers and enemies and forced the conviction that he was a righteous man and the Son of God, a conviction that lay as seed to ripen into harvest when the gospel was proclaimed after his ascension. For his disciples his death as a malefactor took away their hope that he would reign as a temporal prince and left them to mourn, yet in suffering without the gate he sanctified the people with his own blood and was made a curse to redeem from the curse of the law.
Setting and Misunderstood Cry
The saying belongs to the march from the judgment hall to Calvary, when people of every class came out to the crucifixion and disciples and other believers from Jerusalem and the surrounding region joined the crowd following Jesus. The crucifixion it describes took place at the place called Calvary, outside the gate and outside the boundaries of Jerusalem, where felons and murderers were executed. The remark was made at the ninth hour, after three hours of darkness over the land, while Jesus hung on the cross in agony and suffering and the sun hid its light. It came shortly before His death, at the moment when the darkness over the earth passed away.
Some of those standing near Jesus misunderstood His loud cry of forsakenness to God, hearing in the sound of Eloi the name of Elijah and thinking He was calling for Elijah. The priests also took up the misunderstanding with contempt and mockery, treating His words as a call for Elijah. In doing so they refused His last opportunity for relief and refused the last opportunity to ease His suffering.
On the basis of that mistake they said they would wait to see whether Elijah would come to save Him and take Him down from the cross. While they waited, one person ran and gave Him vinegar on a reed.
Death and Its Impact
The misunderstood call for Elijah stands just before the climax of the crucifixion, when Jesus declared His work finished, commended His spirit to the Father, and gave up His life. His death was accompanied by darkness over the land, the torn temple veil, shaking earth and earthquake, and the grief of His followers, marking the end of His earthly life. He died at the moment the darkness passed away, sooner than was usual for a crucified person, and this strengthened Pilate's belief that He was no ordinary man.
His piercing cry with the shaking earth and sudden death struck terror into many who had scoffed and jeered and troubled His enemies. That terror forced the conviction that He was a righteous man and the Son of God. The conviction lay as seed and ripened into harvest when the gospel was proclaimed by His disciples after His ascension.
For the disciples His death as a malefactor was the taking away of the Bridegroom, giving them cause to mourn and fast. Their hope that He would reign as a temporal prince died with Him. In it their faith was tried and their hope and courage failed. In suffering without the gate He sanctified the people with His own blood. As substitute for Adam and Eve banished from Eden for transgression of God's law He was made a curse to redeem from the curse of the law.
Some standing near the cross misunderstood the loud cry of forsakenness, hearing the sound of Eloi as the name of Elijah and supposing he was calling for Elijah.
It was spoken at the ninth hour after three hours of darkness over the land while he hung in agony, shortly before his death as the darkness passed away.
The priests took up the mistake with contempt and mockery, refusing his last opportunity for relief, saying they would wait to see whether Elijah would come to take him down while one ran to give him vinegar on a reed.
The saying stands just before he declared his work finished, commended his spirit to the Father, and gave up his life amid darkness, torn veil, and shaking earth.
His piercing cry and sudden death struck terror into scoffers and enemies and forced the conviction that he was a righteous man and the Son of God, a conviction that lay as seed to ripen into harvest when the gospel was proclaimed after his ascension.
For his disciples his death as a malefactor took away their hope that he would reign as a temporal prince and left them to mourn, yet in suffering without the gate he sanctified the people with his own blood and was made a curse to redeem from the curse of the law.
Setting and Misunderstood Cry
The saying belongs to the march from the judgment hall to Calvary, when people of every class came out to the crucifixion and disciples and other believers from Jerusalem and the surrounding region joined the crowd following Jesus. The crucifixion it describes took place at the place called Calvary, outside the gate and outside the boundaries of Jerusalem, where felons and murderers were executed. The remark was made at the ninth hour, after three hours of darkness over the land, while Jesus hung on the cross in agony and suffering and the sun hid its light. It came shortly before His death, at the moment when the darkness over the earth passed away.
Some of those standing near Jesus misunderstood His loud cry of forsakenness to God, hearing in the sound of Eloi the name of Elijah and thinking He was calling for Elijah. The priests also took up the misunderstanding with contempt and mockery, treating His words as a call for Elijah. In doing so they refused His last opportunity for relief and refused the last opportunity to ease His suffering.
On the basis of that mistake they said they would wait to see whether Elijah would come to save Him and take Him down from the cross. While they waited, one person ran and gave Him vinegar on a reed.
Death and Its Impact
The misunderstood call for Elijah stands just before the climax of the crucifixion, when Jesus declared His work finished, commended His spirit to the Father, and gave up His life. His death was accompanied by darkness over the land, the torn temple veil, shaking earth and earthquake, and the grief of His followers, marking the end of His earthly life. He died at the moment the darkness passed away, sooner than was usual for a crucified person, and this strengthened Pilate's belief that He was no ordinary man.
His piercing cry with the shaking earth and sudden death struck terror into many who had scoffed and jeered and troubled His enemies. That terror forced the conviction that He was a righteous man and the Son of God. The conviction lay as seed and ripened into harvest when the gospel was proclaimed by His disciples after His ascension.
For the disciples His death as a malefactor was the taking away of the Bridegroom, giving them cause to mourn and fast. Their hope that He would reign as a temporal prince died with Him. In it their faith was tried and their hope and courage failed. In suffering without the gate He sanctified the people with His own blood. As substitute for Adam and Eve banished from Eden for transgression of God's law He was made a curse to redeem from the curse of the law.